Oh, Week 1, you delightful scoundrel.
The opening quartet of games was a roller coaster for CFL Fantasy football users. Potential fantasy standouts left a lasting first impression while several reliable fantasy point producers stumbled out of the gate, leaving their fantasy users wondering if Week 1 was simply getting the rust off or signs of regression.
Fear not, there are 20 more weeks for fantasy users to get this right. For now, let’s focus on Week 2 and the best options to start and the players who should be benched.
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BC (1-0-0) AT WINNIPEG
Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Line: BC (-1.5)
O/U: 50.5
Start: Stanley Berryhill III WR, Lions, $8,000 Salary
We warned you. Stanley Berryhill was among our Week 1 sleepers. 1.2 percent of fantasy users who had him on their rosters were rewarded with 28.5 fantasy points, nearly four times his projected 7.9 FP. There will be plenty of targets to go around in the explosive BC offence as Berryhill (six catches, 105 yards, two majors) was one of four players who had at least four receptions in the win over the Elks.
Even against a solid Winnipeg pass defence, Berryhill’s production and salary value is a solid pairing this week. He’s projected for 11.6 FP this week, making him a safe bet with room for upside. Berryhill is no worse than the WR3 in BC, which will continue translating into fantasy gold on Thursday.
Sit: Winnipeg Receivers
No Zach Collaros – who’s serving his suspension – means the Bombers passing game won’t have the zip he provides. It will likely be Chris Streveler ($7,500), whose running prowess — especially near the goal line — is offset by his career 7.1 average yards per pass. That means Winnipeg will be limited in the number of deep shots they’ll take, hurting the value of speedsters Dillon Mitchell ($8,000) and Keric Wheatfall ($5,000).
If you must have a Blue Bombers pass-catcher in the lineup, make the safe play with Nic Demski ($10,200), who might thrive with a considerable number of targets in his direction. His ability to make things happen after the catch is tempting but it would be wise to hold out another week before gambling with the Winnipeg passing game.
MONTREAL AT OTTAWA
Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Ottawa (-1.5)
O/U: 49.5
Start: Eugene Lewis, WR, REDBLACKS, $11,700 Salary
Look, he’s scored in nine straight games. Eugene Lewis comes into the Week 2 contest against his former Als teammates with a chance to share history with Hall of Famer Terry Evanshen by finding the end zone in 10 straight games. He had a modest five catches for 57 yards on seven targets in the opening loss to the Roughriders, but his major helped boost him to 16.7 FP.
At 16.7 FP projected for Lewis this week, fantasy users can feel good about having Lewis in their lineup. Montreal did allow two completions of better than 30 yards in Week 1, and with Lewis on the edge of history, we’d bet the REDBLACKS will seek to stretch the Als defence with a deep shot to the All-CFL.
Sit: William Stanback, RB, REDBLACKS, $11,100 Salary
A fourth-quarter touchdown run helped William Stanback finish with 16.4 fantasy points, yet he tallied only 26 yards on nine carries. Catching four passes for 38 yards was some comfort to those who had Stanback in the lineup as he quickly displayed his value in the Ottawa passing game.
Like Lewis, Stanback is a former Alouette hoping to shine against the franchise that started his impressive CFL career. However, Montreal’s run defence allowed just 34 yards against Toronto in Week 1, stingy numbers that suggest a bruising and unproductive night awaits Stanback in the REDBLACKS home opener.
CALGARY AT TORONTO
Saturday, 4 p.m. ET
Line: Toronto (-1.5)
O/U: 50.5
Start: Dedrick Mills, RB, Stampeders, $10,800 Salary
Dedrick Mills has already surpassed his touchdown production from 2024, scoring three times in Week 1 after recording just one major last season. He topped all performers with 94 yards rushing while adding three receptions for 30 yards, showing that he will continue to be a vital part of the Stamp’s offence even with more emphasis on throwing the ball downfield.
Toronto allowed a league-high 163 rushing yards to the Alouettes, giving up 6.3 yards per carry. The presence of an improved passing game should allow Mills to take advantage of an Argos defence that is still finding its bearings after an off-season of considerable turnover. He will hit his projected 14.9 fantasy points and is positioned to eclipse 20 FP for a second straight game.
Sit: Deonta McMahon, RB, Argonauts, $5,000 Salary
Running proved challenging for the defending Grey Cup champs, who generated a mere 34 rushing yards against Montreal. Deonta McMahon had only four carries for 19 yards as the Argos ran the ball only 10 times in Week 1, with pivot Nick Arbuckle ($5,700) leading the ground attack with 17 yards on three carries.
One game does not a season make. There’s every chance McMahon proves us wrong and flashes the explosiveness that led the Argonauts to release Ka’Deem Carey and Kevin Brown to make room for McMahon to thrive as Toronto’s RB1. However, this feels like another week to avoid him as we could see more of newcomer Miyan Williams ($2,500), who had three carries for three yards in the opener.
SASKATCHEWAN AT HAMILTON
Saturday, 7 p.m. ET
Line: Saskatchewan (-4.5)
O/U: 50.5
Start: Samuel Emilus, WR, Roughriders, $11,100 Salary
Perfection, thy name is Samuel Emilus. The Riders’ star receiver began his path toward a third consecutive 1,000-yard season by catching all eight of his targets for 133 yards and a major in the opening win over the REDBLACKS, finishing with 27.3 fantasy points.
With running back AJ Ouellette being a limited participant in practice, the Roughriders could instead emphasize the pass (the team did sign the aforementioned Carey). Either way, Emilus will continue being the go-to option for Trevor Harris ($13,200), and that bodes well for Saskatchewan fans and fantasy users when you consider the Tiger-Cats yielded 10.1 yards per pass in Week 1. Count on another week of stellar production from Emilus.
Sit: Shemar Bridges, WR, Tiger-Cats, $10,500 Salary
Tim White ($11,000) and Kenny Lawler ($10,500) will get most of Bo Levi Mitchell‘s ($14,100) targets. From there, the pecking order gets interesting. Both Shemar Bridges and Brendan O’Leary-Orange ($3,300) had seven targets in Week 1, but O’Leary-Orange caught five for 55 yards while Smith caught just three for only 26 yards.
Again, don’t put too much stock into one week, but a healthy O’Leary-Orange will impact on the second tier of Hamilton’s receiving corps. The presence of Kiondré Smith ($8,600), who had four catches for 33 yards, also has to be considered. Don’t expect the Tiger-Cats to throw the ball 50 times in Week 2 but do keep in mind that the target distribution will be limited if White and Lawler continue to grab Mitchell’s attention at a high volume.
