The Week 8 edition of CFL Fantasy presented by ToonieBet sleepers covers each of the four games scheduled and includes a potential pass-catch pairing that could go a long way toward the success of the Alouettes and fantasy lineups.
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QUARTERBACK
McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Montreal, $6,800 Salary (at Calgary, Thursday)
It’s McLeod Bethel-Thompson’s show for the foreseeable future, as Davis Alexander was placed on the six-game injured list following the Als’ last-second win over the Argonauts in Week 7. While Bethel-Thompson won’t offer the threat of running that Alexander has, his passing savvy will go a long way toward slowing down a Stampeders pass defence that allows 292 yards per game.
Calgary has done a good job of preventing big plays (only seven completions of 30+ yards), and while Bethel-Thompson has averaged just 6.6 yards per pass, he does have a receiving corps that can create yards after the catch. Bethel-Thompson scored 15.9 fantasy points and threw a pair of majors in Week 5 and will benefit from Montreal’s steady ground game. There is certainly risk here, but we have seen Bethel-Thompson get into an early groove before. He’s projected for 7.9 FP this week, but we feel a 17-19 FP outing is a strong possibility.
RUNNING BACK
Johnny Augustine, Hamilton, $5,100 Salary (at BC, Sunday)
With Greg Bell sidelined, Johnny Augustine has picked up the slack of the Ticats’ ground game. Augustine has scored at least 10.3 fantasy points during Hamilton’s four-game win streak and enters Week 8 as the league’s 10th -leading rusher with 201 yards on 49 carries.
Though he lacks Bell’s propensity for ripping off big gains (five carries of at least 10+ yards), the veteran has consistently piled up yards from scrimmage. Augustine amassed 93 yards from scrimmage in the Week 7 win over Ottawa, which was also the second time he had at least 15 touches, showing he can be a reliable source of offence. The biggest knock against him is that he has yet to score a major this season, a fact that could certainly be corrected against a Lions run defence that ranks last in the league. He’s projected at 7.7 FP this week, yet Augustine feels in line for 12-14 FP if he remains atop the depth chart.
RECEIVERS
Austin Mack, Montreal, $10,000 Salary (at Calgary, Thursday)
The injury to Tyson Philpot means an abundance of targets are available among the Alouettes’ receiving corps. Philpot’s Week 8 status is in limbo, but fantasy users should push forward and turn toward Austin Mack putting up big fantasy numbers on Thursday Night Football.
Mack opened the season with games of 10.1 FP and 15.3 FP before being injured in Week 3. He made his return to the lineup in Week 7, where he caught three passes for 46 yards on five targets. Mack is averaging 15.4 yards per catch, and his 14.2 depth yards per route will cause problems for a Stampeders secondary that has limited big plays. He’s projected for a modest 8.6 FP in Week 8, but if Mack gets a steadier stream of targets, we love his potential to finish with 13-15 FP.
Joe Robustelli, Saskatchewan, $6,500 Salary (vs. Edmonton, Friday)
Samuel Emilus returned to the Roughriders lineup in Week 7, knocking Joe Robustelli down the pecking order of Trevor Harris. One week after racking up 36.1 FP, Robustelli had just one reception for 29 yards on three targets, giving him a mere 3.9 FP.
Robustelli has an excellent matchup to rebound on Friday, facing an Elks defence that has allowed a whopping 330 passing yards per game, and a league-high 13 touchdown passes. Harris comes into Week 8 having thrown for 820 yards over the past two games and should thrive against a defence yielding a completion rate of 78.9 percent. Fantasy users will look to stack Roughriders this week, and while Robustelli might feel like a forgotten man, this is a matchup where remembering him will cause more production than the 10.8 FP he’s projected for.
Kaion Julien-Grant, Edmonton, $7,500 Salary (at Saskatchewan, Friday)
Edmonton’s passing game has yet to find its spark. The Elks average a league-low 218.1 yards per game in the air and are the only team in the league with fewer than 100 completions (91) entering Week 8. Only Steven Dunbar Jr. ranks among the league’s top 30 receivers in yardage on an offence that has managed just six passing majors.
Choosing an Elks receiver to break out is a dart throw, and this week’s toss lands on Kaion Julien-Grant, who has 4.9 fantasy points in the last two games after games of 12.8 FP and 23.9 FP in Weeks 4 and 5. Julien-Grant is averaging 15.8 yards per catch and has two receptions of 30+ yards among his 12 catches this season yet has been unable to achieve a consistent target share. The Roughriders have allowed 329.2 passing yards per game, providing hope for using Julien-Grant. The Week 6 struggles of Tre Ford may have opened the door for Cody Fajardo to step into the lineup. At 8.9 projected FP, Julien-Grant is a risk, but if both defences continue to wilt against the pass, Julien-Grant’s ability to make big plays will see him flirt with doubling that total.
Dejon Brissett, Toronto, $9,100 Salary (vs. Winnipeg, Saturday)
Damonte Coxie and Kevin Mital have established themselves as the top receiving options for a Toronto passing game that’s second in the CFL with a 71.4 percent completion rate. Dejon Brissett showed his value in Week 3 with a season-best 18.3 fantasy points, yet has been more steady than spectacular, scoring 8.4 FP and 8.8 FP the past two games.
With the Blue Bombers focused on slowing down the Argos’ two biggest receiving threats, Brissett is positioned to slide into an important role. Brissett has caught eight of his nine targets in the past two games and should see an increase in looks. He’s projected for 9.7 FP this week, and there’s a good chance Brissett will eclipse his season-high seven targets from Week 3. If so, don’t be surprised if the veteran delivers 13-15 FP on Saturday evening.