Ajou Ajou ($3,500) was one 0.9 per cent of CFL fantasy rosters in Week 7 but made the honour roll after scoring 15 fantasy points in the Roughriders’ win over the Blue Bombers.
Who has the potential to place their name in Week 8? Let’s find out.
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Quarterback
Caleb Evans, Montreal, $7,000 Salary (vs. Saskatchewan, Thursday)
Veteran CFL fantasy players are aware of Evans’ potential. He’s flashed in his four seasons in the league, including a 2022 campaign that saw him rush for 16 touchdowns while adding games of 287 and 286 passing yards.
With Cody Fajardo ($13,800) potentially missing the game, the spotlight would fall on Evans, who has a career TD:INT margin of 22:30. Evans has the luxury of throwing to the likes of Tyson Philpot ($10,400), Kaion Julien-Grant ($7,000) and Cole Spieker ($7,000) as he faces a Roughriders defence that leads the league in turnovers. He’s projected for just six fantasy points, but we feel he’s good for at least 14-17 FP. There’s room for better numbers if he’s able to avoid turnovers. If Fajardo is cleared for Thursday, look elsewhere for a sleeper quarterback.
Running Back
Kevin Brown, Edmonton, $8,500 Salary (vs. Hamilton, Sunday)
Eventually, Brown will remind us he rushed for 1,141 yards last season. Those memories are fading as he enters this week with only 201 yards and no touchdowns. Lack of volume (only one game of at least 11 attempts) has been Brown’s biggest issue along with how the Elks have had to abandon the run game to play catchup.
If you have faith, this might be the week to show it. Brown faces a Hamilton defence that has allowed 17 offensive touchdowns and 6.93 yards per play. Edmonton might make a more concerted effort to get him involved, and his salary and projected fantasy point total (nine) are ripe for taking a gamble. With his ability to get into the open field, Brown could exceed double digits in fantasy production for the first time this season.
Receivers
Rasheed Bailey, Toronto, $9,500 Salary (vs. Winnipeg, Saturday)
No team has been unable to get its passing game on track than the Argonauts, who have a league-low 236.3 yards per game in the air. Toronto has only four pass plays of better than 30 yards, three of whom belong to Coxie.
With both Winnipeg and Toronto facing must-win on Saturday, the Argos will have to become more aggressive with its passing attack. Coxie represents the best option for fantasy players, averaging 14.2 yards per catch and 14.9 depth yards per route. His projection of 11.4 FP feels too optimistic, but we envision Coxie topping that and finishing with 15-17 FP.
Jerreth Sterns, Saskatchewan, $7,600 Salary (at Montreal, Thursday)
Sterns opened the season with games of 15.1 and 17.2 FP and looked like the breakout performer we thought he’d become. Since then, he’s scored only 12.8 FP and did not record a reception in Week 7.
The Roughriders have a deep receiving corps, and Sterns is feeling like the odd one out. He’s very risky as he is projected for nine FP this week. If you take a leap of faith, Sterns can revert to his early-season form. We’re looking at a 10-12 FP ceiling for him, and while it’s not the best of numbers, we also wouldn’t be surprised if he can get back to his opening burst.
Clark Barnes, Calgary, $6,500 Salary (at Ottawa, Friday)
Quietly, Barnes has become a presence in the Stamps’ passing game. He’s caught 20 of his 28 targets and is averaging 14.2 yards per catch. Barnes has also shown his big-play upside, having pulled in three of his five targets of at least 20 yards in depth.
Now is a good time to buy stock in Barnes, who followed up his 13 FP outing in Week 6 with 15.3 FP in Week 7 including his second major of the season. With he and Jalen Philpot ($4,500) healthy Barnes might see more targets as pivot Jake Maier ($12,000) gains trust with the pair of Calgary’s talented young pass-catchers.