CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Week 8 on DraftKings
We're back to a Thursday night kickoff for this week's CFL slate, one that begins with a highly intriguing showdown between the Elks and Roughriders and concludes Sunday night with an equally interesting Tiger-Cats-Alouettes clash.
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 8
Chad Kelly, TOR at BC ($10,100): Kelly remains on a potential record-setting pace through the first month-plus of the season, as he's eclipsed 300 passing yards in five of the first six contests. That's left the talented signal-caller with an averages of 354.3 passing yards and 28.8 DK points per contest. Kelly hasn't scored fewer than 21.8 DK points in any game yet, and his Week 8 matchup certainly has the potential to coax one of his higher-percentile performances out of him.
The Lions are allowing 321.6 passing yards per game, along with a league-high 74.0 percent completion rate. Then, BC has surrendered the second-most touchdown passes (15), along with a CFL-high 125.6 passer efficiency rating. Kelly is also in a good spot to hit some of his patented downfield strikes -- BC has conceded 11 completions of 30+ yards, while Kelly has 15 completions of that distance.
Davis Alexander, MTL vs. HAM ($10,000): As good as Kelly has been, Alexander has been just a bit better. The ascending signal-caller is averaging a whopping 363.5 passing yards per game while completing 71.3 percent of his passes and posting an elite 11:0 TD:INT. Alexander is averaging 25.5 DK points per contest, and he's flashed an outstanding floor by throwing for at least 301 yards in every game.
Alexander now has a league-high 17 completions of 30+ yards, as well as a league-high 2,181 passing yards. The opposing Tiger-Cats have allowed 299.2 passing yards per game, along with the league's third-highest completion percentage (72.6), vulnerabilities that Alexander is well-equipped to exploit while leaning on his deep, Tyson Philpot-led pass-catching corps.
Dru Brown, WPG vs. CGY ($9,600): Zach Collaros has been placed on the six-game injured list with his neck issue, so Brown will remain the starter for Week 8 and beyond. The fifth-year pro has proven to be quite the prudent trade addition, as he's thrown for 339 and 317 yards in his first two games with the Bombers while posting a 3:1 TD:INT.
Brown has the experience and the quick rapport with Winnipeg's deep pass-catching corps to keep his early momentum going, and his Week 8 matchup certainly won't hurt his chances. The Stampeders have given up a CFL-high 361.3 passing yards per game -- as well as the second-most completions (152), second-highest passer efficiency rating (119.5) and the most touchdown passes (16) -- teeing up Brown for a potentially fruitful fantasy day.
ALSO CONSIDER: Vernon Adams Jr., CGY at WPG ($10,700)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 8
Dedrick Mills, CGY at WPG ($9,700): Mills is off to another strong start this season, as even when factoring in a couple of unremarkable performances, he's still eclipsed 20 DK points on three occasions already and has a trio of 100-yard efforts as well. Mills is also playing his typically steady role in the passing game, as he's accrued a 14-128-2 receiving line on 20 targets.
The Blue Bombers have tightened up some against the run since a terrible start to the season in that regard, but Winnipeg is still allowing the second-most rushing yards per game (110.7), along with 5.1 yards per carry and a CFL-high 56 rushing first downs. Mills has churned out his CFL-high 524 rushing yards at a clip of 6.2 yards per carry, and he already has 16 runs of 10+ yards, including three of 20+.
Travis Theis, MTL vs. HAM ($8,700): Theis continues to hold down the No. 1 running back role in the ongoing absence of Stevie Scott due to a hamstring injury, and the former is making a very good case to keep a hold on the job even when his teammate is ready to return. Theis has been particularly effective in the last two games, posting a combined 217 rushing yards (6.8 yards per carry) and two touchdowns while also recording a 7-55-0 receiving line.
Theis has another game with over 90 rushing yards this season as well, and he's posted between 18.0 and 31.2 DK points in three of his last four games. A total of 11 of Theis' 66 carries have gone for 10+ yards, and while the Tiger-Cats have been fairly solid against the run by allowing 4.9 yards per carry, the second-year back's big-play upside and dual role make him a very good value for his salary.
ALSO CONSIDER: A.J. Ouellette, SSK vs. EDM ($7,000)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 8
Tyler Snead, MTL vs. HAM ($9,900): Snead is another member of the Alouettes that's been providing some spike performances, and the sure-handed receiver checks into Week 8 having already produced a 38-583-4 receiving line. He's also flashed his versatility by rushing once for 22 yards and throwing a seven-yard touchdown pass, rounding out what has already been an excellent all-around season.
Snead is averaging a robust 22.0 DK points per contest, particularly eye-catching when considering his sub-$10K salary. The Tiger-Cats' vulnerabilities against the pass were already discussed in Alexander's entry, and considering Snead leads the CFL in total targeted air yards (857), he could go a long way toward paying off his salary with a couple of his signature big plays.
Tim White, WPG vs. CGY ($8,700): White is already proving to be as reliable and productive in Winnipeg as he was during his Tiger-Cats years, quickly racking up 29 receptions, 378 yards and three touchdowns over his first five games. The veteran receiver has scored at least 15.0 DK points on four occasions, and he's notably fashioned a 10-157-1 line during his first two games with Brown as his quarterback.
The Stampeders' considerable weaknesses against the pass were discussed earlier in Brown's entry, and in addition to the numbers cited there, it's also worth noting Calgary has yielded a league-high 16 completions of 30+ yards. Meanwhile, White has a 72.5 percent catch rate and has brought in three of his six targets of 20 yards or more in depth, so he's in good position to take advantage.
Jalen Philpot, CGY at WPG ($7,400): Philpot's twin brother Tyson has been stealing most of the headlines between the two this season due to his elite body of work in Montreal, but Jalen has quietly put together a strong 2026 resume in his own right. Jalen has a 27-407-4 line and has averaged 15.3 DK points per contest on the season, recording at least 83 receiving yards on three occasions in the process.
The Blue Bombers have allowed 282.8 passing yards per game, while also tying for the fifth-most touchdown passes allowed (11). Philpot already has four receptions of 30+ yards, and he's brought in four of the seven targets of 20+ yards that have been sent his way. With Calgary's high-powered Vernon Adams-led passing game always in gear, Philpot could deliver a strong return on investment.
Tyler Kahmann, TOR at BC ($6,500): Kahmann already looks like a future All-Star as a rookie, teaming up with Kelly to put together a 24-357-5 line on 34 targets over his first six career games. The Emporia State product has already eclipsed 25 DK points on two occasions, and he also is coming off having produced a 19.6 DK-point tally against the Tiger-Cats in Week 7.
Kahmann also has a pair of 100-yard efforts, and given how vulnerable the Lions' defense has been against the pass as noted in Kelly's entry, he could be well turn out to be one of the best fantasy-point-per-dollar plays on the slate at any position.
ALSO CONSIDER: Kian Schaffer-Baker, SSK vs. EDM ($8,200)
Team Defense Plays for CFL Week 8
Saskatchewan Roughriders ($4,300) vs. Edmonton Elks:
The Roughriders are coming off a bye week, which automatically gives them an advantage to a certain degree. Additionally, Saskatchewan has been one of the best teams in the league at bringing pressure, tying for second with 11.0 sacks despite having played only five games. The Riders have also conceded a league-low 253.0 passing yards per game and three completions of 30+ yards, and they've allowed a league-low 354.2 yards of net offense per game and 11 total offensive touchdowns. Then, Saskatchewan has yielded a CFL-low 102 first downs and the second-fewest yards per play (6.5), making their case a pretty formidable one overall. The Elks do have plenty of offensive firepower – with Justin Rankin a prime example – but the Riders' ability to disrupt quarterbacks could certainly lead to some choppy offense for Edmonton, not to mention some turnovers.
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 8
- Chad Kelly, QB
- Dedrick Mills, RB
- Tim White, WR
Total salary expenditure: $28.5k
As customary, we're searching for a good combination of floor and ceiling with our core trio, and on paper, we have just that with Kelly, Mills and White. Kelly has been one of the league's most consistently prolific passer and has a premium matchup against a Lions team that funnels plenty of action to the air due to their elite run defense. Mills has plenty of explosiveness and bounced back last week after some lackuster games, while White has shown plenty of chemistry with Brown and already has a very reliable role in his new Blue Bombers digs.
