Week 17
QB
I will personally be going all in on Bo Levi Mitchell this week. He finds himself priced at $11,400 which is the second most expensive quarterback on this slate. This is the safest matchup from a quarterback’s perspective while still offering up some upside this weekend. If you look around at all the other options, you are either seeing top quarterbacks facing good defenses which hinder the upside, or you’ll be forced to pay down and roster a quarterback that has limited upside already. Montreal has improved their passing defense as the season has progressed, but they are still allowing over 30 passing attempts and close to 300 yards in the air per game. He will be my top choice this week!
Do I have to list another quarterback this week?? Fine, I will. Zach Collaros is the other quarterback option that I would have any interest in this weekend. He is only $9,300 and gets a favorable matchup against Edmonton. Recently, Edmonton has been allowing opposing quarterbacks to average 327 yards passing which is last in the CFL! Collaros is in an offense that likes to run the ball which hinders his fantasy upside, but I think this could be a spot where he can go for 20+ DK points.
RB
William Powell is the guy I like if you are paying up at the running back spot this week. He gives you a $100 discount on Andrew Harris and the matchup is overall better for Powell than Harris. Powell has gone for 4 straight double-digit DK performances while also going for 20+ DK points in 3 out of 4 of those games. The Blue Bombers are allowing 116 yards on the ground over their last 3 games, so this should be a very solid matchup. Use Powell in both cash and gpp formats!
For the mid-priced running back options, I am leaning towards Don Jackson. I haven’t targeted running backs against Montreal in a while, especially since they have really improved their run defense as the season has moved on. Jackson is only $6,800 which really allows you to open things up from a roster construction standpoint and Calgary should win this one which means, running the ball and winding down the clock later in the game.
The former Kansas City Chief, Dexter McCluster, is my bargain bin running back play. Wilder is out with an injury, so we will finally get to see McCluster in action. I love his price, especially since we know he is a threat in catching the ball out of the backfield. He had 6 catches in his last game and I can only see him getting even more involved in this full-time role this weekend. He is my favorite running back option on the week!
WR
This week will be a fun one for wide receivers. Duke Williams is listed as questionable but from everything I have seen, he is expected to play. We have a long slate that spans from Friday to Monday, so a lot of news could break in between now and then. I think Williams is in play, even if it is against a stingy Saskatchewan defense. I also think Bryant Mitchell is the other guy in this offense that you could feel comfortable rolling out in this matchup. Mitchell has seen more targets than Williams in the past 3 games, so I really like him this week.
I want to make sure to have some exposure to the Stampeders wide receiving corps. They have been decimated with injuries, but we finally should see the return of Eric Rogers this week! Rogers was a top target for BLM early in the season and I think he regains that role this week if he is good to go. Marken Michel is a solid play at his price but if Rogers is in, it does bump his value down a bit. If looking for a value from the Calgary offense, I would point towards Juwan Brescacin who is just $5,700. Looking at the last two games, he has had 10 catches for over 170 receiving yards. With all these injuries occurring, Brescacin is starting to emerge as a key role in this offense and he gives you some nice salary relief.
For just pure value and maybe some lower ownership, Saskatchewan wide receivers could be a place to look this week. Kyran Moore has had back to back monster week form a fantasy perspective, going for 20 and 32 DK points. He has built some rapport with Collaros and is starting to be looked at more frequently. If you are looking for a more consistent receiver, Jordan Williams-Lambert would be the one to look at. He hasn’t had a huge week in a while, but he has gotten double digit DK points in 3 out of the last 4 games. He could be viewed at as a safer option out of this group. The last guy I really like is Kenny Shaw. The former FSU wide receiver made a living in the slot in college and is a reliable target for quarterbacks. He had a nice little debut last week, catching 5 passes and going for 75 receiving yards so it seems as if he is taking over Naaman Roosevelt’s role in this offense.
If you are looking outside of those games, there are some solid one-off plays that I like. I think Spencer for Ottawa has really been on a tear lately. He has big play ability in addition to racking up return yardage. For Winnipeg, I think Kenbrell Thompkins could be a cheap plug in play if you were wanting exposure to this game. He has gone for double digit DK performances in 3 out of his last 4 games and he is under 6k. I do think the Lions are in a good spot, but it is so tough to believe in their passing offense when Jennings is the quarterback. Just based on price alone, I like Ricky Collins Jr. out of this group. He tends to rack up the air yards and is the home run threat in this offense.
Def.
Give me the best defense in the CFL against Johnny Manziel! Manziel will be forced to play from behind I believe, and this Stamps defense will force him into making some mistakes.
If wanting to save some money, the Lions defense would be one to consider. I do like McCluster from an individual standpoint but there really isn’t much else that this Toronto team has to offer, especially when they just lost their best player in Wilder for this weekend’s game.
Player Pool
QB- Mitchell, Collaros
RB- McCluster, Powell, Jackson
WR Tier 1- Williams, Rogers (Q), Michel, Spencer
WR Tier 2- Mitchell, Moore, JWL
WR Tier 3- Shaw, Brescacin, Collins Jr., Thompkins
D- CGY, BC
