CFL Fantasy Start vs. Sit: 4 must-starts and who to avoid in Week 15

Hopefully, Week 15 of CFL Fantasy presented by ToonieBet will be kinder than Week 14, where it seemed everyone not named Justin Rankin was unable to get on track.

This week’s edition of Start vs. Sit is highlighted by a rare appearance from a defence, while the positions of pivot and receiver are a no-go for two teams.

WINNIPEG AT HAMILTON

Friday, September 12
7:00 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS/CBSSN/CFL+
Line: Hamilton (-6)
O/U: 52

Start: Brady Oliveira, RB, Winnipeg, $15,000 Salary

Reliability is paramount in fantasy football, and Brady Oliveira represents the surest play for a Blue Bombers offence that has not looked like the explosive unit it has been in previous seasons. Despite missing two games, Oliveira is on track for a third straight 1,000-yard campaign on the ground while scoring at least 12.2 fantasy points in all but one game since returning to the lineup in Week 5.

Oliveira had a streak of three consecutive games with a major end in Week 14, but facing a Ticats defence that has struggled against the run offers the potential of beginning anew. Hamilton allows a league-high 5.5 yards per carry and 103.3 yards per game on the ground, sixth overall. With the passing game suffering from injuries to Dalton Schoen ($10,900) and Jerreth Sterns ($9,400), Oliveria will continue a run that has seen him record at least 18 touches from scrimmage in four of his last six games. With the final third of the season underway, fantasy users should follow the lead of Winnipeg’s offensive game plan and benefit from Oliveira’s workload.

Sit: Kiondré Smith, WR, Hamilton, $10,000 Salary

Kiondré Smith enters Week 15 among the league’s top 10 receivers with 735 yards, but there have been signs of regression after dominant Week 8-10 performances. Since scoring 15.6 FP in Week 10, Smith has had games of 1.8 FP and 1.7 FP sandwiched between a 24.1 FP showing in Week 13.

He could easily maintain his average of 13 FP per game, yet it feels like the extensive target share Smith had during his hot stretch is being spread to Tim White ($12,700) and Shemar Bridges ($6,500). The Hamilton offence rode Greg Bell ($13,600) to victory in Week 14, a reminder that the Ticats can win without Bo Levi Mitchell ($15,000) and the passing game clicking, so keep that in mind. Smith will return to form, but this feels like a week to avoid him

OTTAWA AT BC

Friday, September 12
10:00 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS/CBSSN/CFL+
Line: BC (-9.5)
O/U: 56.5

Start: Eugene Lewis, WR, Ottawa, $12,800 Salary

Be it Dru Brown ($12,300) or Dustin Crum ($10,800), Eugene Lewis’ fantasy production has not wavered much this season, averaging 13.1 fantasy points per game. He’s on a stretch that has seen him score at least 12.1 FP in six of his last eight games, which has included three games of at least 19.8 FP. Lewis is one of just seven receivers who have accumulated at least 1,000 depth yards and have also averaged a solid 14 yards per catch.

Lewis, who scored 12.1 FP in the Week 14 win over the Lions, gets another crack at a pass defence that has allowed a CFL-high 23 passing majors. Assume Crum starts this week, expect the REDBLACKS pivot to give Lewis a deep shot or two, considering that BC has yielded 26 completions of 30+ yards. He scored touchdowns in two of his last three games after managing just one major in six of seven contests, making Lewis a solid play late Friday.

Sit: Stanley Berryhill III, WR, BC, $8,100 Salary

After scoring 19.9 fantasy points in Week 7, Stanley Berryhill’s production has taken a tumble that has turned him from being one of the best bets among fantasy receivers to someone who has scored double-digit fantasy points in four of his last five games. Yardage has been hard to come by for him, as Berryhill has failed to top 51 receiving yards in five straight, while Keon Hatcher Sr. ($15,000) and Justin McInnis ($12,900) have staked their claim as Nathan Rourke’s ($15,000) top targets.

The recent skid has coincided with the dominant stretch from James Butler ($15,000), who has put up at least 15.9 FP in four of BC’s last five. With the Lions counting on the league’s leading rusher to continue igniting the offence, Berryhill’s once-steady production will remain coming in drips instead of the deluge of fantasy points he delivered in the first third of the season.

EDMONTON AT TORONTO

Saturday, September 13
3:00 p.m. ET
TSN/CTV/CFL+
Line: Toronto (-4)
O/U: 56.5

Start: Jake Herslow, WR, Toronto, $9,200 Salary

Right now, there’s no better fantasy play at receiver than Jake Herslow, who has scored majors in four straight games while scoring at least 22.4 fantasy points three times in the same span. He has emerged as the Argos’ big-play threat since the defending Grey Cup champs lost Damonte Coxie ($12,900) in Week 11, scoring a combined 56.6 FP in his last two starts. Herslow has also displayed sure hands, catching 83.3 percent of his targets. Nick Arbuckle’s ($15,000) blistering run of fantasy production is due to Herslow’s rise.

Herslow has scored two touchdowns in consecutive games. He’ll bid for a third straight outing of multiple majors against an Elks defence that has allowed 22 TD passes. Edmonton has made pivots look brilliant most of the season, as they are last in the league with an opponents’ pass efficiency rating of 114.3. If you’re considering starting Arbuckle this week, make sure you’re pairing him with Herslow. You won’t be disappointed.

Sit: Elks Receivers

Edmonton is eighth in the league with 244.5 passing yards per game and has allowed a league-high 35 sacks. The Elks’ vertical attack was inconsistent before losing Steven Dunbar Jr. ($10,600), whose absence has left Cody Fajardo ($14,200) with no reliable targets beyond hitting running back Justin Rankin ($14,900) in the flat.

Kaion Julien-Grant ($8,400) scored 15.8 fantasy points in Week 14, but with Dunbar out, Edmonton does not have a receiver averaging better than 9.5 fantasy points per game. Kurleigh Gittens Jr. ($9,200) has yet to find his groove out West, and while youngsters Arkell Smith ($7,100) and OJ Hiliare ($4,500) have shown flashes in recent weeks, neither is close to being a solid fantasy play. The lack of production is something of a letdown considering the Argos have given up 21 touchdown passes and 25 completions of 30+ yards. Someone will lead the Elks in receptions Saturday afternoon, but fantasy users shouldn’t try to guess who does.

MONTREAL AT SASKATCHEWAN

Saturday, September 13
7:00 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS/CFL+
Line: Saskatchewan (-8.5)
O/U: 50

Start: Saskatchewan Defence, $11,600 Salary

There’s no secret that the Roughriders’ D has anchored the team’s rise atop the West Division. Head coach/defensive coordinator Corey Mace’s Destructive Dozen has allowed the fewest offensive yards (335.5), rushing yards allowed (75.3), and the fewest big plays given up (22) while ranking second in points allowed (21.5).

Starting them this week is a solid play, as they will face a Montreal offence that is the complete opposite. Injuries have been a major factor in why the Alouettes have scored a league-low 18 offensive majors while ranking at the bottom in offensive yards (311.4), passing yards (239.1), and yards per play (5.81). In the throes of a five-game losing streak, the Als are hoping the return of receiver Tyson Philpot ($11,600) and the eventual return of pivot Davis Alexander ($14,000) will help reverse course. That won’t happen this week.

Sit: Alouettes Quarterbacks

Five different pivots have attempted passes for Montreal this season. Injuries to Alexander, McLeod Bethel-Thompson ($9,000), and Caleb Evans ($5,000) have led the Als to go with James Morgan ($5,000) and Cameron Dukes, and, naturally, the results have left the offence struggling to establish any kind of rhythm.

The Als have not scored more than 26 points since topping the Elks in a 38-28 victory in Week 3. They are averaging just under 14 points per game in their current five-game losing streak, with last week’s loss to the Tiger-Cats resulting in just one offensive play of over 19 yards. Alexander, who was on the verge of having a fantasy breakout, should inject life into the offence once he’s back in the huddle. Until then, it’s best to avoid the position.

CFL Fantasy Start vs. Sit: 4 must-starts and who to avoid in Week 15

Tags: