This article is part of our DraftKings CFL DFS Picks series.
We're back to a three-game slate in Week 18 since the Redblacks-Alouettes clash on Thanksgiving Monday afternoon in Canada isn't included. However, we still have plenty of matchups and players to target, with solid choices at each position as the playoff race heats up.
Without further ado, let's jump right into some of the best plays at each position for Week 18:
CFL DFS Picks and Plays- Week 18
Quarterback Plays for CFL Week 18
Zach Collaros, WPG vs. EDM ($11,300): Collaros put together another stellar performance in Week 17, posting a season-high 27.8 DK points against the Roughriders on the strength of a four-touchdown effort. The veteran signal-caller appears to be hitting on all cylinders as the postseason approaches, as he's now eclipsed 20 DK points in three straight games while producing a 10:2 TD:INT. The Elks are good targets to prompt another productive performance in a game the Bombers clinch the top seed in with a win, as they've allowed a CFL-high 57 touchdowns, 73.1 percent completion rate and 9.5 average yards per pass, along with the second-most TD tosses (24).
Cody Fajardo, SSK at HAM ($9,900): The Roughriders are struggling as a whole, but Fajardo has managed to continue delivering solid individual returns on his typically reasonable salaries. The veteran has eclipsed 20 DK points in two straight games, and he's now facing a Tiger-Cats squad that he posted a season-high 31.6 DK points against back in Week 1 on the strength of 353 total yards. Fajardo is averaging 18.75 DK points per road game and completing 70.2 percent of his passes in that sample as well, while the Ti-Cats have given up 276.2 passing yards per game, 25 completions of at least 30 yards and 22 passing touchdowns.
Vernon Adams, BC at TOR ($9,000): Adams was able to bounce back nicely from his Week 16 clunker against the Stampeders, tallying 27 DK points against the Redblacks while completing 77.3 percent of his passes and accumulating 343 total yards along with a couple of passing touchdowns. The mobile veteran now tangles with an Argonauts squad that's yielded 273.9 passing yards per game, along with the second-highest completion percentage (68.3). Adams has already built some solid chemistry with his new group of pass catchers, and even though he'll be down Lucky Whitehead (ankle) in addition Bryan Burnham (wrist) for this game, the team's deep offensive arsenal and his reasonable salary sets the stage for him to still deliver a strong return.
ALSO CONSIDER: Dane Evans, HAM vs. SSK ($8,900)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 18
James Butler, BC at TOR ($11,400): Butler has looked back to his old self in a couple of recent games after a prolonged mid-season slump, scoring over 20 DK points against the Stampeders and Redblacks in Weeks 15 and 17, respectively. The versatile back is in a good spot again in Week 18 against the Argos, which have allowed 5.0 yards per carry and have also displayed vulnerability to the pass, as just highlighted in Adams' entry. Butler has recorded double-digit carries and receptions in three straight games, with his two aforementioned successful games notably coinciding with the return of a mobile quarterback to the Lions offense in the form of Adams, who can help keep defenses honest with his own ability to take the ball on designed running plays.
Brady Oliveira, WPG vs. EDM ($8,800): Oliveira could turn out to be one of the best fantasy-point-per-dollar values on the slate in Week 18, considering both his recent body of work and the matchup. The first-year starter is coming off a season-high 101-yard rushing effort versus the Roughriders in Week 17, which led to his sixth double-digit DK-point tally of the season. Oliveira has a trio of efforts between 17.6 and 19.7 DK points this season, offering a glimpse of the upside he offers at his reasonable salary. Meanwhile, the Elks have allowed a CFL-high 115.2 rushing yards per game at a co-CFL-high 5.2 yards per carry, and they've yielded a league-high 27 rushing TDs as well.
Shaq Cooper, SSK at HAM ($2,500): Cooper is in line for a Week 18 start at minimum salary, making him one of the more obvious value plays on the three-game ledger. The CFL veteran has proven highly capable with his past limited opportunities, averaging over 5.0 yards per carry during his first two CFL seasons with the Elks. Cooper hasn't logged a regular-season carry this season, but he certainly doesn't have to do a whole lot to justify his minimum salary. The Ti-Cats have been especially stingy against the run, yet Cooper has proven capable of overcoming tough matchups in the past with his speed and can contribute plenty as a receiver as well.
ALSO CONSIDER: Kevin Brown, EDM at WPG ($7,500); AJ Ouellette, TOR vs. BC ($7,300); Wes Hills, HAM vs. SSK ($5,400)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 18
Tim White, HAM vs. SSK ($10,900): Steven Dunbar is projected to sit out Friday night's game due to non-football reasons, and Papi White (head) and Bralon Addison (Achilles) remain on the injured list. White has already been enjoying a prolific season, and given the multiple absences for a game Hamilton must win in order to retain any realistic postseason hopes, he could be even more involved against a Roughriders squad that's allowing 277.3 passing yards per game, along with the most completions of 30 yards or more (26) and the most passing touchdowns (25). In turn, White has no fewer than six catches in five straight games, scoring 23.4 to 42.7 in four of those contests while eclipsing the century mark in three of them.
Dalton Schoen, WPG vs. EDM ($10,200): Schoen is an odds-on favorite for the Rookie of the Year award thanks to a stellar 57-1,113-11 line across 15 games. The Kansas State product is averaging 16.4 DK points per game, and he now faces an Elks team he eviscerated for 27.6 DK points on the strength of a 4-146-1 line. Edmonton's weaknesses against the pass were already discussed earlier in Collaros' entry, and in addition to the numbers cited there, it's worth noting the Elks have given up 23 passes of 30 yards or more, while Schoen has accumulated 1,024 air yards and has a robust average depth of target of 13.0 yards.
Kyran Moore, SSK at HAM ($7,000): Moore was extremely busy in Week 17 against the Blue Bombers, recording 10 receptions for 76 yards on his way to 19 DK points. The veteran is still being used in much more of a short-area role as he finishes rounding back into shape after last season's ACL tear. Moore's salary and workload makes him a very appealing option Friday night against a Ti-Cats squad that's given up plenty of production through the air as highlighted in Fajardo's entry, and whose 8.3 yards per attempt allowed dovetails nicely with Moore's 7.2-yard aDOT.
Dillon Mitchell, EDM at WPG ($6,800): Mitchell has been quite the find for the Elks' air attack, which was recently missing Kenny Lawler for multiple games due to an ankle injury and will now be without the star receiver the rest of the way due to a shoulder issue. The speedy Mitchell thus makes for an intriguing reasonably salaried play against the Blue Bombers, which have conceded the second-most completions (338), including 23 of them of at least 30 yards. Mitchell is averaging a solid six targets and 86 air yards per game, and he's put up 15.8 to 20.7 DK points in his last four contests after recording a solid 10.7 against the Redblacks to start his CFL career back in Week 12.
ALSO CONSIDER: Dominique Rhymes, BC at TOR ($11,200); Nic Demski, WPG vs. EDM ($9,700)
Team Defense Plays for CFL Week 18
Winnipeg Blue Bombers ($5,300) vs. Edmonton Elks: Despite the upside of Mitchell and some of the other solid offensive pieces for Edmonton such as Taylor Cornelius and Kevin Brown, this is still a good week to pay up for the highest-salaried defense on the slate. The Bombers are averaging 7.8 DK points per game overall, including 11 in their one previous meeting with the Elks back in Week 7. Winnipeg has an impressive +14 turnover ratio, while Edmonton is second last in the league with a -16 figure. Additionally, the Elks have allowed the second-most sacks (48) and checks in last in net offensive yards per game (309.7) while barely edging the Redblacks for last in offensive points per game (19.8).
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 18
Cody Fajardo, QB
Brady Oliveira, RB
Tim White, WR/SB
Total salary expenditure: $29.6 K
This trio is about as dependable as they come this week. Fajardo's matchup and recent production make him very appealing, while the same holds true for Oliveira, who draws the best defense in the league to target with the running game. Then, White has averaged 18.7 DK points per home game and should be even more important to Hamilton's air attack than usual in a critical game, as already explained.
