Week 1 is here and that means Fantasy Projections is back.
The journey towards a fantasy championship starts now and that means thousands of spreadsheets, graphics and advanced analysis to reach a conclusion.
Luckily, CFL.ca’s Brandon C. Williams is here to help you navigate it all.
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Quarterbacks
1.Vernon Adams Jr. BC ($14,000 Salary, 18.9 Projected Points): Our bet for this year’s Most Outstanding Player begins the season with a matchup against a revamped Argos pass defence that allowed 297.9 yards per game in 2023. He should breeze past this projection.
2.Zach Collaros, Winnipeg ($14,000 Salary, 18.3 PP): Count on Collaros creating at least 2-3 plays of 30-plus yards, and with the receiving corps he has, fantasy players can feel safe using the Blue Bombers gunslinger as a Week 1 anchor.
3.Jake Maier, Calgary, ($11,000 Salary, 12.2 PP): A bit of a surprise here, considering Maier’s uneven 2023, but having Jalen Philpot ($5,000), Marken Michel ($8,100), and Tre Odoms-Dukes ($7,500) complementing the stellar Reggie Begelton ($12,100) translates to a solid Week 1 against the Tiger-Cats.
4.McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Edmonton ($10,000 Salary, – PP): Although McBeth has no projection, veteran CFL fantasy players know he’s capable of big numbers. Eugene Lewis and Dillon Mitchell assure him his CFL return will be productive.
5.Cody Fajardo, Montreal, $13,500 Salary, 13.8 PP): Yes, Fajardo isn’t the most fantasy-friendly pivot; however, he will need to throw often if the Grey Cup champs intend to leave Princess Auto Stadium 1-0.
Running Backs
1.AJ Ouellette, Saskatchewan ($13,200 Salary, 13.2 PP): Like our top quarterback, Ouellette begins the season with the ideal matchup: Edmonton’s league-worst run defence. One of his best 2023 fantasy outings came at the expense of the Elks in Week 2 when the then-Argo rushed for 84 yards and scored three majors. New team, same results.
2.Brady Oliveira, Winnipeg ($14,000 Salary, 17.5 PP): Last season’s Most Outstanding Canadian would be atop the list most weeks, yet Ouellette’s matchup is too tempting. Oliveira rushed over 100 yards in the regular season against Montreal last season. While he may not exceed the century mark in rushing, Oliveira will do so with his yards from scrimmage.
3.James Butler, Hamilton ($12,500 Salary, 15.8 PP): Trust us, no one will fault fantasy players from anchoring around Butler, who recorded four 100-yard rushing games last season, all of which came against West Division teams. Butler rushed for “only” 92 yards against the Stamps in Week 17 but did add 10 receiving yards, so, technically, he did have a 100-yard game. Butler was listed as questionable by the Tiger-Cats on the injury report, so be aware of the risk.
4.Kevin Brown, Edmonton ($12,200 Salary, 10.7 PP): Considering his penchant for breaking big plays, Brown’s projection feels low. The improved Elks passing game will work in his favour, meaning open lanes against the Roughriders.
5.William Stanback, BC, ($10,400 Salary, 11.2 PP): Stanback is an explosive dual threat runner who will greatly enhance the firepower of an already-productive unit. It will be interesting to see how BC integrates him against the Argos on Sunday.
6.Dedrick Mills, Calgary ($10,000 Salary, 9.5 PP): It was a coin toss between Mills and former Stamp (and current Argo) Ka’Deem Carey ($9,600) for the final spot here. In the end, Mills and his potential won out as we believe Mills is driving up the on-ramp to a 1,000-yard season.
Receivers
1.Eugene Lewis, Edmonton ($12,300 Salary, 12.7 PP): Our surprise ranking for Week 1, Lewis will erase the memories of an injury-plagued 2023 by celebrating with new pivot McLeod Bethel-Thompson by lighting the Roughriders secondary on Saturday evening. This will begin reminding us of all that Lewis belongs in the penthouse of CFL receivers.
2.Kenny Lawler, Winnipeg ($10,000 Salary, 14.2 PP): The Alouettes will shadow Dalton Schoen most of Thursday night, leaving Lawler available to create havoc deep downfield. Lawler had six games in which he averaged at least 19 yards per catch, making him an ideal choice to be in your lineup.
3.Dalton Schoen, Winnipeg ($12,000 Salary, 16.7 PP): Schoen has the highest Week 1 projection among receivers. After all, he did score three touchdowns in two games against the Alouettes last season. Schoen is ranked here simply because the two receivers in front of him are projected for better usage.
4.Reggie Begelton, Calgary ($12,100 Salary, 15.5 PP): Fantasy players can shut their eyes and know Begelton will deliver weekly. A healthy receiving corps will only make Begelton more productive.
5.Alexander Hollins, BC ($12,800 Salary, 13.6 PP): The featured receiver of the Lions offence will be the beneficiary of at least 10-12 targets against the Argonauts. He’s probably going to make us feel bad for ranking him this low.
6.Nic Demski, Winnipeg ($10,000 Salary, 12.5 PP): With Lawler and Schoen attracting much of the attention of the Alouettes defence, Demski will slide right in and make the middle of the field his own. Don’t be surprised if he finds the end zone via a jet sweep or two.
7.Tim White, Hamilton ($12,800 Salary, 15.9 PP): That White is ranked seventh tells you all you need to know about how deep this position is. White’s production will hinge on how effective Bo Levi Mitchell ($8,600) will be on his return to Calgary.
8.Samuel Emilus, Saskatchewan ($10,400 Salary, 12.9 PP): The Roughriders will be focused on the run, yet the return of Trevor Harris ($12,000) makes the receiving corps stronger than last season.
9.Tyson Philpot, Montreal ($7,500 Salary, 11.9 PP): All hail the rise of Philpot as the Alouettes’ WR1. The offence won’t miss Austin Mack now that Philpot is ready to become one of the league’s elite pass-catchers.
10.DaVaris Daniels, Toronto ($10,600 Salary, 11.6 PP): Cameron Dukes ($9,000) is going to need a steady target as he settles into being the Argos’ starting pivot. He’s going to be fine as long as he’s looking in the direction of Daniels.
11.Kian Schaffer-Baker, Saskatchewan ($7,000 Salary, 12.1 PP): KSB is not going to be a value play all season. Start him while he’s not breaking your salary cap.
12.Justin McInnis, BC ($7,000 Salary, 11.6 PP): With Keon Hatcher ($11,600) out to begin the season and Dominique Rhymes ($11,000) in Ottawa, McInnis is positioned to develop into a fantasy star. Rely on him finding the end zone on Sunday.
Defences
1.Toronto ($9,900 Salary, 9.7 PP): The addition of Jake Ceresna to a defence that recorded 56 sacks last season makes the Argos a solid choice to be atop the rankings.
2.Montreal ($9,000 Salary, 8.6 PP): The Als can force turnovers in droves. They’ll get at least one turnover from the Blue Bombers, if they get one early…
3.Calgary ($8,200 Salary, 5.6 PP): Oh, you know they’ll be ready to welcome back Bo Levi Mitchell.
4.Winnipeg ($10,200 Salary, 7.1 PP): The Blue Bombers have had six months to linger watching Montreal celebrate winning the Grey Cup. That frustration will come out defensively.
