CFL DFS Breakdown: Week 1

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Greetings Grinders! The Canadian Football League (CFL) officially kicks off this Thursday.

If you played CFL DFS last season, you can probably skip over the next couple of paragraphs. In order to get everyone on the same page, we’ll quickly cover what is different about CFL compared to NFL that most of you are used to watching.

So, what do we need to know?

There are only three downs

In the NFL, teams have four downs to advance the ball ten yards. In the CFL, teams only have three downs. Where this makes the most difference is in the running game. Teams are apprehensive to “waste” a down on a running play because if the play goes for only a yard or two they only have one chance to get a first down before punting on third down (or trying a field goal).

That makes RB an inherently high-variance position. There were a couple of fill-in RBs last year who received double-digit carries for a short amount of games. Other than those, looking at RBs who played 10 or more games, Jeremiah Johnson led the way at 12.5 carries per game. That leaves us mainly trying to target rushing TDs which are not a highly predictable statistic. Jerome Messam led the league with 11 rushing TDs last season. He was one of only two RBs to rush for over 1,000 yards.

The three most expensive RBs on DraftKings this week were not only involved in their teams rushing attack but also targeted out of the backfield. John White averaged 5.14 targets per game (Tgt/G) while Jerome Messam checked in at 3.78 and Brandon Whitaker at 5.56.

Spending for a top RB often severely limits your team’s floor. Thankfully, DraftKings changed the format this season which only requires one RB. The other thing to be aware of with CFL DFS is that DraftKings awards one point for every 20 return yards (0.05 Pt/Yd). As you can imagine, CFL games feature a lot of punts and kickoffs (Because teams only get two downs and throw the ball on the bulk of their plays). Chris Rainey averaged 7.06 DK PPPG last season exclusively from return yards and touchdowns. Rainey also had a small role in the offense with 36 carries for 309 yards and two touchdowns as well as 252 yards and three touchdowns on 38 targets through the air. Rainey’s special teams value is already priced in though as he’s the fifth most-expensive RB on the slate. When teams announce their depth charts, we’ll want to see if any minimum-priced players will be returning kicks or punts. Also, return yards would add an excellent floor to any core piece of an offense.

The Ratio

In the CFL, a game day roster will consist of 44 players. Of those 44, a minimum of 21 must be “national” (aka Canadian) players. This isn’t a huge factor for DFS other than trying to find fill-in punt plays. If a team has a starting WR that is Canadian and gets injured they can’t replace him with an international without a corresponding change elsewhere.

The Rouge

If a ball is kicked into the end zone (including a missed field goal), the defending team must return that ball out of the end zone. If they fail to do so, the opposing team is awarded a “rouge” (also known as a single). A rouge scored will award your defense one point and also count against the opposing defense in the points allowed category. Rouges are not highly predictable but do help keep defenses from going negative or too far negative.

Illegal Contact

In the NFL, defensive backs may “jam” a wide receiver within five yards of the line of scrimmage. In the CFL, this zone is limited to within one yard of the line of scrimmage. Wide Receivers are also permitted to be in motion at the snap of the ball. You’ll often see wide receivers get a running start both to avoid getting jammed and also to get to full speed quicker. In the CFL, coaches are also allowed to challenge whether illegal contact should have been called on a play—even when it occurred away from the play. This is probably the most boring part of watching the games but shouldn’t be a major factor in DFS decision making.

Other Differences

There are a variety of other smaller differences. For example, CFL teams have 12 players on the field compared to 11 in the NFL. A CFL field is 110 by 65 yards compared to 100 by 53.3 for NFL. That makes a difference if you are using a boundary WR as it sets up a rather long throw from inside the hash marks to the sideline. There are also are no fair catches in the CFL although they do have a “halo rule” where the defending team must give five yards of space to the returner.

What Just Happened?

The final rule I’ll highlight is that in the CFL the offense may punt the ball from anywhere on the field including past the line of scrimmage. If a game is tied, or a team is down one point at the end of the game, they could theoretically punt the ball into the other team’s end zone. If that happens, the defense needs to either return it or punt it back out. That led to a wild ending to this game from 2010. Give that link a click and watch as four different kicks occur on the same play before Montreal finally recovers in the end zone for a touchdown.

Offseason Moves

If you’re still reading after that wild video, you probably have the staying power to compete in CFL DFS. Before we run through the top plays on the slate, let’s briefly discuss the major offseason moves. Given that there are nine teams in the CFL, the Winnipeg Bombers are the one team we won’t see this week as they start on a bye. We’ll cover the Bombers next week but they remain largely unchanged at the skill positions.

B.C. Lions:

Key Losses: The Lions do not have any notable losses from a DFS stand point

Key Additions: The Lions remain nearly intact from last season. They retain their starting QB, RB, and top WRs including Manny Arceneaux who led the CFL in target share at 27% of the Lions targets last year. The Lions also managed to add Chris Williams from Ottawa. Williams was a top option on a pass-heavy offense last season. He put up a 77/1246/10 line on 117 targets. It is worth noting that Williams tore his ACL around eight months ago. He could start the season on the six-game or even one-game injury list.

Calgary Stampeders:

Key Losses: Bakari Grant put up a 44/625/4 line last season in 10 games. He was targeted on 10% of the team’s passes last season. His departure should open up some reps for Darvis Daniels, Kamar Jorden and LeMar Durant.

Key Additions: The Stampeders also remain largely intact from last season. They retain their QB, RB and top WR from last season. While there aren’t a lot of elite options outside of Marquay McDaniel, there are plenty of weapons on this offense including Davaris Daniels who earned Most Outstanding Rookie honors last season. He put up a /51/885/9 line last year in 11 games.

Edmonton Eskimos

Key Losses: The Edmonton Eskimos duo of Derel Walker and Adarius Bowman set a CFL record for yards by teammates with a combined 3,318 last season. Walker signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason. He averaged 8.39 targets per game last season (23%).

Key Additions: The Eskimos will look to replace Walker’s production with a variety of options. Vidal Hazelton was injured most of last season which limited him to just 27 catches with the Argonauts. Two seasons ago, Hazelton put up a 70/803/6 line though. He signed with the Eskimos this offseason. The Eskimos also signed Shamawd Chambers who had a down year in 2016 with a 25/269/1 line in Saskatchewen last season. The breakout candidate here though is Brandon Zylstra who posted a 34/508/6 line last season and was nominated for Most Outstanding Rookie.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Key Losses: The Riders were the CFL’s worst offense last season scoring a league low 350 points. They opted to gut their roster by trading starting QB Darian Durant. They attempted to replace Durant with Vince Young (Yes, that Vince Young) but he tore his hamstring in camp and was cut. This offense will be highly unpredictable as it has been almost completely gutted.

Key Additions: Duron Carter joins the Riders after being cut towards the end of last season. Duron is the son of former NFL legend Chris Carter. He has the talent to be an NFL WR if he had the mental makeup. He put up a 61/938/5 line in 14 games last season and insists he’s focused on a not being a locker room problem this year. The Riders also signed Chad Owens who put up a 55/808/5 line last season in Hamilton at the age of 35. They’ll join Naaman Roosevelt who was injured at the end of last season. He had a 76/1095/2 line in only 11 games.

The Riders backfield will be among the most difficult situations to handicap. They signed Anthony Allen and Kienan LaFrance in the offseason and will also return Cameron Marshall who was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars. They ended up cutting Anthony Alllen though which thins things out a bit tricky. This was one of the league’s worst rushing offenses and will probably be again but whoever stars here is an intriguing value play.

Hamilton Tiger Cats

Key Losses: The Tiger Cats will be without Andy Fantuz as he recovers from injury. He took a front office job and is likely retired for good. Fantuz was targeted 64 times in nine games last season. The loss of Fantuz could leave a void in the offense. Terrence Tolliver is the clear number two here but he’s a bit overpriced based on actual production. He had a 65/1036/9 line in 14 games last season.

Key Additions: The Tiger Cats did not acquire any big name free agents this offseason. They’ll get back a healthy Zach Collaros at QB. C.J. Gable has been a mainstay at RB. The biggest question is who will fill the void at WR? Brandon Banks is part of this WR core but his value is return yards. The one name to watch is Brian Tyms. He was in camp with the New England Patriots in 2015 prior injuring his achilles. He played in just two CFL games but posted a respectable 4/33/1 line. Junior Collins (Jasper Collins on DK) had a 17/238/1 line in six starts last season but he could be pushed for playing time by free agent Ed Williams (minimum-priced on DK).

Toronto Argonauts

Key Losses: The Toronto Argonauts lost both Kenny Shaw and Diontae Spencer this offseason (as well as Vidal Hazelton). Shaw had 106 targets (17%) and Spencer had 103 targets (17%). There’s going to be a lot of opportunity with 34% of last year’s targets gone.

Key Additions: To alleviate the loss of Diontae Spencer and Kenny Shaw, the Argonauts traded for veteran S.J. Green who sat out all but two games last year. He’s a four-time 1,000 yard Wide Receiver who should immediately step into a massive role. Behind Green are a host of unknown options such as Armanti Edwards, Devon Wylie, Devier Posey and 2016 first round pick, Brian Jones. At RB, The Argonauts re-signed Brandon Whitaker late in free agency. He topped 1,000 yards rushing and started all 18 games for Toronto last season. He led the team in receptions at 81. He averaged 5.56 Tgt/G. He’ll assumedly remain the team’s starter again this year.

Ottawa Redblacks

Key Losses: With Henry Burris retired, Trevor Harris is now the unquestioned starting QB on the offense that led the league last year in receiving yards at 6,191. He’ll have to do it with a group of WRs that saw heavy turnover. Ernest Jackson signed with Montreal and Chris Williams signed with B.C. Chris Williams takes with him 114 targets (18%) while Ernest Jackson takes away 108 targets (17%).

Key Additions: The team will get RB William Powell back from injury after he missed all of 2016. He’ll have to compete with Mossis Madu for playing time though. To alleviate the pain of losing Jackson and Williams (who saw 35% of the targets on this offense) the RedBlacks signed Kenny Shaw and Diontae Spencer. They could step into a decent-sized role but the Redblacks also still have Greg Ellingson and Brad Sinopili who each surpassed 1,000 yards last season. This was a crowded receiving core last season and will remain so again this year.

Montreal Alouettes

Key Losses: The Alouettes were a rather pedestrian offense last season. They didn’t even wait until the end of the year to cut Duron Carter who saw 92 targets in 14 games (17%). Other than Carter, the Alouettes didn’t really lose a lot of key contributors but that’s partially because they didn’t have many to begin with.

Key Additions: The story here is whether the addition of Darian Durant can fix the problems on offense. Durant put up a 412/5385/8 line last year in Saskatchewan. He’s had some injury issues but did manage to play 15 games last season. Nik Lewis should benefit from Carter’s absence as well as presumably upgraded QB play. He posted a 102/1136/3 line last season and is available for just $5,800 on DK. Ernest Jackson will now get a chance to be the main weapon on an offense. He leaves a crowded situation in Ottawa to join Montreal. The top three WRs here are Jackson, Lewis and B.J. Cunningham. They will be followed by a slew of lesser-known options.

Top Plays

Before we dive into the top plays for this slate I’ll mention one thing that makes this slate unique. CFL rules require teams to post their official depth chart 24 hours prior to kickoff. The slate this week is four games spread across four days. We’ll have depth charts for Saskatchewan and Montreal on Wednesday since they play Thursday. We also should get depth charts for Friday’s game between Calgary and Ottawa sometime Thursday. The main issue is that the WR situations in Hamilton and Toronto are the toughest to figure out and that is the last game on Sunday.

Be prepared to use the late swap feature on DraftKings to adjust your value WRs once we get confirmation of who is starting.

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Quarterback

Jonathon Jennings, B.C. Lions vs. Edmonton, $9,600 – We already know the eight starting QBs this week. I’ll go ahead and rank all eight. I will mention that one common strategy in CFL DFS is stacking your QB with several of his pass catchers. I’ll likely build several lineups this week and use several QBs. Jonathon Jennings is my favorite option though. The Lions take on the Eskimos in a game that features an over/under of 58 with a spread of three. In terms of points allowed last year, Edmonton ranked fifth while ranking seventh in yards allowed. Jennings passed for 554/5226/27 last season in his first full year as a starter. He should only get better with the addition of Chris Williams at WR (though Williams isn’t guaranteed to play this week as he recovers from an ACL injury). He also retains his favorite target Emmanuel Arceneaux. The price tag is very fair here even though the matchup is not perfect.

Bo Levi Mitchell, Calgary Stampeders at Ottawa, $10,000 – Last season, the Ottawa RedBlacks ranked sixth in points allowed, eighth in passing yards and seventh in touchdowns allowed. This game has the second-highest over/under at 55 and a spread of 2.5. Mitchell passed for 412/5385/32 last season in 17 games. Mitchell had 13 games of at least 300 yards and two touchdowns. Mitchell’s receiving core should improve this season with a year under DaVaris Daniels’ belt.

Darian Durant, Montreal Alouettes vs. Saskatchewan, $9,700 – The day that Darian Durant was traded, he probably circled this game on his calendar. Durant will take on his former team as they are in all out rebuild mode. The Riders ranked eighth in points allowed, sixth in passing yards allowed and last in passing touchdowns allowed last season. They spent most of their energy trying to revamp their offense. The Alouettes do not have the most impressive receiving core but it’s not any worse than what Durant had last year when he passed for 496/3839/14. I’ll take my chances with Durant, Ernest Jackson and the veteran Nik Lewis against the Riders defense.

Mike Reilly, Edmonton Eskimos at B.C. Lions, $10,800 – The price tag here as the most-expensive QB on the board gives me some pause. It also remains to be seen what the loss of Derel Walker will mean for the Eskimos at WR. There’s also the issue with the matchup as the Lions were second in points allowed, first in yards allowed and second in passing touchdowns. If you are looking for a QB to fade, Mike Reilly could be the ideal candidate playing a stout defense without one of his main weapons from last season.

Zach Collaros, Hamilton Tiger Cats at Toronto, $9,800 – Zach Collaros will take on a Toronto team that was bad last season. They ranked last in points allowed per game. They were third in yards and eighth in passing touchdowns but part of that is they were last in rushing yards and touchdowns allowed. That offered a path of least resistance for opposing teams. The main issue for Collaros is who will step up at WR. With Fantuz sidelined, Colllaros will need to rely on Luke Tasker, Terrence Tolliver and Brian Tyms. The knock on Collaros is that he has trouble staying healthy. He had a 232/2938/18 line last year in 10 games.

Ricky Ray, Toronto Argonauts vs. Hamilton, $8,500 – I’m not even sure if this ranking is low enough for 37 year-old Ricky Ray. The one positive here is Marc Trestman is coaching (former Chicago Bears Coach). Ray is a CFL veteran who posted a 298/2397/15 line last season in nine starts. He’s never been anything special and is facing a Tiger Cats defense that was seventh in points allowed and fifth in both yards and touchdowns. The Tigers Cats have an excellent defensive line though finishing third in sacks with 50 last year. Ray was sacked 24 times last season in nine games.

Trevor Harris, Ottawa RedBlacks vs. Calgary, $10,000 – The Calgary Stampeders were the league’s stingiest defense last year in terms of points allowed. They also racked up 52 sacks. They finished third in passing yards allowed and fourth in passing touchdowns. Trevor Harris sits atop the depth chart for the league’s top passing offense in terms of yards. He’ll need to find a rhythm with new teammates Kenny Shaw and Diontae Spencer. While Harris played well last season with a 242/3301/16 line, the price tag is too much to pay against the league’s best defense. He’s still viable in tournaments though.

Kevin Glenn, Saskatchewan Roughriders at Montreal, $7,600 – Kevin Glenn is the only starting QB that was facing much a of a battle this offseason. He’s been anointed the starter but there isn’t necessarily a lot to love here. Glenn posted a 224/2563/13 line in 10 games last year. Glenn is a 17-year CFL veteran. The Alouettes were second in points allowed, second in passing yards and first in passing touchdowns allowed. The addition of Duron Carter and Chad Owens should help an offense that will get Naaman Roosevelt back from injury. (Owens is out for the first six games though) Glenn is strictly a salary-saving option as he does come at a $3,000 discount off the top options.

Running Back

Top Tier

Jerome Messam, Calgary Stampeders at Ottawa, $7,500 – In the introduction, I mentioned that paying up at RB is generally not a great strategy. With that caveat in mind, I think we are going to have to this week. I’ve identified a couple of underpriced WRs that should allow us to pay up for one RB. Jerome Messam played all 18 games last season posting a 206/1198/11 line on the ground with 54/485/1 through the air on 68 targets. The matchup here is difficult though as Ottawa allowed just 78.78 YPG on the ground last season.

Brandon Whitaker, Toronto Argonauts at Hamilton, $7,000 – In 18 games last season, Brandon Whitaker posted a 186/1009/3 line on the ground with 81/549/4 added through the air on 100 targets. What you’re paying for with Whitaker here is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. That matters on DK where you get one point-per-reception (PPR). Hamilton only allowed 80.7 rushing yards per game last season along with 14 touchdowns. Ideally, we could snag 7-10 points in the passing game and anything we get on the ground is just a bonus.

C.J. Gable, Hamilton Tiger Cats at Toronto, $6,000 – C.J. Gable has the best matchup of any RB on the board and a very fair price. He’ll face an Argonauts team that was last season’s worst run defense. The Argonauts allowed 115.2 yards per game on the ground. The only issue with Gable is that he often disappears in great matchups. He averaged 8.4 carries per game last year and 3.93 targets. Overall, he posted a 126/693/3 line on the ground with 39/405/1 through the air on 59 targets.

Tyrell Sutton, Montreal Alouettes vs. Saskachewan, $6,400 – As I mentioned a few times, Saskachewan was one of the worst teams in the league last season and focused on rebuilding their offense as opposed to their defense this offseason. The Riders allowed 104.1 rushing yards per game and 0.83 rushing touchdowns per game (15). Tyrell Sutton was limited to just seven games because of injury last year. He posted a 113/495/4 line on the ground with 27/206/0 added through the air on 31 targets. The main issue with Sutton is that Coach Chapdelaine has hinted that he plans to split the RB work between Sutton and Brandon Rutley ($5,500) in order to keep both healthy. Sutton also turned 30 years old this season. As of now, the plan is to only dress one RB per game with return specialist Stefan Logan serving as the backup. If Sutton is active, it likely means that Brandon Rutley won’t be.

Consider In Tournaments: John White ($7,700) is the highest-priced RB on the board. He draws a matchup against last season’s best run defense (73.2 YPG) though. Jeremiah Johnson ($7,200) led the CFL in rushing touchdowns and the BC Lions have the league’s best offensive line. They led the league in rushing yards at 115.2 YPG but the matchup is neutral against Edmonton (87.2 YPG).

Mid Tier

William Powell, Ottowa RedBlacks at Calgary, $5,000 – The Ottawa Redblacks released their depth chart on Thursday morning. William Powell will start ahead of Mossis Madu ($5,800) at RB. Madu finished out last year strong posting a 92/490/3 line on the ground with 14/113/0 added through the air in just six games. He was surpassed this season by William Powell returns from injury. Powell missed all of 2016 but did post a 76/447/2 line on the ground and 19/158/1 through the air in 2015 in seven games. He’s a decent value play even though Calgary had the league’s best rushing defense last year at 72.3 yards per game. I’m completely avoiding Mossis Madu now that he’s the backup.

Cameron Marshall, Saskachewan at Montreal, $4,900 – The Roughriders were the league’s second-worst rushing offense last season at just 74.1 yards per game. They’ll take on an Alouettes team that allowed 108.3 yards per game though. With this being the first game of the slate, we have the Rider’s depth chart. Kienan LaFrance inured his hamstring in camp and is inactive. The team elected to skip over last year’s fill-in starter to Greg Morris ($4,000). He is the team’s top returning rusher. He had 14/112/1 on the ground and 8/77/0 through the air in four games. He’ll backup Cameron Marshall ($3,600). Marshall returns to the CFL after being cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. At $3,600 Marshall becomes the top punt play of the week. If you roster Marshall and a $5,000 defense you have an average of $8,280 remaining per player. That realistically means you can play whoever you want and give your team an incredibly high floor. This is likely the route I will be going in cash games.

Roy Finch, Calgary Stampeders at Ottawa, $4,600 – In the Introduction, I mentioned that using a kick returner is a viable strategy. Roy Finch averaged 6.79 DK PPG stricty from returns yards last year. There’s buzz out of Calgary that Finch could have a small role in the offense behind Jerome Messam. If you want to lock in a floor of 4-6 return points (with upside for more) Finch is not a bad way to go. He can also be paired with the Calgary defense in hopes of a double-dip special teams touchdown should he take a kick back (both CGY defense and Finch would get 6 points).

Other Options: John White had a minor scare in practice on Wednesday but we’re now told he just needed a breather. If White can’t go, the backup there is LaDarius Perkins ($2,500) as Travon Van hasn’t practice all week. Don not roster Travon Van

Wide Receiver

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Top Tier

Adarius Bowman, Edmonton Eskimos at B.C. Lions, $10,000 – Wide Receiver is typically the position that you will win or lose tournaments at in CFL DFS. The preferred strategy here is “stacking” several WRs with your QB so that you can double up on touchdowns. There are a massive amount of playable options in the upper tier. These are obvious enough that I do need to spend a lot of time. The clear top option though is Adarius Bowman. With Derel Walker moving on to the NFL, Bowman becomes Mike Reilly’s clear top target. Bowman posted a 120/1761/9 line last year on 168 targets. He’s going to be a PPR beast again this year.

Luke Tasker, Hamilton Tiger Cats at Toronto, $8,700 – The price for Luke Tasker has been much discussed on Twitter by people who played CFL last year. Tasker was a high-volume target last season posting a 76/852/5 line on 104 targets. He only played in 12 games though. He was averaging 8.67 Tgt/Gm. Where Tasker gets the biggest bump here though is the loss of Andy Fantuz who was targeted 64 times last season in nine games. There’s really not a clear second option here (more on that in a minute) which should leave Tasker as Zach Collaros primary option. This is a volume-driven pick.

Marquay McDaniel, Calgary at Ottawa, $8,200 – Someone should alert Marquay McDaniel that the good folks at DK priced DaVaris Daniels ahead of him. Daniels is a breakout candidate this season but this is still Marquay McDaniel’s team. He posted an 83/1074/4 line last season in 16 games. The Stampeders were last season’s top scoring offense with Bo Levi Mitchell at the helm. McDaniel was a disappointment in the touchdown department but he was still targeted a total of 111 times.

Ernest Jackson, Montreal Alouettes vs. Saskachewan, $8,100 – The Alouettes signed Ernest Jackson to be the guy in this offense. He comes over from an Ottawa offense that had a lot of mouths to feed. He posted a respectable 88/1225/10 line on 111 targets. I expect that Jackson will almost immediately become Darian Durant’s favorite target.

Emmanuel Arceneaux, B.C. Lions vs. Edmonton, $9,600 – Chris Williams has implied that he’ll be back to the field sooner rather than later after ACL surgery. It doesn’t sound like that is going to be this week. That means we’ll have one last chance at rostering Emmanuel Arceneaux as an elite PPR option. He had a 27% target share last season and posted a 105/1556/13 line in 18 games. He’s an excellent option this week given how much value there is elsewhere.

Also Consider: Duron Carter, Naaman Roosevelt and Diontae Spencer

Mid Tier

S.J. Green, Toronto Argonauts vs. Hamilton, $6,700 – DraftKings did an amazing job pricing players this week considering how early they posted contests. In general, pricing was heavily weighted towards last year’s production. That leaves a guy like S.J. Green mispriced. He only played in two games posting a 5/72/1 line on 11 targets. If you filter on Toronto WRs, they are the only team that doesn’t have a WR priced in the top tier. S.J. Green had four straight 1,000 yard seasons prior to last season. At this price, I’m willing to bet he’s still got something left in the tank. Keep in mind, 34% of Toronto’s targets from last year (Kenny Shaw and Diontae Spencer) are no longer with the team. Green, Armanti Edwards, DeVier Posey, Devon Wylie and Brian Jones are all candidates to pick that workload up.

Nik Lewis, Montreal Alouettes vs. Saskachewan, $5,800 – Nik Lewis will eventually be in the CFL Hall of Fame when he retires. There’s nothing sexy about this pick. The guy just laces up his cleats and gets the job done every week. He posted a 102/1131/3 line last season on 126 targets. He’s all but certain to lose some targets to Ernest Jackson but the price is still fair here.

Greg Elingson, Ottawa Red Backs, vs. Calgary, $6,800 – When I wrote CFL content last season, almost every week I was giving the same disclaimer about Ottawa WRs. This team led the league in passing yards at 343.9 per game. They had a four-headed monster at WR though with Ernet Jackson, Chris Williams, Greg Ellingson and Brad Sinopili. This season, Williams and Jackson have moved on but they’ve been replaced by Diontae Spencer and Kenny Shaw. We know for sure this team is going to score in bunches, we just don’t know for sure who it will be. Spencer, Sinopili and Ellingson are all priced $6,800-$7,000. I give the slight edge to Ellingson who posted a 76/1260/4 line last season on 113 targets.

Vidal Hazelton, Edmonton Eskimos at B.C. Lions, $6,000 – Vidal Hazelton is entering his 10th season in the CFL. He was cut at the end of last season by Toronto as they gave up on their season. Hazelton had options on where to sign. He chose Edmonton which worked out perfect when Derel Walker left for the NFL. Hazelton had a disappointing 2016 with a 27/361/3 line in eight games. The year prior though he had 70/803/3 in 16 games. He’s definitely still capable of producing at that level with Mike Reilly throwing him the ball. This price is way too cheap for the #2 WR role in the Eskimos offense.

Also Consider: Bryan Burnham, Bakari Grant and Kamar Jorden

Value Tier

Brian Tyms, Hamilton Tiger Cats at Toronto, $4,800 – You probably didn’t come here for advice on picking expensive players. Once you decide on your QB, it’s a good idea to stack one or both of his top WRs along with him. In order to do that, we need some value WRs. That’s tough to do when playing somewhat blind opening week. My top value play this week is Brian Tyms. He spent 2013 with the Cleveland Browns and then 2014 with the New England Patriots. He injured his Achilles in 2015 and finally gave up the NFL dream and headed North. Tyms looked great working with Zach Collaros this preseason posting a 4/44/1 line in the final tune up. I’m expecting him to start at WR and help fill some of the targets vacated by Andy Fantuz.

Brandon Zylsta, Edmonton Eskimos at B.C Lions, $4,400 – When I mentioned above that you just need to play two cheap WRs and you can roster anyone else, Brian Tyms and Brandon Zylstra are who I had in mind. Zylstra posted a 34/508/3 line last season on 34 targets. He, along with Hazelton, will be asked to fill the void of Derel Walker leaving for the NFL. Walker saw 151 targets last season which leaves plenty of opportunity available here.

Armanti Edwards ($5,100) and Brian Jones ($3,000), Toronto Argonauts vs. Hamilton – These next two recommendations go together. Before I say anything, I need to make it clear that I don’t think you need to go here at all. That said, there is a massive target void in Toronto that someone needs to fill. Even if you pencil in S.J. Green for the 103 targets Diontae Spencer saw, you still have to account for where the 106 that Kenny Shaw saw will go. This is the final game of the week so we likely won’t get the depth chart here until Saturday afternoon. Armanti Edwards ($5,100) posted a 19/231/1 line in three games last season. Brian Jones ($3,000) is a deep sleeper as he posted 12/128/1 in five games. He is a 2016 first round pick though. If DeVier Posey ($4,400) or Devon Wylie ($3,500) are starting they also might be worth a look.

Also Consider: Nik Demski (Not recommended)

Final WR Note: Be sure to follow team depth charts as they are posted. I tried to recommend only options that will for sure be starting. I’m most concerned about S.J. Green of anyone I mentioned. As far as WRs I’m not expecting to play, Chad Owens and Robert Bagg are out for sure. Chris Williams is a long shot, we should know his status Friday evening.

Defense

Hamilton Tiger Cats, at Toronto Argonauts, $5,000 – You’re probably wondering which defense I’m going to be using. In general, defense is the position you should be least concerned with. Once you have your roster set, figure out which defense you can afford. CFL defenses tend to gain most of their points from sacks or interceptions. It doesn’t hurt anything to play one or two offensive players against your own defense (as long as it isn’t your QB). I evaluated the defenses this week before I looked at prices. My top three also happen to be the three most expensive. Hamilton had 48 sacks and 17 interceptions last season. They take on a Toronto team that gave up 46 sacks and 23 interceptions. Toronto is also quarterbacked by Ricky Ray who I have graded as one of the two worst QBs this week.

Calgary Stampeders, at Ottawa RedBlacks, $5,000 – Most weeks, the top defense to target is going to be the Calgary Stampeders. They tied for the league lead in sacks last season at 52. They also allowed the lowest PPG at 20.6 and have the league’s best rushing defense at 72.3 YPG. The reason I didn’t give them the top ranking this week is that they play Trevor Harris and the Ottawa RedBlacks. They were the number one offense in terms of passing yards per game at 343.9.

Montreal Alouettes, vs. Saskatchewan, $4,900 – The third defense that stood out to me is the Alouettes against Kevin Glenn. We did see Saskatchewan upgrade their offense over the offseason but they certainly downgraded at QB from Darian Durant to Kevin Glenn. The RoughRiders were second in the league in sacks allowed last season at 57.

There are various arguments for using the three remaining defenses. In general, if I’m $100 short of getting the defense I want, I’m not rearranging the rest of my roster. I’ll simply take whichever one I can afford. If trying to decide between the two cheapest, I prefer Toronto over Saskachewan, but just slightly.

Good luck out there this week. Make sure to check team depth charts as they are released (24 hours prior to kickoff) and be ready to utilize the late swap tool to take advantage of low-owned options that weren’t originally projected to start. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below of join the discussion in the Week 1 CFL Thread over in the forums.

About the Author

sethayates
Seth Yates (sethayates)

Seth Yates hails from Dayton, Ohio. Seth started playing DFS during the NBA Playoffs in 2012. Seth rose to stardom in 2014 when he won the NFL Preseason Bomb using picks he blogged about. When he isn’t playing DFS, Seth is a Financial Analyst for the Air Force. Even though paying taxes on DFS isn’t fun, Seth re-invests your taxes back into DFS for you.