Matthew Cauz
CFL.ca
As I write this column I am bloated, tired and my liver feels like it just went twelve rounds trying to block Odell Willis … and I could not be happier. You see I just came home from my cottage where my three-day NFL Fantasy Draft took centre stage.
There is nothing quite as fun as hanging out with the same group of friends that I have known since grade school. We tell the same jokes, bust each other for incidents that occurred over a decade ago and say things you would never be allowed to say in polite company.
It is every stereotype you can imagine about male bonding and I wouldn’t change a thing.
However, my weekend got me thinking how much I would enjoy a CFL fantasy league. I’m not going to insult your intelligence by describing the popularity of fantasy football, or how much interest it would garner in the CFL. We know all the arguments already.
Nor am I going to start a witch hunt about why we don’t have a viable system of CFL fantasy football already in place. The cost and organization required to set it up are immense and would require a lot of moving parts. To be honest the correct answers are beyond my pay scale and intelligence level.
So instead of bemoaning about what isn’t currently available, I have decided to break out my calculator and see what life would be like if we applied a basic PPR (Point per Receptions) scoring system to the 2011 CFL season.
Quarterbacks: One point for every 25 yards passing, four points for a TD pass, minus-2 points for every interception and normal scoring for rushing.
1. Henry Burris: 175.08 – I said in my Power Rankings that no player was having a better season than Burris, his fantasy numbers support my statement
2. Anthony Calvillo: 165.16 – He’s the Peyton Manning of CFL Fantasy.
3. Travis Lulay: 134.8
4. Kevin Glenn: 134.48
5. Darian Durant: 130.56 – Just think how much better his numbers would be if his favourite targets were still catching his passes
6. Buck Pierce: 122.86
7. Ricky Ray: 122.56 – See the note for Durant.
8. Cleo Lemon: 105.36 – Anyone shocked about this ranking? No? I didn’t think so.
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Running Backs: One point per reception, one point for every 10 yards rushing or receiving and six points for any touchdown scored.
1. Brandon Whitaker: 140.9 – Whitaker is picking up right where former Alouettes Avon Cobourne left off. The tailback’s performance in a 40-17 win over the Argonauts in Week 3, one that saw him rack up 214 total yards and a touchdown represents the highest single-game fantasy performance of the 2011 season.
2. Avon Cobourne: 118.4 – New team, same excellent results.
3. Fred Reid: 90.6 – We’re almost at Labour Day and Reid has yet to crack the 100-yard barrier in a single game.
4. Andre Durie: 84.6 – Who would have thought that Durie would be Toronto’s leading running back? The five-year veterant clearly benefits from a PPR scoring system.
5. Joffrey Reynolds: 76.2 – I expected more.
6. Chad Kackert: 71.2 – One of the top Sleepers in 2011. However, he’s lucky I decided not to dock points for fumbles.
7. Jamal Robertson: 71.1
8. Hugh Charles: 66.4
9. Jerome Messam: 64.9 – His last two weeks are killing Messam owners. Five carries for whopping minus-four yards are not going to win you too many weeks.
10. Cory Boyd: 62 – I expect a massive second half from Boyd
11. Wes Cates: 60.8 – Same thing for Cates now with Ken Miller back at the helm.
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Receivers: One point per reception, six points for a TD and one point for every 10-yards gained.
1. Jamel Richardson: 160.3 – Just look at the point differential between Richardson and the next couple receivers! The single best week for a wide-out goes to Richardson who caught nine passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns in their 30-26 win over B.C in Week 1.
2. Fred Stamps: 124.9 – Imagine what his numbers would be like if Stamps had not gotten injured? During a four week stretch he went off for: 27-544-5 TD for a ridiculous 111.4 points.
3. Weston Dressler: 122.6 – Unlike Durant, Dressler is doing just fine without Fantuz and Bagg.
4. SJ Green: 122.4
5. Geroy Simon: 120.8 – Question here is will the arrival of Arland Bruce help or hinder Simon going forward?
6. Nik Lewis: 120.5 – Probably the slowest wide-out among the 100 point club, Lewis gets it done 100 different ways. Just love his game.
7. Chris Williams: 118.6 – Who needs Arland Bruce? Whoever drafted Williams did so late in the draft and is now gloating to all his buddies.
8. Terrence Edwards: 114.3 – Edwards would have been a Top-five receiver during most drafts, right now his owners are quietly grumbling about his production.
9. Dave Stala: 101.9
10. Jason Barnes: 99.4
11. Efrem Hill: 98.2 – Greatly aided by his glorious garbage-yard Week 7, 27.7-point performance in a 10 point loss to the Stampeders.
12. Brian Bratton: 91
13. Ken-Yon Rambo: 84.5
14. Johnny Forzani: 82.1 – His six receptions, 101-yard 2TD game against Montreal this weekend really boosted his numbers.
15 Romby Bryant: 81.3
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16. Shawn Gore: 80.3
17. Chris Getzlaf: 79.8
18. Brandon Rideau: 77.2 – His owners are bragging that they knew Rideau would emerge this year. They’re lying.
19. Cory Watson: 76.4
20. Akeem Foster: 72.7
21. Terence Jeffers-Harris: 72.4
22. Clarence Denmark: 69.9
23. Arland Bruce: 60.7 – I swear he put up all those points in the last five quarters.
24. Jeremaine Copeland: 59.9 – Biggest fantasy disappointment so far. Owners don’t sell low on Copeland! He’s going to bounce back in the second half.
25. Chad Owens: 56.1
Of course there are some changes I would make to the scoring system to help running backs, but overall I think the rankings here are a fairly good reflection of each players ability/performance so far in 2011.
I have to admit I spent way too much time on this column but I don’t care, it was fun. Am I nerd? Yes, yes I am.
But admit it, getting together with seven of your closest friends for debauchery, decadence and debating between Wes Cates and Romby Bryant in mid-June sounds kind of fun, doesn’t it?
