Jason Halstead/CFL.ca
The rankings for OK Tire Labour Day Weekend will leave some wondering.
Considering how wild the West Division has become the past month, perhaps who is rising and who is falling will help CFL fantasy players understand how this week breaks down.
OK TIRE LABOUR DAY WEEKEND
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Quarterbacks
1. Trevor Harris, Saskatchewan, $12,000 Salary (17.2 Projected Fantasy Points): Labour Day Weekend features challenging matchups for pivots, lacking one that screams “must-start.” That’s why we go the safe route with Harris, who will rebound from last week’s 8.1 FP effort and deliver his fourth game of at least 20 FP in his six starts.
2. Dru Brown, Ottawa, $10,000 Salary (14.2 PFP): Last week’s 25.1 FP marked the second time Brown has hit the plateau of 25 FP this season. Brown has a league-low 1.9 per cent interception rate, making him at least a safe option in the Touchdown Pacific matchup against BC.
3. Jake Maier, Calgary, $12,400 Salary (14.6 PFP): Maier is money in the red zone. Of his 14 touchdown passes, 11 have come near the goal line, where he has yet to throw an interception in his 33 attempts.
4. Zach Collaros, Winnipeg, $12,000 Salary (11.4 PFP): He’s thrown touchdown passes in four straight games but still has just one game of multiple passing majors. Vintage Collaros has yet to be seen this season yet we’re relying on VC showing up against a Riders defence that allows a league-high 20 completions of better than 30 yards.
5. Nathan Rourke, BC, $9,000 Salary (6.0 PFP): Rourke returns to his birthplace Victoria for Touchdown Pacific and will be looking to build on his Week 12 performance against the REDBLACKS that saw him start to explore his dual-threat abilities. If the Lions pivot can find a way to avoid the turnovers while adding valuable rushing yards he could end up being a good play for fantasy owners looking for a cheaper option at quarterback.
Running Backs
1. Brady Oliveira, Winnipeg, $13,100 Salary (16.3 PFP): Oliveira has yet to score a touchdown, one of the most stunning numbers of the season. He remains the most reliable player in fantasy, scoring at least 10.9 FP in eight straight games. He’ll make it nine on Sunday.
2. Kevin Brown, Edmonton, $8,000 Salary (8.1 PFP): The Elks’ plug-and-play at running back resulted in a returning Brown scoring a season-best 10.6 FP in the Week 12 loss at the Alouettes. A big evening awaits Brown on Labour Day when he runs on a Stampeders defence that yields a CFL-worst 6.5 yards per carry.
3. William Stanback, BC, $11,800 Salary (11.9 PFP): If you have to start a Lions player in hopes of getting solid production, then make sure there’s a spot on your roster for Stanback, averaging 103.1 rushing yards per game the past three weeks.
4. Ka’Deem Carey, Toronto, $12,000 Salary (14.7 PFP): Carey comes off a season-low 8.4 FP in Week 12. It bears watching to see how Carey’s role evolves now that the Argonauts are beginning to utilize their receiving corps for more downfield strikes.
5. Greg Bell, Hamilton, $5,000 Salary (18.4 PFP): Bell is riding a hot hand, averaging 23 FP in his first three games. His projected numbers are lofty but expect regression at some point.
6. David Mackie, BC, $4,500 Salary (6.5 PFP): Why Mackie? Well, he’s seen the end zone more often than his teammates, scoring majors in three straight games.
Receivers
1. Justin Hardy, Ottawa, $10,300 Salary (14.7 PFP): Hardy gets another matchup against a BC defence that gave up 22.4 FP to him in Week 12. He’s caught 26 of his last 30 targets and is one of two active players who average at least 80 receiving yards per game.
2. Tim White, Hamilton, $12,000 Salary (14 PFP): A 23.5 FP outing in Week 12 snapped a two-game funk for White, who is eighth with 649 yards despite having only one reception of 30 yards.
3. Justin McInnis, BC, $10,600 Salary (18.5 PFP): Week 12 (12.9 FP) showed positive signs toward McInnis returning to his early season form. Breaking out of a four-game skid without a major would also go a long way toward McInnis regaining the trust of fantasy players.
4. Ontaria Wilson, Winnipeg, $8,800 Salary (13.5 PFP): Wilson has been targeted at least seven times in five of his last six games. Even with Kenny Lawler ($7,100) returning to the lineup, Wilson has established himself as the Bombers’ top downfield option.
5. Dohnte Meyers, Saskatchewan, $3,500 Salary (12.1 PFP): Don’t buy into Meyers’ 9.1 FP in Week 12. He will return to double digits against a Winnipeg defence that’s allowed 16 completions of better than 30 yards.
6. Damonte Coxie, Toronto, $10,000 Salary (10.4 PFP): Now is a good time to invest in Coxie, who comes off scoring 16.2 FP in Week 12. All but one of the Argos’ completions of better than 30 yards have landed in Coxie’s hands.
7. Reggie Begelton, Calgary, $12,000 Salary (13.5 PFP): Fresh off an open Week 12, Begelton bids for a fourth straight game of at least 13.2 FP. He’s scored 17.7 FP or more in three of his last five games, and with a matchup against the Elks, Begelton will indeed make it a Labour Day for the Elks secondary.
8. Tevin Jones, Edmonton, $6,000 Salary (13.7 PFP): Jones’ 22.7 yards per catch would lead the league if he had enough receptions to qualify. With the Elks’ running game highlighting their resurgence, Jones quietly has emerged as the top home threat on a receiving corps filled with them.
9. Nick Mardner, Ottawa, $2,500 Salary (6.5 PFP): Nick at Night scored 24.5 points in what will become his breakout performance in Week 12. Nick at Light will be just as productive in the TD Pacific matchup against the Lions on Saturday.
10. Ayden Eberhardt, BC, $6,500 Salary (6.7 PFP): The league leader with 17.8 yards per catch, Eberhardt is making a place for himself in the pecking order of BC’s receiving tree. He showed what he could do with more targets, catching five of his six targets in Week 12.
11. Kian Schaffer-Baker, Saskatchewan, $9,100 Salary (9 PFP): The return of Schaffer-Baker makes the Roughriders’ receiving corps a potent entity, and if the Saskatchewan O-line gives Trevor Harris time to throw, Schaffer-Baker will remind everyone of just how special a talent he can be.
12. KeeSean Johnson, Saskatchewan, $2,500 Salary (11.4 PFP): There will be enough targets to go around for Johnson to put up a fifth straight game of at least 11.1 FP.
Defences
1. Winnipeg, $9,000 Salary (7.3 PFP): Have you seen the Bombers lately? Defence has been their calling card to returning into the West Division title hunt.
2. Toronto, $8,400 Salary (8.7 PFP): Bo Levi Mitchell is in a funk. That spells great news for the Argos, who have forced 23 turnovers.
3. Saskatchewan, $7,700 Salary (6.7 PFP): The Roughriders lead the league with 33 forced turnovers and get an opportunity to add to Zach Collaros’ league-high 12 interceptions.
4. Calgary, $6,000 Salary (3.8 PFP): Stampeders ballhawks Demerio Houston and Tre Roberson combined for eight interceptions. That spells trouble for whoever gets the starting nod at pivot for the Elks.
