Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-3) at Ottawa Redblacks (1-4)

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021 7:30PM EST @ TD Place

Can Ottawa Get Out of the Hole?

Currently, the Ottawa Redblacks are the worst team in the CFL, having only a single win in five games played. The franchise recently signed a few players off the negotiation list, the most notable of which is former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges. However, it will likely be a few more weeks before he appears in a game. For now, Ottawa is hoping they can salvage a season that is getting further and further out of control with each passing week. Will the Tiger-Cats be the first team they take down on a comeback journey of the ages, or is this game just another part of the rebuild process?

Key Matchups

David Watford vs. Dominique Davis

Here are two quarterbacks whose playing time in the CFL has never really been guaranteed. Davis has more experience, but was originally replaced with Matt Nichols this season (until Nichols was benched due to poor performance). In previous years, Davis had always been fighting for a starting job. Watford, on the other hand, had his first career start less than a week ago against the Calgary Stampeders, and he’s been in the CFL since 2017. Both Watford and Davis have a lot to prove, and it will be interesting to see which quarterback outperforms the other. 

Tiger-Cats receivers vs. Redblacks receivers

It’s kind of hard to identify two specific players in this sector, so I’ll just include the whole position group. For the Tiger-Cats, Tim White has been the go-to guy for the past few games. With the Redblacks, however, it seems like their leading receiver changes on a weekly basis, making it difficult to predict what will happen. The same goes for their running backs as well, since Justin Davis is currently out with an injury. The main points to look at here are whether or not Tim White can keep his hot streak alive, and which Ottawa receiver will have the most targets or catches. 

Tunde Adeleke vs. Randall Evans

Not too much to report about these guys here, except for the fact they’re both coming off pretty good games. Evans will likely be more productive, but Adeleke is still a name to look out for on Wednesday night. 

Injury Report

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

WR – Bralon Addison – OUT (illness)

WR – Brandon Banks – OUT (ribs)

WR – DeVier Posey – OUT (calf)

TE – Jake Burt – OUT (quad)

RB – Don Jackson – OUT (healthy scratch)

DB – Mike Daly – OUT (neck)

DB – Desmond Lawrence – OUT (hamstring)

LB – Chris Frey Jr – OUT (foot)

P – Joel Whitford – OUT (groin)

RB – Sean Thomas-Erlington – Questionable (leg)

DL – Ted Laurent – Questionable (knee, ribs)

Ottawa Redblacks

WR – Ervin Philips – OUT (hamstring)

RB – Justin Davis – OUT (knee)

OL – Na’Ty Rodgers – OUT (knee)

OL – Juwan Bushell-Beatty – OUT (hamstring)

OL – Tyler Catalina – OUT (elbow, thumb)

DB – Jordan Beaulieu – OUT (ankle)

DL – Frank Beltre – OUT (hip, thumb)

Fantasy Preview

There’s not really any players that would be worth starting in fantasy from this matchup. The Tiger-Cats have more consistency than the Redblacks when it comes to production, but they have new faces like Watford that are yet to be fully trusted. A sole exception is Tim White, a Hamilton receiver I mentioned earlier. White is the team’s number 1 option even with the recent change at quarterback, making him a safe bet that will get you some points. It’s worth noting White could see a drop in production when Brandon Banks returns to the lineup, but that won’t be the case this week. 

Summary

The Tiger-Cats should be able to win this game with minimal issues, even though their season has been very up-and-down so far. That’s not to say the Redblacks don’t have a chance at getting a victory, but it’s going to take a lot of effort for that idea to become reality.