CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Week 17 on DraftKings
We're set for another four-game slate in Week 17 as the postseason picture comes increasingly into focus. Three teams – the Elks, Alouettes and Argonauts – have already clinched playoff spots, but there's still plenty left to be decided, particularly in a very competitive West Division.
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 17
Nathan Rourke, BC vs. SSK ($10,500): Rourke is putting the finishing touches on another standout season, as he enters Week 17 averaging a career-high 347.6 passing yards per game while boasting the second-highest completion rate of his career (71.1 percent). He's added 19 total touchdowns, and the one and only time Rourke threw for less than 300 yards was way back in Week 3 against the Tiger-Cats. The Lions remain in the thick of the playoff hunt and sit right below the Roughriders in the standings, and Rourke faces off with Saskatchewan for the third time this season after already posting two stellar outings versus the Roughriders.
Rourke has posted 28.1 and 26.1 DK points in his two previous encounters with Saskatchewan this season, throwing for a total of 685 yards in those contests. The Roughriders check in allowing 309.6 passing yards per game as well, along with a generous 71.7 percent completion rate. Given the importance of the game for the Lions and the fact Rourke is on his home field, the reigning MOP is certainly in play.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson, OTT vs. CGY ($10,100): Bethel-Thompson has taken over the Redblacks' starting quarterback job for the time being, and the grizzled veteran has leveraged his experience to provide the winless team's offense quite the spark over the last game-plus. Bethel-Thompson has thrown for 571 yards and posted a 6:1 TD:INT in that span, and in his first start of the season in Week 16 against these same Stampeders, the 38-year-old went for 37.2 DK points on the strength of a 379-yard, five-touchdown performance.
The Stampeders are now surrendering 311.5 passing yards per game, and they've given up a league-high 34 touchdown passes as well. As those numbers imply, big-play prevention has been a particularly prominent weakness, and fittingly, Calgary has conceded the second-most plays of 30+ yards (27). Bethel-Thompson is likely to remain highly aggressive once again in what could be another offensive showcase, making him an intriguing option.
Vernon Adams Jr., CGY at OTT ($9,800): Adams validated our Week 16 faith in him with a standout performance in the first installment of the home-and-home series against Ottawa, posting 26.7 DK points via a 357-yard, two-touchdown tally and his third-highest completion percentage of the season (68.3). Adams continued attacking downfield as usual, averaging 12.8 yards per attempt, and he now gets a second consecutive opportunity to exploit the vulnerabilities of Ottawa's secondary.
Following Adams' Week 16 production, the Redblacks are now surrendering a league-high 342.4 passing yards per game, along with a league-high 73.8 percent completion rate. Ottawa is also tied for the second-most touchdown passes allowed (26), and the Redblacks have conceded the third-most completions of 30+ yards to boot (26). As is the case with Bethel-Thompson, Adams is likely to be in the thick of things if this Saturday rematch between two vulnerable pass defenses evolves into another high-scoring affair.
ALSO CONSIDER: Cody Fajardo, EDM vs. HAM ($10,200)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 17
Zander Horvath, BC vs. SSK ($10,300): Horvath put together another one of his signature fantasy breakout efforts last time we saw him in Week 15, scoring 25.9 DK points and adding another trio of rushing touchdowns to his 2026 resume at the expense of the Alouettes. It marked Horvath's fourth tally of more than 25 DK points this season, a stat made all the more impressive by the fact he didn't shift into a starting role until Week 9.
Horvath has a whopping 19 total touchdowns (16 rushing, three receiving) on the season, and he now checks into Friday's matchup fresh off a week of rest. The Roughriders have been stingy against the run while allowing 72.9 rushing yards per game at 4.7 yards per carry, but Horvath has proven virtually matchup-proof, especially because of his usage near the end zone and his ability to contribute as a pass catcher.
Dedrick Mills, CGY at OTT ($8,200): Mills sat out the Stampeders' Week 16 win over the Redblacks due to a hip injury, but he's off the injury report altogether for the Week 17 rematch. That makes the explosive back a particularly appealing option at his salary against a Redblacks defense that hasn't proven capable of slowing teams down on the ground or through the air this season. Mills has plenty of upside as well, having surpassed 20 DK points on three occasions this season.
The Redblacks defense has also been very targetable on the ground, as Ottawa is allowing a league-high 132.8 rushing yards per game at an elevated 5.8 yards per carry. The Redblacks have also given up a league-high 23 rushing touchdowns, and they've allowed the third-most runs of 10+ yards (46) while tying with the Blue Bombers for the second-most runs of 20+ yards as well (12). Given their penchant for allowing touchdowns and chunk plays, the speedy Mills is a very viable consideration.
ALSO CONSIDER: Isaiah Smith, TOR at WPG ($6,400)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 17
Keon Hatcher, BC vs. SSK ($9,700): Hatcher isn't tracking for quite the same career-best stat line he posted last season, but the veteran receiver is now just 51 yards away from his fourth career 1,000-yard campaign and checks into Week 17 fresh off having scored a season-high 31.7 DK points against the Alouettes in Week 15. Hatcher now has 60 or more receiving yards in five straight games, and four of his five TDs on the campaign have come within that same span.
The Roughriders' vulnerabilities against the pass were already detailed in Rourke's entry, and in addition to the metrics cited there, it's also worth noting Saskatchewan has given up the fourth-most yards after the catch this season (1,619). Meanwhile, Hatcher has averaged 4.9 yards after the catch per reception, and he's also tied with the Argonauts' Damonte Coxie for the third-most catches of 30+ yards (eight).
KeeSean Johnson, SSK at BC ($9,000): Johnson will welcome back fellow wideout Kian Schaffer-Baker from a six-game absence due to a knee injury, but the former still has a bright outlook for Friday night's showdown against the Lions. Johnson has already locked in his second straight 1,000-yard season and has a career-high seven touchdown receptions, and although he comes in off a couple of quiet games, he's compiled five 100-yard efforts this season and is averaging 19.1 DK points per contest on the season.
The Lions have improved somewhat against the pass over the course of the season, but they're still allowing 296.3 passing yards per game and a 68.7 percent completion rate. BC is also tied for the second-most touchdown passes surrendered (26) and has given up 23 completions of 30+ yards, all numbers that set up Johnson, who has an impressive 67.2 percent catch rate this season, for a potentially productive night.
Justin Hardy, OTT vs. CGY ($8,600): Like Johnson, Hardy is an NFL veteran who's found his greatest success north of the border. The one-time Atlanta Falcon is now just 75 yards away from his fourth straight 1,000-yard CFL season after lighting up the same Stampeders defense he'll face Saturday for 12 receptions, 129 yards and a touchdown. The performance netted a season-high 33.9 DK points for Hardy, who's scored 24 or more on three occasions overall in 2026.
The vulnerabilities of the Stampeders' pass defense have already been enumerated in Bethel-Thompson's entry, and given the chemistry the veteran QB-receiver duo showed in Week 16, they should be well-suited to exploit those weaknesses again. Additionally, the sure-handed Hardy has a 68.2 percent catch rate for the season, and he's already proven amply capable of thriving in this matchup.
Tevin Jones, CGY at OTT ($5,800): Jones carries no shortage of upside for a player with a sub-$6K salary, averaging 17.5 yards per reception on his 28 catches. Jones is coming off his second-best performance of the season, as he produced a 5-102-1 receiving line that netted 24.2 DK points against the same Redblacks squad he'll face again Saturday.
Jones operates as a key downfield component for Adams, and with Jalen Philpot questionable due to an abdominal injury, the veteran receiver could be due for an expanded role in the rematch with Ottawa. The Redblacks' dismal pass-defense numbers were already elaborated on in Adams' entry, and Ottawa's tendency to allow yards after the catch – they've surrendered a league-high 1,784 – and big downfield plays dovetails particularly well for fantasy purposes with Jones' skill set. The speedy vet already has five catches of 30+ yards among his 28 grabs, and he's averaging an elite 8.5 yards after the catch per reception.
ALSO CONSIDER: Joshua Cephus, EDM vs. HAM ($6,700)
Team Defense Plays for CFL Week 17
Edmonton Elks ($4,500) vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats:
We picked on the Tiger-Cats with the Alouettes defense in Week 16 and reaped plenty of fantasy rewards, so we're back to the well this week with a vastly improved Elks defense. Edmonton's unit has been particularly impressive against the pass, picking off a league-high 21 passes and recording 29 sacks, the latter the CFL's third-highest figure
The Elks haven't been slouches against the run by any stretch either, allowing the third-fewest rushing yards per game (84.8) and third-lowest yards per carry (4.75). Then, Edmonton has forced the second-most fumbles (14) and recorded the second most (12) as well, while the Ti-Cats check in with the second-fewest points per game (23.4) and tied for the second-most sacks conceded (27).
The Elks are also at home and Hamilton's offense continues to predictably struggle with consistency and efficiency in the now-confirmed rest-of-season absence for Bo Levi Mitchell, making Edmonton's defense a very strong play.
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 17
- Vernon Adams Jr., QB
- Zander Horvath, RB
- Justin Hardy, WR
Total salary expenditure: $28.7k
We'll go with a solid-floor/high-upside trio in Week 17 that could realistically be used for cash games or tournaments. Adams came back to life last week as expected against the porous Redblacks defense and gets another crack at them this week, while Horvath has been outstanding in the lead-back role and has a very good on-paper matchup as well. Finally, Hardy is on his way to another 1,000-yard season and is coming off a monster Week 16 performance against the same Stampeders defense he'll see again Saturday.
