By Bob Coatsworth,
Fantasy Sports Network
Ricky Ray, Charles Roberts and Henry Burris showed they’re still top-tier fantasy options in Week 1, but not everything remains status quo. Roles change and depth charts shuffle. Here are 10 players that weren’t on the fantasy radar screen in 2006 that you’ll want to consider in the coming weeks:
1. Henri Childs, RB, Saskatchewan – When Kenton Keith left, the Roughriders wasted little time before trading for the highly-coveted Childs, who dressed in seven games for the Bombers behind Charles Roberts last season. In his Saskatchewan debut, Childs rushed for 34 yards on 13 carries and made three receptions for 64 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown catch. He’ll have every opportunity to be the No. 1 rusher in Regina this season, although he could miss this week’s game with an ear infection.
2. Marc Boerigter, WR, Calgary – Boerigter is back in the Canadian Football League after a five-year tour of the NFL. He began his second CFL stint with three catches and 46 yards Saturday against Hamilton and is sure to be a key cog in George Cortez’s offence this season. Although he scored 11 touchdowns in 2001 for the Stampeders, a knee injury suffered in 2004 may have slowed him a little.
3. Tyler Ebell, RB, Edmonton – Football is all about opportunity. And if it wasn’t for an injury to Ron McClendon, Ebell probably wouldn’t be on this list. The rookie from UTEP made the best of his opportunity to start the season opener for the Eskimos last Thursday. On 16 carries, he rushed for 132 yards, made seven catches for 35 yards and caught a five-yard touchdown pass. His stunning performance should be enough to keep the in the mix at running back when McClendon is healthy again, but he’s faced with a mightier test in his second start Friday in Vancouver.
4. Warren Kean, K, Edmonton – When Sean Fleming botched two of three field-goal attempts, including a 47-yarder that could have won the game in overtime, it showed why the Eskimos drafted the Concordia graduate with their 2007 first-round pick. Once the rookie’s quad injury has healed, he should quickly take over as the Eskimos’ new three-point general.
5. Jamel White, RB, Toronto – The 29-year-old won the starting job for the Argos after bouncing around the NFL with Baltimore, Detroit and Tampa Bay between 2004 and 2006. White rushed for 44 yards on 14 carries in Toronto’s season-opening loss to B.C. He could miss Saturday’s game in Hamilton with a shoulder problem, but don’t expect John Avery to steal the job away from him.
6. Mike McMahon, QB, Toronto – McMahon could have taken a back-up job in the NFL, but wanted a chance as a start, so he signed with Toronto. The 28-year-old completed 14-of-21 passes for 277 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in two pre-season games, but wasn’t able to win the role as starting pivot. With Damon Allen relegated to third-string duty, McMahon moves up and should get a chance at the first sign of wavering from Michael Bishop.
7. Timmy Chang, QB, Hamilton – The CFL seems like the perfect fit for a quarterback used to a run-and-shoot offence. At least, it looked that way in the pre-season when the NCAA’s all-time passing leader threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns against the Blue Bombers. Chang is currently Hamilton’s backup quarterback, but with Jason Maas coming off a bad year, the team will have much less patience should he fail to perform.
8. Nicholas Setta, K, Hamilton – While everyone was fawning over the five-second hang times on his punts, Setta provided all the scoring, going three-for-three on field goals in Hamilton’s 37-9 Week 1 loss to Calgary. Yes, he’s the second kicker to make the list, but was arguably the Ticats’ best player behind Jesse Lumsden in Week 1.
9. T.J. Acree, WR, Edmonton – Of all the players not clearly on the CFL radar screen last season, Acree’s nine-catch, 123-yard performance last Thursday was one of the most surprising. The former Boise State star played eight games for the B.C. Lions last year, making 28 catches in a reserve role, but remember, veteran receiver Pat Woodcock sat out Week 1, so Acree will likely have a reduced role in Week 2. However, with Ricky Ray as the quarterback of the offence anything is possible and Acree should continue to figure in as Edmonton’s third or fourth option throughout the season.
10. Patrick Johnson, WR, Toronto – Of Toronto’s new receivers, the one with the most potential is Johnson. Noted for his blazing speed, the former Oregon Duck gave up on an NFL career in 2005 after spending seven seasons with Baltimore, the New York Giants, Jacksonville, Washington and Cincinnati. He had 26 receiving yards for the Argonauts in Week 1, but his playing time could be affected by the acquisition of Mookie Mitchell in the next few weeks. Frank Murphy could also contribute, especially since Michael Bishop, his teammate at Kansas State, is now the starter.
Bob Coatsworth works as an editorial coordinator at The Score Television Network and has been a fantasy sports enthusiast for years.
(The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily of the Canadian Football League)
