Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca
Fun With Fantasy Numbers looks back at Week 6 while trying not to focus too much on Johnny Manziel’s new address and the embarrassment of talent Jeremiah Masoli now has in his arsenal.
Don In: Calgary running back Don Jackson had the most users in Week 6, as 10,963 TSN CFL Fantasy Football players assumed the Stampeders rookie would run through the Alouettes defence. Montreal had other plans, namely making sure 10,963 users would be burned. Jackson had a season-low 8.4 Fantasy points, ranking him 32nd among the 76 players who managed at least 0.2 points this week.
Fantasy Analysis: Jackson has nowhere to trend but down. He won’t have as much appeal in Saturday’s game against Saskatchewan, which ranks among the toughest run defences in the league. Jackson will still be a bargain but fits more as an RB2 this week.
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Andrew Harris rushed his way into second all-time for most rushing yards by a Canadian back versus the Argos. The Bombers’ back had his third straight 100-yard game in Week 6. (The Canadian Press)
Sinopoli Money: For the second time this season, Ottawa receiver Brad Sinopoli recorded the highest Fantasy score of the week, putting up 34.1 Fantasy points in the REDBLACKS’ thrilling win over the Lions on Friday night. Sinopoli, who had 11 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown, also topped the pack in Week 4 in Ottawa’s win over Montreal.
Fantasy Analysis: He’s become the most reliable of the Ottawa receivers. While Greg Ellingson and Diontae Spencer has struggled the past few weeks, Sinopoli has put himself on pace for 130 receptions this season. The league’s second-leading receiver in yards gained, Sinopoli — who was the ninth most used player in Week 6 — will have significant Fantasy interest when the REDBLACKS visit the Tiger-Cats in what could be a shootout on Saturday afternoon.
Over the Argos Andrew the Woods…: The highest-salaried non-pivot, Winnipeg running back Andrew Harris was money well-spent in Week 6. Second only to Jackson in usage (8,726), Harris put up the second-highest Fantasy point total when he ran through the Toronto defence on the way to 31.7 FP in the Blue Bombers win on Saturday afternoon.
Fantasy Analysis: Harris has a firm grip atop the running back rankings, even if his Week 7 salary approaches $10,000. The league’s leader with 610 rushing yards and five touchdowns, Harris gets another opportunity to run through the Argonauts defence when the two teams congregate in Winnipeg on Friday night. Harris is on pace for 1,830 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns.
Arceneaux of Production: BC receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux delivered 28.2 Fantasy points on Friday while catching his first touchdown of the season and crossing the 100-yard barrier for the first time in 2018. Ranked 18th in player usage (3,470), Arceneaux and the Lions receiving corps have been more productive with Travis Lulay guiding the offence.
Fantasy Analysis: Arceneaux is tied for fifth with three catches of better than 30 yards but his momentum gets the double-barreled buzzkill of a Week 7 open date and a roadie to Calgary on August 4.
Run to…? Toronto running back James Wilder Jr. finished with 10 Fantasy points but recorded -0.2 on the ground as he was held to -2 yards on three carries. The six catches and 42 yards helped salvage what would have been a complete disaster, allowing Wilder to rank 28th overall this week.
Fantasy Analysis: Something’s wrong in Argos Nation, and it all can’t be excused by the loss of Ricky Ray. Take away his 120-yard outing against the Eskimos in Week 4, and Wilder has a combined 100 yards on 30 carries. His lack of production is going to make Fantasy players ponder whether his $7,983 salary will be worth it when Toronto visits Winnipeg on Friday night.
Who Can Make Receivers Look Good? Bo Knows: Stampeders receiver Kamar Jorden was the fifth most used player in Week 6 and paid off well. Jorden finished with 22.6 Fantasy points in Saturday’s win over the Alouettes, just behind the 26.3 FP that Eric Rogers racked up. Having Bo Levi Mitchell in the lineup made all the difference as the Calgary field general defied early week gloom and doom and started despite a lower-body injury that kept him out of practice much of the week.
Fantasy Analysis: Mitchell was 27th in player usage, and while his 17.7 Fantasy points were respectable, his presence makes the Stamps receiving corps lethal. They’ll get their chance to take on the Roughriders secondary on Saturday night, making both Jorden and Rogers strong WR1-caliber options.
Stamps’ Eric Rogers and the rest of the Calgary receiving corps has been sharing the wealth as they remain undefeated heading into Week 7. (Larry MacDougal, CFL.ca)
Don’t Call it a Comeback: Matt Nichols put up 23.9 Fantasy points in Winnipeg’s victory over Toronto, throwing a pair of touchdown passes and running for a third. That’s a sharp contrast to his Week 5 debacle against BC when Nichols threw three interceptions and finished with just 2.6 Fantasy points.
Fantasy Analysis: Let’s see if Nichols can keep the good times rolling when the Argonauts visit the Bombers on Friday night. With Andrew Harris running wild, the passing lanes will be friendly, making Nichols a sneaky good Fantasy play.
Ricky Don’t Lose That Number: Only 378 users plugged in Lions receiver Ricky Collins, making the 57th most used player a heck of a bargain in Week 6. Collins finished with 21.9 Fantasy points, ranking him ninth overall.
Fantasy Analysis: See the analysis on Arceneaux.
Addressing the Alouette in the Room: Rest assured, Johnny Manziel will have more than 63 users for Thursday’s game against the Eskimos. The newest Alouettes quarterback arrived in Montreal via a blockbuster five-player deal that sent star defensive end Jamaal Westerman and receiver Chris Williams to the Ticats in exchange for Manziel and offensive linemen Tony Washington and Landon Rice.
Fantasy Analysis: Manziel didn’t come to Montreal to carry a clipboard. Als coach Mike Sherman knows Manziel all too well, as he was the coach who recruited Manziel to Texas A&M, where Manziel won the 2012 Heisman Trophy. He has a grasp of Sherman’s offence, which makes it likely Manziel will make his CFL regular season debut this week. This won’t be a good week to add him to a Fantasy roster but look and see how he’s used on Thursday, which could be a huge ratings winner.
