CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Week 10 on DraftKings
We're already at the halfway point of the CFL season, with Week 10 kicking off Thursday night when the Stampeders visit the Argonauts. We also have a marquee Elks-Alouettes showdown Saturday in Montreal and two other games, giving us plenty to work with from a DFS perspective.
As customary, we'll break down multiple options for each roster spot and also offer a trio of core plays to consider making the centerpiece of your lineups.
Quarterback Plays for CFL Week 10
Vernon Adams Jr., CGY at TOR ($10,400): Adams put together another solid effort in Week 9 despite not having too much on his shoulders, completing 72.0 percent of his passes while extending his season-long interception-less streak and recording 14.9 DK points in a win over the Tiger-Cats. The fantasy-point tally was actually Adams' lowest of the season, but he now gets another crack at an Argos team he lit up for seven total touchdowns and 51.4 DK points back in Week 5.
The Argos remain a highly vulnerable defense against the pass. Toronto is surrendering a league-high 339.6 passing yards per game and doing so at a completion rate of 71.2 percent. The Argonauts have also surrendered the second-most completions of 30+ yards (16), while Adams is well-suited to exploit such a weakness based on the fact he's tied for second in the league with 16 such completions and an impressive average of 9.6 yards per attempt.
Davis Alexander, MTL vs. EDM ($10,200): Alexander has his own impressive multi-game interception-less streak going before seeing that snapped two games ago, but the ascendant quarterback bounced right back in Week 9 by throwing for 420 yards and three touchdowns on his way to a season-high 31.8 DK points. Alexander has eclipsed 23 DK points on six occasions overall this season, and he now gets a second shot at an Elks defense he posted 23.2 DK points against back in Week 3.
The Elks are allowing 292.9 passing yards per game, along with the second-most completions (196) and a league-high 1,212 yards after the catch. Alexander has league-high figures in completions, pass attempts, passing yards and completions of 30+ yards, and his seven 300-yard games also set the pace in the CFL. He's also averaging a co-league-high 10.1 yards per attempt, making him quite the high-upside play yet again this week.
Chad Kelly, TOR vs. CGY ($10,000): Kelly's Argonauts are anything but consistent, but the talented signal-caller is having an outstanding season and is ready to return to action after suffering a neck injury in Week 8. Kelly was in the midst of another prolific performance in that game against the Lions before exiting, as he'd completed 15 of 18 passes for 197 yards and a pair of touchdowns when he went down. Prior to that shortened game, Kelly had averaged 28.8 DK points over his first six contests while also throwing 15 touchdown passes in that span.
Kelly posted 31.5 DK points against the Stampeders in his first encounter with them back in Week 5, a game where he threw for 294 yards with a 3:2 TD:INT. The Stamps remains beatable through the air by the numbers, as Calgary is surrendering the third-most passing yards per game (330.0), along with a co-league-high 18 touchdown passes. Then, the Stampeders have facilitated a league-high 19 completions of 30+ yards, while Kelly is averaging a co-league-high 10.1 yards per attempt and has 16 completions of at least 30 yards.
ALSO CONSIDER: Cody Fajardo, EDM at MTL ($9,800)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 10
Travis Theis, MTL vs. EDM ($9,400): Theis has taken a firm hold of the Alouettes' No. 1 back role and isn't letting go, fully capitalizing on backfield Stevie Scott's hamstring injury. Theis has shined over the last four games in particular, rushing for 435 yards and four touchdowns at 7.1 yards per carry while posting an 8-57-0 receiving line. Theis has at least 94 rushing yards in three of those contests, and he's averaged 21.8 DK points over the entirety of that span.
The Elks have been reasonably effective against the run while allowing 4.6 yards per carry, but Theis has explosive speed and has already taken 16 of his runs for 20+ yards, with five of those going for 20+. Additionally, Theis has a solid role in the passing game, already posting a 21-141-0 line on 27 targets. Given his seemingly safe floor and home-run wheels, Theis is a very viable option if paying up at running back.
James Butler, BC vs. HAM ($8,500): Butler is off the injury report after missing Week 9 with a foot injury, setting him up for a return against his former Tiger-Cats squad. Butler has had an up-and-down season thus far, but he's still averaging a solid 4.8 yards per carry and 14.0 DK points per contest.
The veteran back's opportunities have fluctuated, but with the possibility Nathan Rourke is back under center for BC on Saturday, Butler could be facing some softer defensive fronts. The veteran back's opportunities have fluctuated, but with the possibility Nathan Rourke is back under center for BC on Saturday, Butler could be facing some softer defensive fronts. Then, the Tiger-Cats are giving up 98.8 rushing yards per game at 5.1 yards per carry, and Hamilton has also yielded the second-most rushing first downs (61). Butler already has eight carries of 10+ yards this season, and he should have a little extra incentive while facing some of his old teammates.
ALSO CONSIDER: Quali Conley, SSK vs. OTT ($6,600)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 10
Tyson Philpot, MTL vs. EDM ($10,600): Philpot's MOP-caliber season continued in Week 9, when he posted 30.4 DK points on the strength of a 9-184-0 line against the Redblacks. Philpot has now exceeded 20 DK points in all but two games this season, including four tallies of 30-plus DK points. The talented veteran will now get a second shot at an Elks defense he enjoyed success against in Week 3, when he recorded eight receptions for 120 yards and 23.0 DK points.
Edmonton's numbers against the pass were already discussed in Alexander's entry, and Philpot is well-equipped to take advantage of the Elks' propensity for allowing yards after the catch. The talented wideout has league-high metrics in receptions, receiving yards and targets, and he also has a league-high nine receptions of 30+ yards. Then, Philpot also has a CFL-best 424 yards after the catch, making this an especially appealing matchup.
KeeSean Johnson, SSK vs. OTT ($9,400): Johnson is on pace to potentially set new career bests in multiple categories for the second straight season, as he'll head into his Week 10 matchup already boasting a 46-581-5 receiving line. The veteran receiver has exceeded 21 DK points on four occasions, including three of the last four contests, and he draws a Week 10 matchup he's already thrived in once previously this season.
The opposing Redblacks have surrendered the second-most passing yards per game (336.4), along with a 69.6 percent completion rate. Ottawa has also conceded the second-most touchdown passes (16) and is tied for the second-most completions of 30+ yards allowed (16), and while Johnson isn't always used in a downfield role, he does have a co-CFL-high 19 second-down catches and already has three 100-yard games.
Damonte Coxie, TOR vs. CGY ($8,200): Coxie has been a big part of Kelly's success this season, as the speedy Memphis product has posted a 34-524-2 line across his first seven games. Coxie has averaged 16.3 DK points per game since Week 3, and he's getting Kelly back in Week 10 while also facing a team he had his best performance of the season against so far.
Coxie posted 31.8 DK points in Week 5 against the Stamps, a game where he went off for eight receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown. Calgary's various weaknesses against the pass were already enumerated in Kelly's entry, and in addition to the numbers cited there, it's also worth noting the Stamps have allowed the third-most completions (189) and the third-most yards after the catch (946). Meanwhile, Coxie has averaged an impressive 15.4 yards per reception, has brought in seven of the 13 targets of 20+ yards in depth he's seen and is averaging a productive 4.8 yards after the catch per reception.
Jalen Philpot, CGY at TOR ($7,600): Philpot has undoubtedly been overshadowed by his twin brother Tyson this season, but that's not to say Jalen hasn't had his share of high points as well. Philpot has generated a 32-542-5 line, and despite a season-worst one-catch, seven-yard outing in Week 9 against the Tiger-Cats, he's still averaging 15.0 DK points per contest while eclipsing 21 DK points on three occasions.
The Argos' considerable struggles defending the pass were already covered in depth in Adams' entry, and they suggest Philpot could well be set for one of his higher-percentile performances. Philpot offered support for such a theory in his Week 5 encounter with Toronto, when he recorded a season-high 27.6 DK points on the strength of a 7-83-2 line. With an average of 16.9 yards per reception and an efficient 5-for-8 tally when it comes to catches on targets of 20+ yards in depth, Philpot carries plenty of upside at his salary.
ALSO CONSIDER: Kenny Lawler, HAM at BC ($8,000)
Team Defense Plays for CFL Week 10
Hamilton Tiger-Cats ($3,600) at BC Lions:
The Tiger-Cats are already enjoying an impressive season defensively, and they're in a particularly advantageous on-paper position for Saturday night's matchup against the short-handed Lions. Nathan Rourke may remain out for BC due to his shoulder injury, which naturally takes a lot of the upside away from the Lions' passing attack. Kaidon Salter and Chase Brice have both had a crack at replacing Rourke thus far, and neither has been impressive nor particularly trustworthy with the ball.
The Ti-Cats have a solid seven interceptions and 14.0 sacks through eight games, and they're also conceding the second-fewest yards of net offence per game (365.0). Then, Hamilton has been excellent at preventing big plays, allowing a league-low eight completions of 30+ yards and 599 yards after the catch. Therefore, even if Rourke is back, the Ti-Cats present as a tough matchup, especially for a player coming off injury.
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 10
- Vernon Adams Jr., QB
- Quali Conley, RB
- Jalen Philpot, WR
Total salary expenditure: $24.6k
We're taking a bit of a different approach this week with our core plays, spending up plenty at quarterback for the prolific Adams, who has a premium matchup against the Argos defense. We're offsetting the expenditure by taking a much more cost-effective approach with our two spots, banking on another strong game from Conley as the lead back in a solid matchup and then pairing Adams with Philpot, who's been an extremely reliable target throughout the season, allowing us to come in at just under half our salary cap.
