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Week 1 finally arrived and it was packed with excitement as players took the field for the first time in the 2023 regular season.
Outside of Winnipeg and BC, though, offences experienced Week 1 jitters as the other six teams produced a total of five offensive majors. That said, there were plenty of points to go around with players like Dominique Rhymes (30 points) and Eugene Lewis (25.8 points) being the difference makers that fantasy players look for.
Week 2 promises to be even more exciting as the reigning champions Toronto Argonauts take the field for the first time in the regular season to add more players to the pool of choices for fantasy managers this week.
To find out who’s going to be a difference maker in Week 2 action, here’s our Start vs. Sit:
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Calgary (0-1-0) at Ottawa (0-1-0)
Thursday, 7:30pm ET
Line: Calgary (-4.0)
O/U: 42
Start: Tre Odoms-Dukes, WR, Stampeders, $4,800 Salary
The few fantasy users who went with Odoms-Dukes were rewarded with 20.5 fantasy points as he pulled in a team-best seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. One game does not a trend make, but the rapport with him and quarterback Jake Maier ($12,500) looked pretty chummy. Where that leaves Malik Henry ($11,900) and Reggie Begelton ($12,400) — who had a combined 15.1 FP — remains to be seen but do expect Odoms-Dukes to see a sharp increase from the 1.8% that started him Week 1.
Sit: Nick Arbuckle, QB, REDBLACKS, $6,200 Salary
Ouch. The 6.3 per cent of fantasy users banking on Arbuckle to ignite their lineups were hamstrung by his three interceptions and paltry 176 passing yards that produced all of 2.5 fantasy points. Arbuckle averaged a mere 5.0 yards per pass attempt while completing only two passes of 20 yards or longer. With at least one more start before Jeremiah Masoli ($13,000) is scheduled to return to the lineup, the value of REDBLACKS receivers will be greatly limited if Arbuckle’s numbers don’t take a significant climb.
Winnipeg (1-0-0) at Saskatchewan (1-0-0)
Friday, 9:00pm ET
Odds: Winnipeg (-4.0)
O/U: 47.5
Start: Zach Collaros, QB, Blue Bombers, $15,000 Salary
Collaros exceeded his projected point total of 15.9 by halftime on the way to finishing with 26.6 fantasy points, a number that was easily the best among Week 1 pivots. Fantasy users (and the Hamilton secondary) didn’t experience the full wrath of Collaros since the Bombers offence took its feet off the gas after taking a 29-4 lead into intermission. Used by 19.8 per cent of fantasy users in Week 1, there’s no reason to suspect Collaros won’t at least top 20 FP; considering that Dalton Schoen ($14,200) had a modest game (five catches, 60 yards) by his standards, look for Collaros to get his star receiver more involved on Friday night.
Sit: Roughriders Receivers
Week 1 did not answer the question as to whether Saskatchewan would identify a featured pass catcher until Kian Schaffer-Baker ($11,200) returns from injury. Five different Riders caught at least three passes in Sunday’s win over the Elks with neither topping 51 yards. Pivot Trevor Harris ($12,200) played things close to the vest, averaging just 5.4 yards per pass attempt and finished with only 179 yards in the air, making him a huge letdown to the 23.7 per cent of fantasy users banking on him. Harris produced just 8.3 FP and while that total should be improved this week, fantasy users would be wise not to play a guessing game on who Harris targets most.
Edmonton (0-1-0) at BC (1-0-0)
Saturday, 7:00pm ET
Odds: BC (-6.5)
O/U: 45.5
Start: Taquan Mizzell, RB, BC, $9,100 Salary
Mizzell was projected for just 2.0 fantasy points but more than outplayed expectations by racking up 12.3 FP on the strength of 81 rushing yards on 12 carries to go along with three receptions for 12 yards. Just 10.2 per cent of users took a shot on the CFL debut of Mizzell, who has immediately established himself as the lead back in a potentially potent Lions offence. The Elks’ run defence resembled the same challenged run defence from 2022 as they allowed the Roughriders to amass 122 yards on the ground, with a considerable amount of those coming in the game-clinching drive that came after Saskatchewan’s defence recorded a goal line stand that extended Edmonton’s home losing streak to 18 games.
Sit: Dillon Mitchell, WR, Elks, $9,700 Salary
If Week 1 is an indication, Mitchell might need to remind quarterback Taylor Cornelius ($13,900) of his existence. Mitchell, who stalked opposing secondaries for much of the second half of last season, had just one reception for a loss of five yards in Sunday’s loss to the Roughriders. Life was awkward for the Elks passing game as Cornelius barely completed half of his passes (13 for 25) for 202 yards. More than half of his production came on the 102-yard major he and Eugene Lewis ($15,000) connected on in the first half while the rest of the receiving corps combined for only five receptions for 32 yards.
Hamilton (0-1-0) at Toronto (0-0-0)
Sunday, 7:00pm ET
Odds: Toronto (-2.5)
O/U: 46.5
Start: Chad Kelly, QB, Argonauts, $10,300 Salary
The 0.7 per cent who started Kelly in Week 1 can rest assured he will put up points this week; after all, the Argos are actually playing. Confidence levels will be high as the defending Grey Cup champs hit the field for the first time, and if fantasy users consider the way the Tiger-Cats secondary was mauled by Zach Collaros and the Bombers in Week 1, temptation to start Kelly becomes more desirable. Kelly’s mobility is obvious, but the bet here is that McLeod Bethel-Thompson left the keys to the offence in the hands of the right driver.
Sit: Bo Levi Mitchell, QB, Tiger-Cats, $11,900 Salary
Vintage was few and far in between during his rocky Ticats debut on Friday. Mitchell threw a pair of interceptions, lost a fumble, and was sacked three times by an opportunistic Blue Bombers defence. Just 6.0 per cent of fantasy users gambled on Mitchell, who did throw a major to Tim White ($15,000) yet completed just over half of his 34 attempts while averaging 5.5 yards per attempt. Although he wasn’t the only pivot to experience Week 1 doldrums, Mitchell might be the one whose Week 2 upside is most limited.
