CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Week 16 on DraftKings
The CFL's stretch run continues with a three-game Week 16 slate that kicks off Friday night. With two fewer teams than usual in action, we're sifting through a more narrow player pool than normal, but there are still some inviting plays across the ledger.
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 16
Cody Fajardo, EDM at TOR ($10,000): Fajardo is in the midst of a career-best season, and he shows no signs of slowing down as the Elks barrel toward the postseason. The veteran signal-caller now has a career-high 23 touchdown passes, and once he accrues his first 50 passing yards on Saturday afternoon, he'll have hit a new personal best in that category as well. The matchup against the Argonauts is also pristine, as Toronto has struggled to slow the pass down all season.
The Argonauts are giving up the second-most passing yards per game (310.2), and although they've also conceded the fewest touchdown passes (19), Toronto has also allowed a league-high 28 completions of 30+ yards. Fajardo is averaging a career-high 9.0 yards per attempt and 290.8 passing yards per game, and he posted 24.0 DK points in his first meeting with Toronto this season.
Davis Alexander, MTL at HAM ($9,900): As good as Fajardo has been, Alexander has arguably been the CFL's best quarterback the majority of the season. The Alouettes' field general has completed 71.0 percent of his passes on his way to averaging 322.8 passing yards per game and posting a sparkling 27:3 TD:INT through 13 contests. Alexander is now just four yards short of the 4,200-mark for the season, and in Week 16, he has plenty of incentive to bounce back from his least productive game of the season.
The Tiger-Cats are allowing 284.1 passing yards per game, along with a 70.0 percent completion rate and 21 touchdown passes. Hamilton has done a good job of limiting big plays through the air overall (13 completions of 30+ yards allowed), but the Tiger-Cats' propensity for surrendering plenty of high-percentage throws and Alexander's outstanding ball security keep the signal-caller firmly in play at a sub-five-figure salary.
Vernon Adams Jr., CGY vs. OTT ($9,400): Adams' inclusion this week is due to the confluence of a combination of factors – salary, matchup and the reduced quarterback pool. Adams' yardage has actually been trending down over the last several games, and he's coming off one of his poorest performances of the season in Week 15. However, Adams still retains significant ceiling, and he's getting his first crack this season at a Redblacks defense that's been beatable through the air throughout the campaign.
Ottawa has given up a league-high 341.2 passing yards per game and 74.4 percent completion rate, along with the third-most touchdown passes (24). The Redblacks have also yielded the third-most completions of 30+ yards (25), and all of those numbers appear to be just what the doctor ordered for Adams' recent doldrums. The veteran signal-caller is still averaging 20.1 DK points per game despite the recent slump, so Adams has plenty of upside relative to his discounted salary.
ALSO CONSIDER: Chad Kelly, TOR vs. EDM ($10,500)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 16
Isaiah Smith, TOR vs. EDM ($6,600): Smith's production has had its fair share of fluctuations, but the CFL rookie still has solid upside relative to his salary. The Guelph product is coming off an 84-yard tally against the Redblacks in Week 15, and three games earlier, he'd recorded a career-best 99 against the Tiger-Cats. On a week where the running back pool is especially sparse due both to the number of games and injuries, Smith merits consideration.
That holds true even though the matchup against the Elks is just about average on the ground. Edmonton is surrendering a modest 91.4 rushing yards per game at 4.9 yards per carry. However, the Elks have also given up more than a rushing TD per game (14 in 13 games), the fifth-most runs of 10+ yards (39) and the 10 runs of 20+ yards, tying them for third in that category.
Stevie Scott, MTL at HAM ($5,200): Scott returned to action in Week 15 after last having played in Week 4 due to a hamstring injury, and the well-traveled back gained 94 total scrimmage yards on 14 touches right out of the gate. Scott's return actually relegated Travis Theis to the practice roster, and if Scott is ticketed for a lead role again Friday, he could once again profile as one of the stronger point-per-dollar plays on the slate.
The Tiger-Cats are allowing 96.4 rushing yards per game at 5.0 yards per carry, and Hamilton has also conceded 14 rushing touchdowns. Moreover, Hamilton has conceded 34 runs of 10+ yards, including nine of 20+, and Scott has dependable two-way skills that help him supplement his fantasy production while also exhibiting a bruising style that makes him a good candidate for red-zone work.
ALSO CONSIDER: Ludovick Choquette, CGY vs. OTT ($2,500)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 16
Tyson Philpot, MTL at HAM ($10,000): Philpot is up to a 102-1,471-11 line across 11 games, and the ultra-talented receiver has scored under 15 DK points just once this season. Philpot has six 100-yard efforts overall, and he's exceeded 20 DK points in six contests as well. Philpot has essentially proven matchup-proof, and he carries a perpetually high ceiling each week.
As already discussed in Alexander's entry, the Tiger-Cats have been proficient at preventing big plays through the air, but Hamilton has also given up the fourth-most completions overall (301). Philpot has the second-most receptions of 30+ yards (11) and a league-high 632 yards after the catch, along with an elite 76.7 percent catch rate that dovetails well with the Ti-Cats' propensity for facilitating plenty of short- and mid-range completions.
Keelan White, OTT at CGY ($8,200): White has quietly put together an impressive season in a complementary role, one that's seen him establish new career bests in receptions (54), receiving yards (567) and touchdown receptions (four). White has at least 66 receiving yards in four of the last five games as well, and he draws an excellent on-paper matchup against the Stampeders in Week 16.
Calgary has allowed 306.3 passing yards per game, along with a CFL-high 29 touchdown passes. The Stamps have also conceded the second-most completions of 30+ yards (26), as well as a robust 5.1 yards after the catch per reception. White has averaged a robust 7.4 targets per game, so he could certainly deliver a strong return on investment if he gets that type of opportunity in this matchup.
Jalen Philpot, CGY vs. OTT ($7,000): Although his twin brother Tyson has unsurprisingly garnered a majority of the headlines with his elite season, Jalen has contributed a highly useful 56-797-6 line across 13 games. The touchdowns are already a career best for the talented receiver, and he's just 11 receptions and 34 receiving yards away from posting new high-water marks in those categories.
Jalen now gets a golden opportunity to build on those numbers against the same porous Redblacks defense that was already spotlighted in Adams' entry. In addition to the numbers already cited, it's also worth noting Ottawa has surrendered the second-most yards after catch in the league (1,614), while Philpot has averaged an impressive 4.6 yards after the catch per grab while recording seven completions of 30+ yards.
Joshua Cephus, EDM at TOR ($6,500): Cephus is one of the many components of a vastly improved Elks team that's been key to this season's success, particularly in recent weeks. The Texas-San Antonio product has a 35-476-3 line for the season, and he's coming off a career-high 119-yard tally against the Stampeders in Week 15.
Cephus also had a 6-55-1 line against this same Argonauts squad when he faced them back in Week 11, and Toronto continues to be very targetable with the pass, as already noted in Fajardo's entry. Cephus also has a solid 66.0 percent catch rate, giving him a very good chance of delivering a fantasy-friendly line if he continues to garner plenty of Fajardo's attention.
ALSO CONSIDER: Tyler Kahmann, TOR vs. EDM ($8,400)
Team Defense Plays for CFL Week 16
Montreal Alouettes ($4,300) at Hamilton Tiger-Cats:
The Elks' defense came through for us as a Week 15 suggestion, and although they're interesting again this week, a road matchup against the Argonauts is less than ideal. However, the Alouettes, which have regressed somewhat over the course of the season, are in an intriguing spot against the Tiger-Cats, despise the fact Montreal is also away from home. Hamilton has had trouble maintaining a consistent running game, which naturally can lead to one-dimensional offensive play and the opportunity for turnovers for the opposing defense.
The Ti-Cats remain last in the CFL with 329.4 total yards per game, which breaks down to the fourth-fewest rushing yards (93.9) and the second-fewest net passing yards (235.5) per contest. Hamilton is also tied for the second-most sacks allowed (27), and Ti-Cats quarterbacks have tossed nine interceptions. The Als have done a reasonably good job in those respective areas, recording 12 picks and 20 sacks, while also forcing a league-high 14 fumbles and recovering 12 of those, the latter qualifying as the second-highest figure in the league.
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 16
- Cody Fajardo, QB
- Ludovick Choquette, RB
- Joshua Cephus, WR
Total salary expenditure: $22.5k
This week's trio definitely leans much more toward the tournament side of the equation, as there is some risk in Choquette, and to a lesser extent, Cephus. Fajardo is our strong floor/ceiling play of the bunch, as the veteran is enjoying a career-best season and has an outstanding matchup. Meanwhile, the chemistry between him and Cephus has ratcheted up plenty in the last few games, and the receiver's salary is still very reasonable. Finally, Choquette will be in line for much more opportunity due to Dedrick Mills' already confirmed absence due to a hip injury, and the matchup on the ground is excellent against a Redblacks team that's surrendered a league-high 132.3 rushing yards per game and 21 rushing touchdowns, along with 5.7 yards per carry.
