Week 11 is filled with inter-division matchups, capped off by a surging Edmonton heading to Montreal to welcome Cody Fajardo ($13,800) back into the Als’ lineup.
This week’s Start/Sit is impacted by the continual merry-go-round at pivot. Buckle up, and let’s see how it helps your Week 12 fantasy lineup.
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Saskatchewan (5-4-1) at Toronto (5-4-0), Thursday, 7:30 PM (Eastern)
Line: Toronto -2.5
O/U: 49.5 (-106)
Start: Dohnte Meyers, WR, Roughriders, $2,500 Salary
Meyers caught eight of his nine passes for 101 yards in Week 10.
Meyers caught eight of his nine passes for 101 yards in Week 11.
No, the previous sentence isn’t a typo. Meyers scored 18.1 fantasy points in his first two games with the Riders and has become the target of choice for Saskatchewan quarterbacks. The former Delta State standout has displayed sure hands and a willingness to go over the middle, which will serve him and fantasy users well when the Riders face an Argos pass defence that’s allowed 296.2 passing yards and 16 passing majors.
Sit: Shawn Bane Jr., WR Roughriders, $11,000 Salary
Bane Jr. has seen his numbers take a dip with the emergence of Meyers and KeeSean Johnson ($2,500). Bane Jr. scored 23 FP in the Week 10 tie against the REDBLACKS, his first double-digit FP outing since Week 1 but tallied 8.5 FP in the Week 11 loss to the Alouettes. That level of production doesn’t balance with Bane’s salary.
Hamilton (2-8-0) at Winnipeg (4-6-0), Friday, 8:30 PM
Line: Winnipeg -6.5
O/U: 48.5 (-108)
Start: Kenny Lawler, WR, Blue Bombers, $9,100 Salary
Making his first appearance since his injury in Week 1, Lawler caught four of his seven targets for 54 yards in the Week 11 win at BC, finishing with 9.4 FP. With the rust off, Lawler will return to the explosive playmaking highlight reel that has terrorized opposing secondaries since his CFL arrival in 2019.
Lawler and quarterback Zach Collaros ($11,000) get a doozy of a matchup against a Tiger-Cats defence that has allowed at least 28 points in five of their last six games. Winnipeg’s offence remains the lowest-scoring unit in the league (20.8 points per game), but this feels like the week we will see the old Blue Bombers attack lighting up scoreboards. That means Lawler will be necessary.
Sit: Hamilton Quarterbacks
Be it Bo Levi Mitchell ($10,000) or Taylor Powell ($10,000), don’t bet on the Tiger-Cats getting much fantasy production from their pivots.
Winnipeg’s defence has been downright selfish over the past four games, allowing a combined 46 points and coming within :02 of keeping the BC offence out of the end zone in consecutive games. The Blue Bombers’ D has yielded two offensive majors in the last 17 quarters of play while serving as the foundation of the franchise climbing its way back into the West Division race. At that level of play, sitting Ticats, especially at QB, is mandatory.
BC (5-5-0) at Ottawa (6-2-1), Saturday, 7:00 PM
Line: BC -2.5
O/U: 50.5 (-115)
Start: Justin Hardy, WR, Ottawa, $10,300 Salary
BC is allowing 373.1 net yards of offence per game, second worst mark in the league ahead of only Edmonton. That means there will be room for the REDBLACKS offence to operate and Hardy is as good an option as any to have a big game.
The receiver hasn’t had a big CFL Fantasy game since Week 6 and is due for an outing that fills up the stat sheet.
Sit: Nathan Rourke, QB, BC, $10,000 Salary
Vancouver’s Prodigal Son returned Sunday and, unsurprisingly, showed the rust from having just a couple of practices before leading the Lions in a 20-11 loss to the Blue Bombers, their fourth straight after a 5-1 start. The upside to Rourke’s remains high, displayed by his 27 yards on four carries against the Bombers as the quarterback is still a threat to take off any given play.
While it feels like we’re picking on Rourke, the problem with starting him — or any other Lions player — is the offence is in a power outage that won’t end against a REDBLACKS team that has yet to lose at home this season. Ottawa is second in fewest yards allowed and has not allowed more than 22 points to a visiting team this season. Better days are ahead for the BC offence, yet don’t count on sunny fantasy numbers from Rourke and the Lions on Saturday evening.
Edmonton (3-7-0) at Montreal (9-1-0), Sunday, 7:00 PM
Line: Montreal -7.5
O/U: 50.5 (-105)
Start: Charleston Rambo, WR, Alouettes, $2,500 Salary
Even with an expected bump in fantasy salary, Rambo is a ridiculous bargain continuing to put up elite numbers. Rambo scored 16.4 FP in the Week 11 win over Saskatchewan, the fourth time in the last five games he has scored at least 15.3 FP.
Rambo caught seven of his 11 targets for 94 yards on Friday, the third straight game of at least 86 receiving yards for the emerging star. Cody Fajardo, who is expected to return to the lineup after missing three games, will now target him. Edmonton allows a league-high 307.4 passing yards per game and is vulnerable to the big play. With Tyson Philpot ($9,500) projected to be sidelined again, Sunday offers fantasy players another opportunity to get high-end production at a low-end cost.
Sit: Justin Rankin, RB, Edmonton, $2,500 Salary
From free agent to backup to his first 100-yard game in the CFL, the past three weeks have been a whirlwind for Rankin, who scored 30.2 FP in the Week 11 win at Hamilton. Rankin rushed for 108 yards and scored three rushing majors on 17 carries, taking the thunder away from Jevon Leake ($7,000) after the latter had scored 63.9 FP the previous two weeks.
Edmonton’s ground game has carried the Elks in their three-game win streak. However, the Week 11 win showed coach Jarious Jackson will ride the hot hand, in this case, Rankin. That scream running back by committee. While that has worked well recently, the Alouettes will slow the ground game and force the Elks to throw the ball more frequently. It’s a formula that will make both Rankin and Leake risky plays.