6 CFL Fantasy sleepers you need in your lineup for OK Tire Labour Day Weekend

OK Tire Labour Day Weekend means two things: three amazing football matchups and a later start to the week, which gives CFL Fantasy presented by ToonieBet users extra time to build a winning team.

One path to success resides in finding a gem or two, which we are more than happy to provide.

OK TIRE LABOUR DAY WEEKEND
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QUARTERBACK

Cody Fajardo, Edmonton, $14,000 Salary (at Calgary, Monday)

We’re betting Cody Fajardo snaps his Jekyll-Hyde-like fantasy stretch that has seen him look less than stellar in odd-numbered weeks and a solid fantasy play in even-numbered dates. Week 12 was no exception as he generated 19.7 fantasy points, continuing a string that has seen Fajardo score 23 FP in Week 8 and 20.4 FP in Week 10.

Calgary has the league’s third-best pass defence at 272.2 yards allowed per game and comes off a win over Saskatchewan in which they cooled off a blistering-hot Trevor Harris. The Stampeders have allowed a league-low nine completions of 30+ yards, so Fajardo’s success will have to come from getting his pass-catchers, namely running back Justin Rankin, into open space where they can use their post-reception skills. Yes, Fajardo has tallied 13.3 FP and 13.6 FP in Weeks 9 and 11, respectively, but Labour Day usually gives us a pivot worth talking about around the water cooler on Tuesday. This year, it will be Fajardo.

RUNNING BACK

Spencer Brown, Toronto, $6,500 Salary (at Hamilton, Monday)

Argos fans, your prayers may have been answered after Spencer Brown came in for an injured Deonta McMahon and gave the offence its best performance this season by a running back in the Week 12 win over the Lions. Brown scored 22.9 FP as he accounted for 119 yards and a major from scrimmage along with adding a conversion run, not bad for someone playing in just his second game in the league.

Brown may get to carry that momentum against the Tiger-Cats if he’s atop the depth chart on Monday. Hamilton is seventh in the league with 103.4 yards allowed per game on the ground. No team allows more yards per carry than the 5.4 the Ticats yield. At six-foot, 200 pounds, Brown is more than just an inside slogger, evidenced by his 19-yard reception in Saturday’s win. He’s set to become an integral part of Toronto’s run to defend their Grey Cup title and should continue to remain a bargain for those salary-conscious fantasy users.

RECEIVERS

Shemar Bridges, Hamilton, $6,000 Salary (vs. Toronto, Monday)

Perhaps we are about to see a revival for Shemar Bridges, who comes into Labour Day Weekend with his best two-game run, scoring 11.7 fantasy points in Week 10 and 7.5 FP in Week 11. The Hamilton passing game was slowed down by Calgary in Week 11 and has seen a stretch where Kenny Lawler has just one game over double-digit fantasy points and no majors in four straight games. Opportunity abounds, and Bridges has a chance to return to his outstanding 2024 rookie season.

Those considering Bridges should take comfort in knowing Bo Levi Mitchell broke off a season-best 33 FP in the previous meeting against the Argos in Week 5 that included five passing majors. With him and a red-hot Nick Arbuckle squaring off, there’s every chance we could see a Labour Day duel similar to last week’s BC-Toronto matchup. If so, it’s worth finding room for Bridges, who should go well beyond his 4.8 FP projection and crack about 11-13 FP.

Erik Brooks, Calgary, $8,000 Salary (vs. Edmonton, Monday)

Week 12 showed that Erik Brooks will remain a vital part of the Stampeders passing attack as he scored 11.1 fantasy points, the third time in the last four weeks he has scored in double figures. Targets may be challenging to come by with Jalen Philpot and Damien Alford back into the lineup, yet Brooks has worked his way into the league’s top 50 receivers by using his sure hands (77.1 catch rate) and ability to find holes in the defence.

Brooks has seen his targets clipped, having been looked at by Vernon Adams Jr. just six times in the last two games. However, a matchup against Edmonton and the league’s worst pass defence (312.4 yards allowed per game) is ideal for Brooks to regain some attention. With the Elks focused on slowing Calgary’s top receivers, Brooks should be able to slide in and see a spike in targets. This one comes with risk, but Brooks has just enough upside to roll the dice on.

Dillon Mitchell, Winnipeg, $5,900 Salary (at Saskatchewan, Sunday)

Dillon Mitchell has quietly caught seven of his eight targets for 51 yards in his first three games with the Blue Bombers, but is capable of much more. Mitchell bursting onto the CFL scene with six straight games of at least one reception of 40+ yards in 2022 is not ancient history. His 14.2 yards per catch average during his career shows he can be a needed weapon for a Winnipeg passing game that has just 13 completions of more than 30 yards.

Saskatchewan’s pass defence has improved but the Roughriders are still eighth in the league with 288.1 yards allowed per game. Winnipeg is seventh in passing yards per game yet are second in completion percentage at 73 per cent. To slow down the Riders means taking chances, and Zach Collaros could use this game to get Mitchell more involved in the downfield side of the Bombers’ passing attack. He’s projected for 3.2 fantasy points, but there’s a deep sleeper feel to Mitchell, one that could lead to a double-digit fantasy outing.