The Canadian Press
Week 7 could usher in the Johnny Manziel Era in Montreal, but while much of the focus will be on the Alouettes’ latest Next Big Thing at pivot, the week is geared towards strong quarterback play, with Edmonton’s Mike Reilly ($14,000), Winnipeg’s Matt Nichols ($7,554) and Calgary’s Bo Levi Mitchell ($8,535) in position to put up impressive numbers, while Ottawa’s Trevor Harris ($8,778) and Hamilton’s Jeremiah Masoli ($9,734) face off in what could be a Saturday afternoon slugfest.
The overwhelming amount of firepower means there’s a gem or two that requires being in a TSN CFL Fantasy football lineup. On the flip side, it also means there’s a player or two that users should quietly slink away from.
Away we go…
Edmonton (3-2-0) at Montreal (1-4-0)
Thursday | 7:30 p.m. ET
Start: D’haquille Williams, WR, Eskimos, $7,309 Salary
Sometimes, you can’t avoid the obvious. Williams has recorded double-digit Fantasy points in each of his first five games and comes into Thursday having rattled off four straight games of over 100 yards receiving and at least 20 Fantasy points. He gets an ideal matchup with a Montreal secondary that has allowed a league-high 12 touchdown passes while giving up nine passes of at least 30 yards. The Alouettes’ defence is eighth in the league with an opponents’ completion percentage of 67.4 per cent, and there is no question Mitchell could have put bigger numbers in Calgary’s win over Montreal last Saturday. Williams isn’t as much of a value as he was a few weeks ago, but the numbers trend strong enough in his favour that Fantasy users will have a hard time not plugging him into their lineups.
Sit: Johnny Manziel, QB, Alouettes, $7,000 Salary
Avoid the temptation that will overcome a significant number of users excited to finally see Manziel hit the field for the first time. Odds are in favour of Manziel seeing considerable action, but the Alouettes have already announced Vernon Adams Jr. ($5,000) will get the start. This would be a good matchup for Manziel to exploit, as the Eskimos are tied with the REDBLACKS with a league-high 12 completions of better than 30 yards allowed while also giving up an average of 8.6 yards per opponents’ pass, eighth in the league. Edmonton is tied with Montreal with 14 offensive touchdowns allowed, which could make this a shootout, but one that should not have Johnny Football in the lineup.
Toronto (1-4-0) at Winnipeg (3-3-0)
Friday | 8:30 p.m. ET
Start: Matt Nichols, QB, Blue Bombers, $7,554 Salary
Nichols gets a second crack at the league’s worst pass defence (287 yards allowed per game) a week after he touched up Toronto for 245 yards and two touchdowns along with adding a rushing major. The running of Andrew Harris ($10,191) will be able to set up Nichols and Winnipeg’s methodical passing attack, which could get a boost with the potential debut of Timothy Flanders ($3,925), who spent the first six games on the injured list. Flanders will play the hybrid role of running back and slot receiver, a situation he thrived on last season before getting injured. Nichols will be a good Fantasy play for the user looking to spend money elsewhere while still getting a productive quarterback at a reasonable price.
Sit: S.J. Green, WR, Argonauts, $5,739 Salary
James Franklin ($7,646) has thrown only two touchdown passes and accounts for five of the seven Argonauts touchdowns this season. None of that love has gone in the direction of Green, who has yet to score a touchdown this season and went from tallying 23.1 Fantasy points to producing only 3.9 last week. Much of the struggles of the Argos’ passing game stems from Franklin, who has thrown for better than 217 yards only once this season, and until Franklin can keep the offence from total freefall, Green and the rest of the Toronto skill position players constitute very risky plays for Fantasy users.
Yet to have scored a touchdown in 2018, S.J. Green has struggled as James Franklin continues to find comfort and consistenct in the Argos offence. (The Canadian Press)
Ottawa (3-2-0) at Hamilton (2-3-0)
Saturday | 4:00 p.m. ET
Start: William Powell, RB, REDBLACKS, $8,862 Salary
Again, there are times where the obvious can’t be overlooked, such as the fact Powell gets to run against a Ticats defence that is last in the league with 139.6 rushing yards allowed per game. Hamilton is also last in the CFL with a whopping 6.5 yards allowed per carry and comes off a loss to Saskatchewan in which they allowed 218 yards on the ground to the normally pass-happy Roughriders. Held in check the past two weeks with a combined 67 rushing yards on 22 carries, Powell is in the perfect situation to justify paying his high salary.
Sit: John White, RB, Tiger-Cats, $3,112 Salary
White looked solid in his Hamilton debut last week, rushing for 55 yards and a touchdown. He will be a good RB2 most weeks, but his potential and bargain of a salary runs headlong into an Ottawa run defence that is fourth in the league in yards allowed per game (98.8) and second in yards allowed per carry (4.5). At the least, White has established himself as the lead back in a crowded Ticats backfield, so those who use him can feel confident he’ll get the bulk of the carries.
Calgary (5-0-0) at Saskatchewan (3-2-0)
Saturday | 9:00 p.m. ET
Start: Stampeders Defence, $6,300 Salary
It’s not often a defence is considered a must-start, but Calgary’s D is playing lights out thus far. The Stamps have allowed only four offensive touchdowns this season and are currently on a pace to allow a grand total of 109 points. They may not have an official nickname yet, but the Calgary Curtain is a good place to start. Saskatchewan has produced only six offensive touchdowns thus far and has recorded 30 2-and-Outs, which makes this matchup feel like the Roughriders are in the middle of open water surrounded by a dozen red-hued Great White sharks. Calgary has forced 19 turnovers, and when one considers that Saskatchewan leads the league with seven interceptions thrown, the recipe for a big night from the Stampeders D only needs to be set to cook for 60 minutes.
Sit: Brandon Bridge, QB, Roughriders, $5,434 Salary
This could go for any member of the Saskatchewan offence, but Bridge’s strong second half in last week’s win over Hamilton will lead some to believe he and the Roughriders’ attack have turned the corner. Maybe so, but there won’t be much traction on Saturday night. The Riders are seventh in yards per game (315.8) and last in both passing yards per game (199.8) and completion percentage (61.0). They have been able to run the ball effectively, but the running back by committee of Marcus Thigpen ($4,781), former Stampeder Jerome Messam ($4,032) and Tre Mason ($3,000) makes it hard to suggest one as a possible Fantasy option. Then again, Calgary’s D has allowed a league-low 70.4 yards per game on the ground, so there’s that.
