CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Week 8 on DraftKings
We have another four-game slate in Week 8 that kicks off with Thursday night's Alouettes-Stampeders clash, and that will also feature a couple of particularly intriguing battles between veteran quarterbacks in the Elks-Roughriders and Tiger-Cats-Lions battles.
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
Nathan Rourke, BC vs. HAM ($11,000): Rourke is carrying an injury designation during the practice week due to his core-muscle problem, but he's played through it without an issue in the last couple of games. The mobile veteran has been in impressive form, most recently scoring 30.8 DK points against the Roughriders in a close Week 7 loss. Rourke has now eclipsed 30 DK points in two of the last three games, pushing his season average to a stellar 24.0 DK points.
The Tiger-Cats do have some solid numbers against the pass, but they're still surrendering 269.8 passing yards per game at a completion rate of 66.4 percent. Hamilton has also allowed the second-most first downs via pass (83), and in Rourke, they're up against a very mobile quarterback who's not afraid to be aggressive, as evidenced by his 11 completions of 30+ yards. Given his significant ceiling, Rourke is worthy of consideration every week without exception.
Zach Collaros, WPG at TOR ($10,000): Collaros has already been cleared from the neck injury that forced his early exit from the Week 7 loss to the Stampeders. The veteran signal-caller had thrown a couple of interceptions – his injury occurred on the second of those picks – but he'd also completed eight of 11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. Collaros had scored 25.7 DK points just two games prior, and this matchup against the Argonauts gives him a fighting chance at generating one of his higher-percentile performances.
Toronto checks in allowing 268.3 passing yards per game, which is the league's second-lowest figure, but the Argos are also surrendering the third-highest completion percentage (70.4) while also giving up the second-highest passer efficiency rating (110.4) and the second-most completions of 30+ yards (15). With so many paths to fantasy production, Collaros and his deep group of pass catches are in an enticing spot for fantasy purposes.
Trevor Harris, SSK vs. EDM ($9,800): Harris might be in the midst of authoring a career-best season at age 39, as he's been locked in since the start of the campaign. Harris is completing an elite 76.0 percent of his passes while averaging 10.6 yards per attempt. The veteran signal-caller has thrown for a whopping 820 yards in his last two games alone, a stretch where he has a 4:1 TD:INT and DK-point totals of 23.0 and 29.8.
You can tee Harris up for another very likely prolific performance in Week 8, considering how porous the Elks have been all season against the pass. Edmonton is allowing a league-high 330.0 passing yards per game at a league-high 78.9 percent completion rate, a pair of especially illustrative metrics that underscore what a goldmine they've been to target with quarterbacks thus far. Given those numbers, it also shouldn't come as a surprise that Edmonton has also given up the highest passer efficiency rating (131.0), yet another reason to fire up Harris a salary that somehow remains below five figures.
ALSO CONSIDER: Vernon Adams Jr., CGY vs. MTL ($9,700)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 8
Brady Oliveira, WPG at TOR ($10,000): Oliveira is going to cost a healthy chunk of your salary cap, but the versatile back could well make it worth your while. Oliveira has picked up the pace of late, posting 17.2 and 15.8 DK points in the last pair of contests while supplementing his 129 rushing yards over that span with an 11-91 receiving line. Oliveira's workload is essentially locked in, and the matchup Saturday night gives him a very good chance of keeping his momentum going.
The Argos have had trouble slowing the run, with Toronto allowing the third-most rushing yards per game (118.0) and doing so at the third-highest yards per carry (5.3). The Argos have also surrendered the second-most rushing first downs (46) and second-highest touchdown drive rate (24.3 percent), furthering the case of a back like Oliveira who often enjoys a robust role near the goal line.
A.J. Ouellette, SSK vs. EDM ($9,500): Ouellette was productive with 18 touches in Week 7 against the Lions, netting 17.4 DK points on the strength of 84 total yards. That extended Ouellette's streak of double-digit DK-point efforts in non-injury shortened games to five, and it also marked his second straight contest with multiple receptions. Ouellette is now averaging a co-career-best 5.6 yards per carry, and he's in a good spot to encounter very modest resistance against a beleaguered Elks defense.
While Edmonton is most notorious for its weakness against the pass, the Elks are also giving up the second-most rushing yards (118.6) and second-highest average yards per carry (5.4). With Ouellette capable of piling up production through both the ground and air, he's set up to exploit all of the different vulnerabilities of this unit.
ALSO CONSIDER: Johnny Augustine, HAM at B.C. ($5,300) *if Greg Bell remains out*; Travis Theis, MTL at CGY ($4,700)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 8
Nic Demski, WPG at TOR ($9,400): It can sometimes be difficult to see Demski's true breakout games coming, but given his steady role in the Blue Bombers' passing attack, his rapport with Collaros and his consistent red-zone presence, his upside is above question. All of those factors came together nicely in Week 7 despite Collaros' early exit, as Demski finished with a 7-146-1 receiving line and even 27 rushing yards on his way to a season-high 33.3 DK points.
Some of the weaknesses of the Argonauts against the pass were already enumerated in Collaros' entry. However, in addition to the numbers cited there, it's also worth noting Toronto has given up the fourth-most yards after catch (665), which is a particularly relevant metric considering Demski's skill in that area. Demski has drawn between seven and 10 targets in three straight contests as well, furthering his case.
Dohnte Meyers, SSK vs. EDM ($8,500): Meyers had been offering plenty of encouraging glimpses over the first five games of the season, and it all seemed to come together for him in Week 7. The talented second-year pass catcher recorded a season-high 35.5 DK points via a 7-132-2 receiving line, his second performance of over 30 DK points already this season. The Delta State product has already set new career highs (28), receiving yards (394) and touchdown catches (four), and this Week 8 matchup offers him an excellent opportunity to keep building on those numbers.
As already covered in Harris' entry, the Elks have been highly generous against the pass and have therefore facilitated plenty of productive performances for pass catchers in the process. In addition to the numbers cited in Harris' entry, it's also pertinent to point out Edmonton has given up a league-high 13 touchdown passes and 11 completions of 30+ yards, as well as a league-high 26.2 percent TD drive rate. With plenty working in his favor on paper and clear rapport with Harris, Meyers is certainly in play after not having logged fewer than five targets in any game.
Kevin Mital, TOR vs. WPG ($7,200): Another second-year wideout that's experienced a quick ascension in his team's passing attack is Mital, who already has fashioned a 37-375-2 receiving line across his first six games. The Laval product boasts an 18-181-1 tally in his last two contests alone, and he's scored 17.8 to 27.4 DK points in three of the last four games.
Nick Arbuckle appears primed to remain the Argos starter in Week 8 with Chad Kelly (leg) still on the mend, and the former has proven very capable thus far while leading Toronto's offense. Arbuckle's continued presence is also naturally a plus for Mital, who's developed plenty of chemistry with him and should therefore be able to continue making some inroads against a Bombers defense that's given up 271.0 passing yards per game and 10 completions of 30+ yards.
Cole Spieker, MTL at CGY ($6,600): Spieker posted a season-best performance in Week 7, hauling in nine of 13 targets for 129 yards and a touchdown against the Argos to net 29.9 DK points. Spieker also had a tally of 17.7 DK points three games ago, and with fellow pass catcher Tyson Philpot already ruled out for Montreal due to a hamstring injury, Spieker should have an even larger role than usual. He retains plenty of appeal despite the fact he'll work with No. 2 quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson since Davis Alexander (hamstring) is now on the injured list.
Bethel-Thompson does have some shortcomings that we'll elaborate on further in the entry for the Stamps' defense below, but the veteran can certainly get the ball downfield and has plenty of experience. Spieker already has two double-digit target games this season, and he posted 6-57-1 receiving line while working with MBT in Week 4 and a solid 3-54 tally as a follow-up performance in Week 5. Calgary is a quality, opportunistic defense overall (more on that below), but given the Stamps have yielded 292.0 passing yards per game and a league-high 170 completions, Spieker should certainly have his opportunities to deliver on a very reasonable salary.
ALSO CONSIDER: Damien Alford, CGY vs. MTL ($6,200)
Team Defense Plays for Week 8
Calgary Stampeders ($3,600) vs. Montreal Alouettes: As just alluded to, Bethel-Thompson will be under center for Montreal in Week 8, and despite the veteran's vast experience, he's also a quarterback that traditionally has struggled with ball security. Bethel-Thompson has 62 career interceptions across 96 CFL games (62 starts), and he's also taken 130 sacks over the same span. The Alouettes do have some solid offensive stats this season, but many of those have been generated with the injured Alexander.
Meanwhile, Calgary has allowed the second-fewest yards per play (6.2), touchdown passes (seven) and completions of 30+ yards (five) while also conceding the second-lowest passer efficiency rating (84.3). The Stampeders are also averaging an excellent 11.2 DK points per game – an especially eye-catching number given they carry the second-lowest salary of the slate – on the strength of eight interceptions, nine sacks, two fumble recoveries and CFL-high four defensive touchdowns.
The Stamps' defense has scored 11.0 to 19.0 DK points in the last three games, and given they're also surrendering a league-low 8.6% touchdown drive rate, there's a formidable case for clicking on them and likely locking in excellent point-per-dollar fantasy value.
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 8
Trevor Harris, QB
Johnny Augustine, RB
Dohnte Meyers, WR
Total salary expenditure: $23.6K
We're back to a very cost-effective trio suggestion in Week 8, with Harris, Augustine and Meyers requiring you to spend well less than half your salary cap. The case for the QB-WR battery in this matchup against the Elks has already been highlighted through multiple metrics, and both Harris and Meyers are carrying salaries that they are very capable of outpacing. And if Augustine does indeed draw another start for Bell, he's also set up to offer an abundant return on investment since he's facing a generous run defense and has a steady dual role.
