Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca
Just like the rest of the teams across the league, I needed a week of rest and I took an early season bye week in Week 4.
But now I’m back at practice (sitting behind my laptop), taking first team reps (creating content) and preparing to get a W in my picks this week (I hope).
While I was on my bye, I headed out west and checked off the back-to-back Alberta road trip from my CFL bucket list. I hit the Stampeders/Riders game on June 24 (the OT thriller!) and then went to Edmonton for Elks/Argos on June 25. Both games were a ton of fun and I loved meeting CFL fans along the way. Also, the tailgate at Commonwealth was lit!
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Here’s my CFL Fantasy team for this week:
QB – Jeremiah Masoli ($13,000) CAPTAIN
RB – Jamal Morrow ($11,400)
RB – De’Montre Tuggle ($6,200)
WR – Austin Mack ($8,400)
WR – Keon Hatcher ($10,500)
Flex – Shawn Bane Jr. ($11,800)
Defence – Saskatchewan Roughriders ($8,300)
Jeremiah Masoli hasn’t played in a year but I believe he’s going to have a big game against a Ticats secondary that has allowed 294.7 yards per game, second-most in the CFL. I’ve added him as my captain as well.
The Tiger-Cats have allowed 113.0 yards per game on the ground and after a big performance last week against Edmonton, I’m going with De’Montre Tuggle to keep the train rolling in Hamilton. Plus as Masoli gets settled, he may need to rely on his running back.
I’m thinking Jamal Morrow has a big game vs. an Edmonton defence that has given up the most yards on the ground this season with 164.0 per game. Just look at what Argos back AJ Ouellette was able to to do vs. the Elks in Week 3, scoring three majors, and what Tuggle did last week, running the rock for 126 yards and a TD.
Austin Mack hasn’t steered me wrong yet as the Als rookie receiver has been lighting it up this season in fantasy points – he tallied 16 in Week 1 vs. Ottawa, 25.1 in Week 3 against Hamilton and 17.5 against Winnipeg in Week 4. Here’s to hoping his connecting with Cody Fajardo continues this weekend against a tough BC defence.
My other receiver is Keon Hatcher and at FLEX I’m going with Shawn Bane Jr. Bane had a pair of big games in his last two outings (136 yards against Winnipeg and 82 vs. Calgary) and I like the matchup against Edmonton. Hatcher looked like he didn’t miss a week in his first game of the season on Monday, hauling in 104 yards and a touchdown.
The Riders defence is cheap and against a struggling Edmonton offence…it just seems like a no-brainer.
KRISTINA’S PICKS
Edmonton at Saskatchewan
Thursday, 9:00 p.m. ET
The Edmonton Elks haven’t looked like the team on the field that they appear to be on paper just yet this season, but I don’t think Chris Jones’ group will stay that way forever. This week though, I still think they stay winless and the Riders will give their home crowd something to cheer about.
PICK: Saskatchewan
Calgary at Winnipeg
Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET
I’m still not picking against Winnipeg. I’m interested to see how Calgary plays against Winnipeg, though. I need to see a bit more from them to be convinced they’re a top dog in the West and I think this game will provide some insights.
PICK: Winnipeg
Ottawa at Hamilton
Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Jeremiah Masoli is back! I know that he hasn’t played in exactly a year to the date, but having a stable QB behind centre puts the REDBLACKS over the top for me. Their defence is full of playmakers. They have a tailback who can run the ball. Their O-line is tops in the league (tied with Toronto’s with only four sacks allowed and the team is averaging 101.3 yards on the ground per game). Add in Masoli? It sounds like a winning recipe to me.
PICK: Ottawa
Montreal at BC
Sunday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Vernon Adams Jr. must hate BMO Field. Last year he was pulled early in the Week 2 contest at BMO against Toronto and lost his starting job in Montreal to Trevor Harris. On Monday, he threw six interceptions. I don’t think that happens again this week, especially considering that despite those picks, VA had a pretty good outing vs. Toronto (24 of 39 for 388 and three touchdowns). I think BC’s defence will be too much for Cody Fajardo and that Als offence.
PICK: BC
