The Canadian Press
With playoff positioning on the line, it wasn’t shocking to see the league’s premier playmakers rise in Week 20. The week also provided a glimpse into the future, as a handful of young talents showed up big for Fantasy users.
Spencer on Fire: The weather was cold and nasty in Hamilton, yet it didn’t faze Ottawa receiver/return specialist Diontae Spencer from delivering the week’s best effort with 34.8 Fantasy points as the REDBLACKS locked up the East Division title. Surprisingly, Spencer was 30th in usage with just 1,209 players benefiting from his 246 all-purpose yards, which included touchdown catches of 24 and 79 yards along with a 55-yard punt return.
Fantasy Analysis: With the playoffs looming, Spencer has dialled up the level of his play, having scored four touchdowns in his last three games. Saturday was a reminder of how potent Spencer, the league’s leader in all-purpose yards, can be in the return game. He will see higher usage in Friday’s regular-season finale against the Argonauts.
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William Stanback rewarded all those who took him in Week 20 with 25.2 Fantasy points as he scored his first two CFL touchdowns. (The Canadian Press)
The Runner is Catching On: Fantasy users correctly anticipated Alouettes running back William Stanback putting up solid numbers. However, they didn’t expect the week’s third-most-used player (3,920) to step up as a receiver. Stanback scored his first two CFL touchdowns on receptions of 42 and 10 yards in Sunday’s win over the Argonauts, helping propel him to 25.2 Fantasy points, second only to Spencer’s total.
Fantasy Analysis: Oh, Stanback was also effective on the ground, rushing for 60 yards on nine carries. He’ll be a top-end back in the Als’ season finale against Hamilton on Saturday as Stanback is pushing to leave a lasting impression upon Fantasy users going into the 2019 season, where he won’t be as much of a bargain as he has been much of this year.
Jeremiah Was A Letdown: The number seven was very unlucky for Fantasy users of Jeremiah Masoli. After all, that’s exactly how many Fantasy points the Hamilton pivot delivered in Saturday’s loss to Ottawa, a number that left him tied for 36th with BC running back Tyrell Sutton.
Fantasy Analysis: Saturday was the fifth time this season Masoli failed to throw a touchdown pass and the two interceptions he threw certainly didn’t help his cause. The Ticats close out the regular season against the Alouettes, but Montreal’s defence has recorded three straight games of double-digit Fantasy points and won’t be the pushovers they were a few weeks ago.
Not So Easy Task(er): Masoli’s troubles were Luke Tasker’s troubles. The Tiger-Cats receiver was the most-used player in Week 20, with 4,258 that saw him manage a modest 11.5 FP. Tasker failed to score a touchdown for the first time in four games as he and the Hamilton offence struggled without star receiver Brandon Banks.
Fantasy Analysis: He will continue to get double digits, but if the offence continues to sputter without Banks, then Tasker becomes an expensive liability. Tasker will present some risk for Fantasy users in Saturday’s game against the Alouettes, as they will be hesitant to invest nearly a quarter of their salary on him.
Noel, Noel…: Argonauts receiver Llevi Noel scored 18.5 Fantasy points in the loss to the Alouettes, catching eight passes for 105 yards—both career bests. His FP ranked him 10th for the week.
Fantasy Analysis: Very few (as in 41) Fantasy users saw his breakout coming. While he may not see a huge increase in usage for Saturday’s finale against Ottawa, Noel’s effort will be one of those that will help his cause as Toronto prepares for what will be an offseason of change across the board.
King George V: Noel looked more like Tasker compared to the usage of Alouettes receiver George Johnson. Only five users had Johnson in the lineup and the quintet was rewarded by his 18.6 Fantasy points, ranking him ninth. The bulk of his production came on a 61-yard touchdown pass from fellow pass-catcher Eugene Lewis.
Fantasy Analysis: Some things are hard to explain. Consider this as one of those things. Maybe this is the springboard Johnson needs to get more involved in the offence, which will be something to watch in Saturday’s finale against Hamilton.
Matt Technician: The late-season resurgence of Matt Nichols continued in Winnipeg’s playoff-clinching win over Calgary on Friday as he put up 22.8 Fantasy points. After injuries and inconsistency plagued much of his season, Nichols has delivered at least 22 FP in two of his last three games.
Fantasy Analysis: In his last three games, Nichols has thrown six touchdowns without an interception. His 358 yards on Friday was a season-best and an Edmonton defence with little to play for could make him a good Fantasy option on Saturday.
That’s Major Markeith to You: Stampeders receiver Markeith Ambles was a bright spot in Calgary’s loss to Winnipeg on Friday. The rookie scored a major for a third straight week while pulling in five passes for 67 yards, giving him 19 catches in the last three games. Ambles was 16th in usage and could see that total increase in Week 21.
Fantasy Analysis: Ambles must be considered a mid-tiered WR2 in the regular season finale against BC, and with the West Division still in the balance, the Stamps will pull out all the stops to assure themselves of a bye week and home-field in the West Final. That means making Ambles a key part of the offence, especially in the red zone, since the Calgary ground game has slowed down of late.
Err, Jordan? Fantasy users were counting on good numbers from a returning Jordan Williams-Lambert, evidenced by the 2,881 users who had the Saskatchewan receiver in their lineup. Unfortunately, the early injury to Zach Collaros forced the Roughriders to divert much of their offensive focus to the ground game, leading to Williams-Lambert finishing with no points.
Fantasy Analysis: Ouch. There’s no other way to describe it. However, those who used Cameron Marshall (3,305) had it pay off for them, as the Riders racked up 134 yards. Look for Marshall to be the Riders offensive player of choice once the postseason begins.
Lulay He Goes: Lions quarterback Travis Lulay managed only 3.8 Fantasy points in the loss to Saskatchewan, finishing 51st overall. He did throw a touchdown pass but was ineffective to the point where he was replaced by Jonathon Jennings in the fourth quarter.
Fantasy Analysis: Lulay was 19th in usage in Week 20. He probably won’t be that high come Saturday when the Lions face a Stampeders defence looking to help snap a three-game losing streak.
