This article is part of our DraftKings CFL DFS Picks series.
CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Week 4 on DraftKings
We're set for another four-game CFL slate in Week 4, and we'll focus on a combination of young players and veterans that are lined up with some very favorable matchups on paper.
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 4
Nick Arbuckle, TOR at OTT ($10,000): Arbuckle looks headed for another start in Week 4, as Chad Kelly (leg) failed to practice Thursday. While his most recent salary bump has pushed him into five figures, Arbuckle is firmly in play for this favorable matchup Sunday night, especially after he scored 19.7 and 22.7 DK points in his first two games of the season while tossing a trio of touchdowns.
The Redblacks could facilitate another productive night for Arbuckle, who's thrown for at least 259 yards in all three games to date. Ottawa comes in allowing 279.7 passing yards per game, and the Redblacks are also tied for second with six completions of 30+ yards already conceded. Arbuckle is averaging 7.9 yards per attempt and has at least one completion of over 40 yards in each of his first three contests, making this a particularly good fit for him.
Zach Collaros, WPG vs. EDM ($9,400): Collaros served a season-opening one-game suspension in Week 2, and he looked solid in Week 3 despite that game representing his first action since the Grey Cup in November. The veteran signal-caller did throw a pair of picks, but he offset them with two touchdowns on his way to 13.2 DK points against the Lions.
Collaros now takes aim at the Elks' defense, which has allowed the second-most passing yards per game (327.5) and a league-high 77.9 percent completion rate. The Elks have also conceded a league-high 136.6 passer efficiency rating and surrendered a league-high six passing touchdowns. It all paints an appealing picture for Collaros' prospects, making him a very viable play if you're not paying all the way up at QB.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson, MTL at HAM ($9,300): Bethel-Thompson is set for a Week 3 start in place of Davis Alexander (hamstring), and the veteran is a starting-caliber player that has no shortage of experience and a proven body of work. Bethel-Thompson proved he had plenty left in the tank last season while toiling for the Elks, throwing for 3,748 yards and posting a 24:11 TD:INT and even adding 83 rushing yards at 7.6 yards per carry.
The opposing Tiger-Cats have allowed 289.5 passing yards per game and a robust 69.2% completion rate. Hamilton has been effective at limiting long completions (just one 30+ yard completion to date) and has also surrendered only one touchdown pass, but Bethel-Thompson's experience and deep pass-catching corps make Montreal a particularly dangerous opponent.
ALSO CONSIDER: Jeremiah Masoli, BC at SSK ($9,200)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 4
A.J. Ouellette, SSK vs. BC ($7,700): Ouellette appeared to be on his way to a big Week 1 against the Redblacks when a concussion forced him from the game after only three carries, but he's subsequently exceeded 90 rushing yards in consecutive games on his way to tallies of 15.6 and 17.6 DK points. The versatile back reportedly lost over 20 pounds this offseason in an effort to get faster, and it seems to be working wonders thus far considering he's averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
The Lions have been very inviting to opposing ground attacks, surrendering 124.7 rushing yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry. Ouellette already has four runs of 10+ yards, including two of 20+, and he's also a capable receiver when given the opportunity, affording him plenty of upside in a game that carries a projected total of over 50 points.
Miyan Williams, TOR at OTT ($7,000): Williams has gotten his CFL career off to a promising start, recording 102 rushing yards on 19 carries and bringing in all 14 of his targets for 87 yards. The Ohio State product has scored 21.7 and 9.7 DK points in his last two games, and he appears to carry a very safe floor due to his viability as a receiver.
Ottawa has surrendered 116.0 rushing yards per game at 5.4 yards per carry, so the Redblacks can definitely be exploited on the ground in addition to their vulnerability against the pass. Williams' touch count also seems to be safe, especially with Deonta McMahon (ankle) looking likely to log a third straight absence.
ALSO CONSIDER: Travis Theis, MTL at HAM ($5,300); Quinton Cooley, WPG vs. EDM ($5,000)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 4
Justin McInnis, BC at SSK ($9,700): It remains to be seen whether McInnis will be catching passes from Nathan Rourke (oblique) or Jeremiah Masoli on Saturday night, but the good news is the talented receiver has already shown strong chemistry with both. McInnis produced a 5-45-1 line in Week 1 with Rourke at the controls, and he also posted nine receptions for 94 yards while logging 13 targets from Masoli in his Week 3 spot start.
The Roughriders have been the CFL's most vulnerable pass defense by the numbers, giving up a league-high 336.0 passing yards per game and a CFL-high 86 completions. Saskatchewan has also given up the second-highest completion percentage (75.4), the second-most touchdown passes (five) and five 30+ yard completions, all factors that bode well for McInnis' outlook.
Tyson Philpot, MTL at HAM ($8,900): Philpot will be operating with Bethel-Thompson as his quarterback in Week 4, but the prolific veteran certainly has the ability to post a caliber of performance on par with that which Alouettes starter Davis Alexander could provide. Philpot has recorded at least four receptions and eight targets in each of his first three games, and he's coming off a season-best tally of 24.0 DK points in Week 3 against the Elks that came courtesy of an 8-96-1 receiving line.
Philpot has recorded at least four receptions and eight targets in each of his first three games, and he's coming off a season-best tally of 24.0 DK points in Week 3 against the Elks that came courtesy of an 8-96-1 receiving line. The Elks' vulnerabilities against the pass were already largely covered in Bethel-Thompson's entry, and Philpot's high-volume role and typically high-percentage targets make him a very viable consideration.
Keric Wheatfall, WPG vs. EDM ($7,800): Wheatfall came through nicely as a Week 3 mid-salary suggestion, delivering a 6-86 receiving line that netted 14.6 DK points. That followed a stellar 26.7 DK-point tally in Week 2, underscoring the second-year CFL pro's upside and appeal despite a well-deserved $700 salary bump.
Wheatfall now draws a favorable matchup against the same Elks defense whose weaknesses against the pass were already detailed in Collaros' entry. And, in addition to those vulnerabilities that were enumerated there, it's also worth noting Edmonton has given up five completions of 30+ yards, which bodes well for a player with some downfield chops like Wheatfall, who enters Week 4 with a league-high four catches of 30+ yards.
Kevin Mital, TOR at OTT ($4,200): Mital could turn out to be one of the best fantasy-point-per-dollar values of the slate, considering his body of work over the last two games and his still extremely reasonable salary. The Laval product started his season off in quiet fashion with just two receptions for six yards, but he's subsequently posted a 13-128-1 line on 14 targets over the subsequent pair of games.
Mital has generated 26.7 and 14.6 DK points in those two contests, and he's teed up for a potential extension of that pattern in Week 4 due to his matchup. The Redblacks' weaknesses against the pass were already enumerated in Arbuckle's entry, and Mital's league-high 93.8% catch rate certainly boosts his overall outlook.
ALSO CONSIDER: Keon Hatcher, BC at SSK ($8,100); Tyler Snead, MTL at HAM ($6,200)
Team Defense Plays for CFL Week 4
Winnipeg Blue Bombers ($4,700) vs. Edmonton Elks: The Blue Bombers' defense has been playing with a vengeance, posting 9.0 and 16.0 DK points in their season-opening home-and-home series against the Lions. Winnipeg already has four interceptions, three fumble recoveries, two sacks and one defensive touchdown in two games, an extremely well-balanced profile that underscores how disruptive the Bombers' defense seems to be.
The opposing Elks make for good targets, considering Edmonton has already allowed seven sacks while mustering just two passing touchdowns and averaging a modest 6.0 yards per play. The Elks have also recorded the second-fewest first downs (41) and quarterback Tre Ford has tossed a pair of picks as well, and his relative inexperience could certainly play into the hands of an aggressive and experienced Winnipeg defense.
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 4
Zach Collaros, QB
A.J. Ouellette, RB
Keric Wheatfall, WR
Total salary expenditure: $24.9K
This trio will require just under half your salary cap, but it supplies you with three players that carry safe floors and that includes a QB-WR stack. Collaros should have worked off a lot of rust in his Week 3 debut, and he and Wheatfall already flashed some nice chemistry in that game. Both players now have an appealing matchup against the Elks, while Ouellette is facing a beatable Lions defense and is already proving capable of overwhelming defenses with his size/speed combination.
