Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
Attrition is apparent with the regular season wheeling past the 3/5th turn come late Saturday night. The injury report for Week 12 impacts the red-hot Roughriders, who will be without leading rusher Cameron Marshall and receiver/return specialist Nic Demski for the Banjo Bowl against the Blue Bombers.
However, while the Eskimos placed one quality receiver (Vidal Hazelton) on the six-game injured list, the return of All-Star Derel Walker on Wednesday helps ease the sting of not having yet another starter sidelined.
Here’s how the injury list breaks down and how it impacts Fantasy players:
Montreal at BC
Friday | 10:00 p.m. ET
Travis Lulay (right) is expected to benefit from a full arsenal of weapons in Week 12 (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Brandon Rutley ($5,185) returns off the injured list and is listed behind starter Tyrell Sutton ($6,006) on the depth chart, yet it’s hard to envision Montreal suiting up both Rutley and Sutton along with return specialist Stefan Logan ($4,292). Most likely, Rutley will be healthy scratch.
Receiver Tiquan Underwood ($3,644) returned to the lineup last week after missing Weeks 9 and 10, yet won’t see much time playing behind Ernest Jackson ($5,757). Coming off an open week, the Lions did not have any injury concerns involving skill position players, giving starting pivot Travis Lulay ($11,426) a full arsenal of weapons to work with to snap their recent skid.
Saskatchewan at Winnipeg
Saturday | 3:00 p.m. ET
The loss of Cameron Marshall to a knee injury could have a large impact on the Rider offence (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
The loss of Marshall ($6,418) costs the Roughriders the league’s fourth-leading rusher and a back that led the league with five runs of over 20 yards. Kienan LaFrance ($2,500) gets the start and has a big-play element to his game that will make him a popular and inexpensive RB2 for Fantasy owners willing to gamble on his upside. The Banjo Bowl will be the first of at least two starts for LaFrance as Marshall is expected to be out 2-3 weeks.
Losing both Demski ($2,500) and return specialist Christion Jones ($2,500), who was placed on the six-game IL earlier this week, means blistering hot receiver Duron Carter ($6,541) handles punt returns while Greg Morris ($2,500) will continue returning kickoffs. Chad Owens ($5,181), who once looked on the verge of making his 2017 debut, spends another week on the six-game injured list.
While the Bombers have injury issues on the defensive side of the ball, pivot Matt Nichols ($11,646) will have a full complement of talent surrounding him at the skill positions. Another week of receiver Weston Dressler ($5,169) could make the attack more potent.
Hamilton at Ottawa
Saturday | 6:00 p.m. ET
REDBLACKS running back Mossis Madu looks to tighten his grip on the starting job (The Canadian Press)
The Tiger-Cats placed running back Mercer Timmis ($2,500) and receiver/return specialist Giovanni Aprile ($2,500) on the six-game injured list earlier this week. Both suffered lower body injuries in the Labour Day win over Toronto. The Ticats also placed Sean Thomas Erlington ($2,500), who had not played this season, on the six-game IL. None of the three had any Fantasy value.
Ross Scheuerman ($2,500) was added off the practice squad and will be the backup to C.J. Gable ($4,490). Scheuerman has shown promise at times while also making three starts earlier in the season.
The REDBLACKS have not ruled out the prospects of receiver/return specialist Quincy McDuffie ($2,500) and receiver Kevin Elliott ($2,500) playing on Saturday afternoon, but it does look most likely both will be held back for the Week 13 contest at the Alouettes. Running back William Powell ($5,395) remains on the one-game injured list and could remain there for another week as Mossis Madu ($6,762) has put together a pair of solid efforts since regaining the starting job.
Edmonton at Calgary
Saturday | 9:00 p.m. ET
The return of Derel Walker changes the outlook of the Eskimos’ receiving corps this week (CFL.ca)
The Stampeders have their share of nicked up players, namely running back Jerome Messam ($8,602) and quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell ($9,598), but both stars will be in the starting lineup. While Messam remains a must-start presence for Fantasy players, Mitchell should be avoided after failing to throw a touchdown pass for the second time in the last three games.
Hazelton ($5,382) is on the six-game IL, but adding Walker ($7,123), who was signed on Wednesday after being cut by the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, gives Mike Reilly ($14,000) a perfect replacement. While LaDarius Perkins ($5,232) is healthy, the Eskimos currently do not have another running back on the roster if something were to happen to him. Fullbacks Pascal Lochard ($2,500) and Calvin McCarty ($2,500) would have to take over the ground game.
