CFL Fantasy Refresher: Breaking down the East Division

The Montreal Alouettes come into the season as the defending Grey Cup champs, yet getting out of the East Division will be challenging as Ottawa revamped its offence, Hamilton will have a healthy Bo Levi Mitchell at pivot and Toronto will remain a looming presence despite not having Chad Kelly to begin the regular season.

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Hamilton Tiger-Cats

2023 record: 8-10-0, lost in Eastern Semi-Final

New Faces: WR Luther Hakunavanhu, WR Brendan O’Leary-Orange, DL Dewayne Hendrix, DE Brandon Barlow, DB Jamal Peters,

Quarterback: Everything hinges on the health of Bo Levi Mitchell, who struggled (6-10 TD-INT margin) during an injury-plagued debut season with the Tiger-Cats. Mitchell, who missed 12 games last season, opened camp with a walking boot, but has since taken it off and is ready to open the 2024 campaign as the starter.

The Ticats have found their future pivot in Taylor Powell, who played in 12 games and helped spark the team’s late-season run to the Eastern Semi-Final. Powell showed flashes of being a dual threat and will be ready to return to the starting lineup if Mitchell can’t either avoid the injury bug or continues to struggle.

Running Back: James Butler was the solution the Tiger-Cats needed for their ground game as he earned East Division All-Star honours following a 1,116-yard rushing campaign while adding 61 catches for 527 yards. Bigger numbers are possible if the quarterback position finds stability. Butler is one of the league’s most versatile backs and will approach 100 yards from scrimmage weekly. Ante Litre is the team’s backup runner, while Greg Bell stands to round out the position.

Receivers: Tim White led the CFL with 1,269 receiving yards and added eight receiving majors despite challenges at quarterback. He’s a weekly staple in fantasy lineups and a strong bet to rack up a third straight 1,000-yard season. Kiondré Smith emerged as a reliable starter, producing 701 receiving yards. Don’t be surprised if he joins White as a 1,000-yard receiver. Hamilton added size in the form of Hakunavanhu and O’Leary-Orange, who stand six-foot-four. Hakunavanhu looks to be a starter, while O’Leary-Orange adds depth.

Defence: The Tiger-Cats welcomed the arrival of a number of Argos in free agency, swiping Barlow, Hendrix and Peters from the East Division regular season champs. The addition of Barlow (nine sacks) goes a long way toward improving a defence that managed just 40 sacks last season. Kyle Wilson will be asked to fill the massive shoes of the retired Simoni Lawrence at LB. Special teams ace Carthell Flowers-Lloyd will also see extended action at LB. The secondary will be in good hands with Peters and the hard-hitting Stavros Katsantonis, the latter of whom had five interceptions in a breakout 2023 campaign.

Fantasy Nugget: Make sure you add Butler to your fantasy lineup when the Ticats face West Division teams. All four of his 100-yard games in 2023 came at the expense of the Elks (twice), Lions, and Roughriders.

Montreal Alouettes

2023 record: 11-7-0, won the 110th Grey Cup 

New Faces: DL Isaac Adeyemi-Bergulund, DL Dylan Wynn, DB Cre’Von LeBlanc

Quarterback: Cody Fajardo’s 2023 numbers weren’t fantasy-friendly, but he did more than enough to lead the Als to the Grey Cup title. That could change this season as Fajardo should be able to exceed last season’s total of 14 passing majors. With running back William Stanback off to BC, Fajardo may also see a bump from his three rushing TDs in 2023. The Alouettes have the tools to be more productive offensively, so wait and see how aggressive Fajardo is before deciding if he’s becoming fantasy-viable.

Running Back: Stanback is now in BC, leaving Walter Fletcher as the starter. Fletcher ran for 266 yards and pulled in 23 receptions in 2023 but missed the postseason run. Jeshrun Antwi averaged 5.9 yards on just 39 carries and has experience being atop the depth chart. Former Tiger-Cats do-all Sean Thomas Erlington brings ratio-friendly dual threat ability to the Als in a return to his hometown.

Receivers: What started as a question mark ended as a strength. Despite losing Austin Mack to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, the unit is in good hands, beginning with Grey Cup hero Tyson Philpot. Philpot came on late in the regular season and is poised to be Als’ WR1. However, Tyler Snead can fill the role as he averaged 14.1 yards per catch and tied Mack with a team-best five receiving majors. An injured hand derailed Kaion Julien-Grant’s breakout season; he’s healthy and ready to pick up where he left off. Cole Spieker, Regis Cibasu and Shedler Fervius add depth to a unit that might emerge as a fantasy surprise.

Defence: LB Tyrice Beverette (89 tackles, two defensive majors) is a star on the rise for a defence that developed a knack for forcing turnovers throughout last season. East Division All-Star Wesley Sutton and Eastern Final hero Marc-Antoine Dequoy anchor a secondary that includes budding standout Kabion Ento and LeBlanc, who has played with six NFL teams along with an XFL stint. Up front, adding Adeymi-Berglund and Wynn to a group that includes DT Derek Wiggin and Mustafa Johnson makes the Alouette defence a solid fantasy option.

Fantasy Nugget: Montreal is banking that Philpot’s nose for the end zone remains as fresh as it was once he returned to the lineup late last season. Philpot scored in five of his last six regular season games, including the final four.

Ottawa REDBLACKS

2023 record: 4-14-0, missed playoffs

New Faces: QB Dru Brown, WR Dominique Rhymes, OL Dariusz Bladek, WR Nick Mardner 

Quarterback: Adding Brown was one of the biggest moves this off-season as the REDBLACKS are banking on the former Winnipeg backup carrying over his potential toward bringing the team from the bottom of the East Division. Brown has a solid receiving corps to work with and while the growing pains will happen, he will develop into a consistent fantasy option. Jeremiah Masoli, who opened the 2023 season as the starter, is still recovering from the Achilles injury that ended his run and there’s also Dustin Crum, whose dual-threat skills made him a fun fantasy play at times. It is easy to assume Brown will hold the job, but the REDBLACKS do have options if he fails to deliver.

Running Back: The REDBLACKS were set at the position before Devonte Williams, who rushed for 1,002 yards and accounted for 1,329 yards from scrimmage, was lost to a season-ending Achilles injury during an off-season workout. Ottawa could turn to Ryquell Armstead out of the gate, but this could become a backfield by committee, with the likes of Ronnie Brown, Kylin Hill, and Amlicar Polk all in the mix. If so, fantasy users will want to tread with caution. Whoever does touch the ball will have the FB duo of Marco Dubois and Anthony Gosselin ready to open holes.

Receivers: As mentioned earlier, Brown has a good corps to work with. Jaelon Acklin and Justin Hardy combined for 152 receptions for 1,903 yards and should improve upon last season’s combined total of four majors. The team added a big-play element when Rhymes returned to the franchise after spending the previous three seasons in BC, where he caught a combined 18 touchdowns. Bralon Addison caught 26 passes in eight games and appears healthy following a spat of injuries the past three years. Keaton Bruggeling and Mardner, the second overall pick in this year’s CFL Draft, will have an opportunity to contribute.

Defence: The REDBLACKS have one the league’s top defensive lines, led by DE Lorenzo Mauldin IV and DE Bryce Carter. Mauldin is a season removed from being named the league’s Most Outstanding Player while Carter earned East Division All-Star honours in 2023 with 12 sacks. Veteran DTs Cleyon Laing and Michael Wakefield help anchor the front. LB Adarius Pickett remains one of the league’s premier stoppers, while DB Damon Webb is an All-Star in waiting.

Fantasy Nugget: Hardy produced his two 100-yard receiving games after Week 14. Not known as a deep threat, Hardy did average 19.7 yards per catch in his last two games in 2023, combining for 11 receptions for 217 yards and one of his three receiving majors.

Toronto Argonauts

2023 record: 16-2-0, lost in Eastern Final

New Faces: RB Ka’Deem Carey, WR Rasheed Bailey, DT Jake Cerensa, LB Quincy Mauger, QB Nick Arbuckle

Quarterback: With Chad Kelly suspended at least half of the season, Cameron Dukes, Bryan Scott and Arbuckle competing for the starting spot. The Argos thrived on their ability to hurt opponents last season with quick strikes downfield. That will have to change since the position is in relatively inexperienced hands.

Running back: Over the winter, the Argos said goodbye to future Hall of Famer Andrew Harris (retired) and AJ Ouellette signed with the Roughriders. To counter those losses, Toronto signed Carey from Calgary, where he earned West Division All-Star accolades in 2022, and could give third-year pro Daniel Adeboboye an opportunity for a larger role.

Cameron Dukes will lead the Argos’ offence into the 2024 season (Argonauts.ca)

Receivers: Even with the loss of Kurleigh Gittens Jr. (traded to Edmonton), this is a strong receiving corps, although the challenges at quarterback might put a dent in their collective totals. Damonte Coxie and DaVaris Daniels are the top options and will be joined in the lineup by Bailey, who could see a bigger role here than he did in Winnipeg. Rookie Justin Marshall has impressed in training camp and preseason action and while he’s on the practice roster, could push David Ungerer III and Dejon Brissett for playing time. Keep an eye on Tommy Nield, who will find a way into the lineup.

Defence: Toronto had the CFL’s best run defence and led the league with 56 sacks last season. The trend could continue with the addition of Ceresna, who totalled 35 sacks in four seasons with the Elks. Mauger, who comes over from BC will join Wynton McManis at LB. However, the secondary took a hit with the losses of Jamal Peters and Qwan’tez Stiggers. Still, Royce Metchie returns at safety, while Maurice Carnell IV and DaShon Amos will look to rebound after injury-plagued 2023 seasons.

Fantasy Nugget: Toronto’s receivers combined for 35 receptions over 30 yards last season. That number may be tough to duplicate as the Argos’ QB room tries to find its way out of the gate.