CFL Fantasy Start vs. Sit: 4 must-plays and who to avoid in Week 9

Brandon C. Williams

CFL.ca

BC gets an open date in Week 9, and while CFL Fantasy presented by ToonieBet users won’t have the likes of Nathan Rourke, James Butler, and Stanley Berryhill III to help fill their lineups, there is plenty of firepower to consider.

This week’s edition of Start vs. Sit has a pivot who has overcome a string of challenges to merit starting, and a former fantasy standout whose value has dipped this season.

CALGARY (5-2) AT OTTAWA (1-6)

Thursday, July 31
7:30 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS/CFL+
Line: Calgary (-4.5)
O/U: 52.5

Start: Dominique Rhymes, WR, Calgary, $11,000 Salary

With much of the Stampeders receiving corps on the injured list and the possibility of pivot Vernon Adams Jr. being sidelined, the offence will have to turn to the veteran pass-catcher as the focal point of the passing game.

Dominique Rhymes has been on a roll for fantasy users, averaging 16.2 fantasy points the past three games, including a season-best 19.9 FP in the Week 8 loss to Montreal. His ability to get downfield (17.8 yards per catch) makes him a solid fit against a REDBLACKS secondary that has allowed 16 completions of better than 30 yards. Rhymes has also found the end zone in consecutive games. With him averaging eight targets per game the last three contests, he stands an excellent chance to extend his streak of receiving majors.

Sit: William Stanback, RB, Ottawa, $7,800 Salary

Since opening the season with 16.2 fantasy points, William Stanback’s fantasy production has stumbled, scoring double digit FP just once since. The former All-CFL running back has managed 5.4 FP or fewer in three of his last four games as Daniel Adeboboye has taken the bulk of touches in the Ottawa backfield.

Stanback faces a tough matchup against a Calgary run defence that is third in the league with 95 yards allowed per game. The Stamps are also second in opponents’ yards allowed on first down and will make REDBLACKS quarterback Dru Brown confront numerous long yardage situations on second down. Unless Adeboboye is sidelined, Stanback’s value will continue to be light years from when the three-time 1,000-yard rusher was a must-start for fantasy users.

TORONTO (2-5) AT WINNIPEG (3-3)

Friday, August 1
8:30 p.m. ET
TSN/CFL+
Line: Winnipeg (-6.5)
O/U: 51

Start: Nick Arbuckle, QB, $13,100 Salary

Once a pivot to avoid, Nick Arbuckle is now a must-start. Second in the league with 2,007 yards, Arbuckle has averaged 19.8 fantasy points in the last three games while also throwing multiple majors in four of his last five, including three straight. Despite being sacked a league-high 21 times and being tied for the league lead with eight interceptions, Arbuckle has overcome those challenges while forming a strong rapport with Damonte Coxie and Kevin Mital.

Arbuckle scored a season-best 23.2 FP in last week’s win over the Blue Bombers and has another opportunity to strafe a Winnipeg pass defence that has allowed 285.3 yards per game. Toronto has recorded just 99 rushing attempts this season, and with the Argos treating the ground game as an afterthought, Arbuckle will continue to have clearance to fly all night long. He avoided throwing an interception for the first time last week. If he continues to avoid turnovers, Arbuckle will be a must-start for fantasy users.

Sit: Keric Wheatfall, WR, Winnipeg, $8,500 Salary

On the opposite end of the fantasy spectrum from Arbuckle lies Keric Wheatfall, whose impressive start has tempered off since scoring at least 14.6 FP in the first three games. Winnipeg’s deep threat has been stymied over the last three games, averaging just under 32 receiving yards per contest as the Blue Bombers have recorded only nine completions of better than 30 yards.

Making things more daunting for Wheatfall is the possibility of Zach Collaros missing the rematch against the Argos, yielding to Chris Streveler. Streveler averages 7.5 yards per pass, compared to Collaros’ 8.3, and there’s also every chance the Bombers focus on getting the ball to Brady Oliveira in a bid to keep the game from becoming a track meet. Either way, this is not a game where the first chapter of Wheatfall’s redemption is written.

HAMILTON (5-2) at EDMONTON (1-6)

Saturday, August 2
3:00 p.m. ET
TSN/CTV/CFL+
Line: Hamilton (-4.5)
O/U: 54.5

Start: Greg Bell, RB, Hamilton, $10,200 Salary

This feels like the week Greg Bell goes from pretty good to fantasy beast. Back in the lineup for the first time since Week 5, Bell has scored at least 10.6 FP in each of the four games he’s played this season, including 11.2 FP in Week 8. At the same time, though, the Bell we saw late in the 2024 campaign has yet to show up.

The Elks have allowed a league-high 30.5 offensive points per game and are also last with 425 yards given up per contest. Bell will be the anchor of fantasy lineups this week and has a reasonable salary, enabling fantasy users to strongly consider pairing Bell with at least one other Hamilton player. It would be a mild surprise if Bell didn’t score at least 17-19 fantasy points on Saturday. We can’t say louder: START. HIM.

Sit: Both Defences

Look, there’s a reason the O/U is one of the highest of the season. When you put together a matchup between Bo Levi Mitchell and Cody Fajardo, don’t count on a low-scoring affair.

Hamilton’s defence managed two fantasy points in Week 8. Edmonton’s best effort from their defence was the three fantasy points they scored in last week’s loss to Saskatchewan, their second straight game in the positive after opening the season with four consecutive games of negative fantasy numbers. There are six other defences to consider this week, so look elsewhere.

SASKATCHEWAN (6-1) at MONTREAL (5-2)

Saturday, August 2
7:00 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS/CBSSN/CFL+
Line: Saskatchewan (-2.5)
O/U: 49.5

Start: KeeSean Johnson, WR, Saskatchewan, $10,500 Salary

These days, there are more than enough targets to go around in a Roughriders passing attack that is third in the league with 294.9 yards per game while completing a league-best 73.8 percent of their attempts. That makes KeeSean Johnson a valuable piece of any fantasy lineup, having caught at least four passes in each game. He comes into Saturday evening having generated at least 10 FP in each of his last three games.

Montreal’s defence presents a challenge to Trevor Harris and the Saskatchewan offence. The Alouettes are third with 265.1 passing yards per game but in Harris, they run into a pivot that has thrown multiple majors in three of his last four games. Johnson will share targets with Samuel Emilus and Dohnte Meyers, but as the league leader with 17 receptions on second down, there’s a high likelihood that Johnson can keep making fantasy users happy with his steady production.

Sit: Sean Thomas Erlington, RB, Montreal, $7,000 Salary

Sean Thomas Erlington scored majors in three of his previous four games before being shut out in Week 8 when he managed 6.6 FP. The league’s fourth-leading rusher will have his hands full against a Riders defence that has allowed a paltry 66.9 yards per game and second in opponents’ rushing yards per carry (4.6), leaving Thomas Erlington a risky play this week.

Although the Alouettes find ways to utilize rookie Travis Theis, Thomas Erlington will still get the bulk of the carries. He didn’t record a target in Week 8, a fact that further hurts his fantasy stock.

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