Matt Smith/CFL.ca
The Week 7 projections offer intrigue at pivot, where injuries have altered the landscape while the return of Kenny Lawler makes the rankings at receiver quite interesting. In short, this week offers a lot of shaking up across the board.
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Quarterbacks
1. Zach Collaros, Winnipeg, $15,000 Salary (18.4 Projected Fantasy Points): The projection should be easy for Collaros to achieve considering he’s averaged 18.5 FP in his last two games. Adding an All-Star calibre receiver to an offence that leads the league with 16 majors in a matchup against the Elks and their CFL-worst defence is a recipe for huge fantasy production. Make sure you add the captain tag to Collaros this week.
2. Vernon Adams Jr., BC, $14,500 Salary (16.8): Adams has scored at least 15.1 FP in each game this season as he guides a Lions’ passing attack that averages 308 yards per game. It’s early but Adams is on pace for a 5,544-yard, 32-TD pass campaign.
3. Chad Kelly, Toronto, $14,900 Salary (23.1): You could flip the top-three in any order and you wouldn’t be wrong. Kelly has the highest projection among pivots this week and should be able to top that lofty expectation against Hamilton’s defence, which allows a league-worst 28 offensive points per game.
4. Dustin Crum, Ottawa, $5,400 Salary (12.6): Come for the scrambling ability, stay for the improvement of Crum’s 6.5 yards per attempt. Don’t be surprised if Crum takes full advantage of a Stampeders’ pass defence that’s yielding a 68.1 percent completion rate.
5. Jake Maier, Calgary, $13,000 Salary (13.5): This feels like a week where Maier could flirt with at least 18-20 FP if he can get the ball downfield. The REDBLACKS have given up a league-high 13 completions of better than 30 yards and are also at the bottom in opponents’ average pass (9.8). If you go with Maier, make sure you stack a Stamps receiver with him.
Running backs
1. Brady Oliveira, Winnipeg, $14,000 Salary (13.5): It’s Oliveira’s turn to pad his stats against Edmonton’s run defence. Enough said.
2. AJ Ouellette, Toronto, $12,400 Salary (14.2): The Argos’ runaway diesel of a running back is overdue a visit into the end zone. We’re counting on him to do so against Hamilton and their eighth-ranked run defence. We wouldn’t be shocked if Ouellette finished as the most productive fantasy back in Week 7.
3. Jamal Morrow, Saskatchewan, $12,800 Salary (14.4): Coming off a season-best 24 FP against the Stamps, Morrow will be in line for more touches (and more fantasy points) now that the offence will be centred around him in the wake of Trevor Harris’ injury.
Dedrick Mills has stepped into the tailback role and thrived for the Stamps (Daniel Crump/CFL.ca)
4. Dedrick Mills, Calgary, $13,100 Salary (14.2): He’s been a model of consistency, having scored at least 10.8 fantasy points per game since Week 2. Expect nothing less than another solid outing for Mills’ fantasy users.
5. James Butler, Hamilton, $12,000 Salary (12.6): He’s going to get a considerable workload as the Ticats adjust to rookie quarterback Taylor Powell. However, facing Toronto’s oppressive run defence might provide a moment of pause for some fantasy users.
6. Shaun Shivers, BC, $5,000 Salary (12.5): Don’t count on Shivers duplicating his 21.6 FP debut in Week 5. He will still be a solid fantasy bargain for users looking to load up on higher-salaried options.
Receivers
1. Dominique Rhymes, BC, $15,000 Salary (17.3): Consider his 5.7 FP total in Week 5 a blip on the fantasy radar. He’s healthy and is primed for a third game of at least 20 FP.
2. Dalton Schoen, Winnipeg, $14,000 Salary (15.6): The return of Kenny Lawler makes Schoen even more dangerous now that defences can’t collapse coverages in his direction. He’s due to break out of a two-game slump that’s seen him total just 17.6 FP.
3. Keon Hatcher, BC, $11,800 Salary (14.4): There’s no reason not to think Hatcher can’t maintain his current average of 18.6 FP. He’s just now returning to form and there’s more than enough targets for him and Rhymes to dominate the fantasy rankings.
4. Tevin Jones, Saskatchewan, $12,800 Salary (15.1): The touchdown he and Mason Fine connected on late in Week 6, combined with his 121.9 efficiency rate, is a good sign Jones will become the featured receiver for the Riders.
5. Tim White, Hamilton, $15,000 Salary (11.1): White bounced back from a brutal Week 5 with 15.1 FP in Week 6. If the offence isn’t going through James Butler, it will go through White as they adjust to Taylor Powell as the starting pivot.
Drew Wolitarsky has found the end zone four times this season for the Bombers (Matt Smith/CFL.ca)
6. Drew Wolitarsky, Winnipeg, $10,000 Salary (12.1): Let’s face it: Wolitarsky is having a West Division All-Star calibre season. Even with Kenny Lawler returning, we don’t expect Wolitarsky’s production to taper off much, if any.
7. Luther Hakunavanhu, Calgary, $7,700 Salary (7.9): The opportunity for Hakunavanhu to become the focal point of the Stamps’ passing game only requires Jake Maier to get him more involved than the mere four targets per game Hakunavanhu have averaged thus far.
8. Damonte Coxie, Toronto, $12,600 Salary (9.9): In the two games in which Coxie received at least six targets, he produced 36.3 fantasy points. Translation: Get. Him. The. Ball. Often.
9. Steven Dunbar Jr., Edmonton, $14,000 Salary (8.9): He’s averaged nearly nine targets in the past four games, making him the top option in the Elks’ passing game. There’s more upside if Taylor Cornelius can improve his completion rate.
10. Nic Demski, Winnipeg, $12,000 Salary (14.0): Until proven otherwise, Demski’s production and fantasy consistency will remain the same despite Lawler’s return. Don’t be shocked if he’s the Bombers receiver with the most fantasy production against the Elks.
11. Justin Hardy, Ottawa, $9,000 Salary (11.3): As mentioned earlier in the Dustin Crum commentary, we think his passing numbers are going to thrive this week. Hardy has put up 12.5 FP per game in the past two weeks while also improving his average depth yards.
12. Reggie Begelton, Calgary, $12,000 Salary (13.7): Begelton scored 22.1 FP against the REDBLACKS in Week 2. If you’re up to gambling on Luther Hakunavanhu as we are, go with the safer Stamps receiver who is long overdue to become more active in the downfield game.
Defences
1. Toronto, $9,000 Salary (12.1): The Argos have forced a league-best 16 turnovers and get a very favourable matchup against the Ticats and a rookie pivot.
2. Winnipeg, $11,100 Salary (10.5): The Blue Bombers have scored at least 8.0 FP in each of their last three games and are a safe and productive play against the Elks’ struggling offence.
3. Calgary, $9,900 Salary (8.8): Ottawa sports a -5 turnover ratio that’s eighth in the league. That’s a solid ingredient for bonus fantasy production from your defence.
4. BC, $11,300 Salary (10.4): Combine a vicious pass rush and a unit that thrives off forcing miscues and you have a solid defence to anchor your lineup.
