Darian Durant wasn’t the greatest choice in CFL Fantasy last week, going 0-for-6 and getting benched for Drew Willy in the second quarter. Don’t worry, Durant isn’t being featured in this week’s article, but he did inspire the topic: players who will bounce back. From week to week, different players have bad games for numerous reasons: terrible match ups, facing an offence with a hot hand, and so on. Here are some individuals who could bounce back after a sub-par game in CFL Fantasy Week 14.
CFL Fantasy Week 14: Bounce Back
Jonathan Jennings, Lions Quarterback ($7,252)
The Lions are stuck with Jennings under centre for the rest of the season. There is pressure on him to produce, and carry the franchise to the playoffs. The reason you shouldn’t shy away from him in CFL Fantasy from him is the matchup. It’s no secret the Calgary Stampeders have the league’s best defence and game-changers at every position. Jennings has always done very, very poorly against them.
In his last three games against the Stamps, He’s averaged only 204 passing yards and a ratio of two touchdowns to six interceptions. His opponents this week, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, allowed the second-most passing yards and the best passing efficacy to opposing quarterbacks.
The 25-year-old is experiencing the classic sophomore slump, but he has the chance to get back on track and get into the good books of Wally Buono. Travis Lulay will most likely be the starter when he comes back from injury unless Jennings does something to show otherwise. He’s possibly the cheapest signal caller other than Roughriders Brandon Bridge and possibly Redblacks Ryan Lindley, who may start.
CJ Gable, Tiger-Cats Running Back ($5,776)
Since June Jones took over on the sidelines, Gable’s role has increased similarly to how Brandon Banks’s has. Jones has said a team needs a balanced attack in order to be successful. Under Kent Austin, he didn’t dress for some games, which is a shame considering the 29-year-old is averaging 5.5 yards per carry this season.
He’s a true game changer when given the opportunity. He put up three touchdowns in his first two games under Jones. Last week the USC product had 13 total touches (seven rushing, five catches) for 65 yards in a loss to the Roughriders. The running game disappeared early because the Ticats trailed through majority of the contest.
This week against the B.C Lions, expect Gable to play a bigger role, especially at the goal line after what transpired at the end of last week’s game against Saskatchewan. He remains a bargain in Fantasy.
S.J. Green, Argonauts Wide Receiver ($5,942)
The only reason Green’s name appears in this article is because he only made two catches for eight yards last week – but still found the endzone. Marc Trestman and the Argonauts kept feeding the beast of James Wilder Jr. on the running and passing game. Wilder led Toronto in receiving yards, while adding 190 rushing yards against the Eskimos.
Over a span of 18 contests, even the best receivers in the league will have a game where the game plan doesn’t feature them. This was Green last week, despite sitting third in catches and touchdowns, second in receiving yards, and first in targets.
In his first season in Toronto, a year after a major knee injury, the 32-year-old is well on his way to pass his career-highs in receptions (87) and yards (1197). He’s worth a look since the Alouettes are struggling to stay on the field offensively, which forces the defence to engage in more snaps and get tired quickly.
Emmanuel Arceneaux, Lions Wide Receiver ($6,224)
Jennings struggled against the Stamps, and so did his receivers. Arceneaux made a single catch for 25 yards. The three games prior, the Manny Show seemed like his old self averaging over seven grabs for almost 100 yards. Jennings needs help all around in order to get the Lions back into the playoffs, that includes the receivers getting open and making big-time catches when called upon.
The big receiver lines up everywhere on the field, and so far sits fourth in targets (93), seventh in catches (64) and ninth in yards (722). These totals are this high even when many thought Arceneaux experienced a slow start to the 2017 campaign. His potential is clear – last year Acreneaux had a career-season of 105 grabs for over 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns and majority of those throws came from Jennings.
Everything points to the 30-year-old bouncing back when they host Hamilton. The Ticats allowed opposing team’s top receiver to put up double-digit fantasy points in three of the last four contests, and B.C. will be looking to exploit this weakness in search of a big win.
Another Option: Winnipeg Blue Bombers Defence
Depending on who starts at the Ottawa Redblacks quarterback come the weekend, the ball hawking secondary of the Blue Bombers could be in for a big day. Consider them as a bounce-back option if you’re looking to save a bit of cash this week.
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