CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Week 9 on DraftKings
The Week 9 slate kicks off with an intriguing Stampeders-Redblacks clash on Thursday night and closes out with a marquee showdown between the 6-1 Roughriders and 5-2 Alouettes in Montreal.
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 9
Bo Levi Mitchell, HAM at EDM ($11,000): Mitchell is now averaging 23.6 DK points per contest after eclipsing the 30 DK-point mark for the second time this season in Week 8 against the Lions. Mitchell has exceeded 300 yards in three of the last four contests as well, and he's tossed 13 TDs since Week 4. The veteran signal-caller has one of the safest floors at any position, and he draws what might be the best matchup for quarterbacks in Week 9.
The Elks have surrendered 319.7 passing yards per game and a league-high 78.4 percent completion rate, along with a co-league-high 15 touchdown passes. Edmonton has also surrendered a CFL-high 129.1 passer efficiency rating, setting Mitchell up perfectly for another prolific night in a game that turn into a back-and-forth affair with Cody Fajardo under center for Edmonton.
Trevor Harris, SSK at MTL ($10,400): Harris makes for an excellent pivot off Mitchell if you need the savings, as he's had his fair share of spike performances over the first several weeks of the season. Harris has scored 16.4 to 29.8 DK points in every game this season, putting together an impressive 11:4 TD:INT in the process.
The Alouettes have given up 265.1 passing yards per game and the third-most completions (165), along with a 68.2 percent completion rate. Montreal has also allowed 10 completions of 30+ yards, while Harris checks in with a league-high 75.9 percent completion rate and 118.3 passer efficiency rating.
Dru Brown, OTT vs. CGY ($9,100): Brown will be well-rested coming off the Week 8 bye, particularly relevant in his case considering he's already been bitten by the injury bug multiple times this season. Brown exited the Week 7 game against the Tiger-Cats with a neck injury, but he's gotten the green light for this favorable Week 9 clash. Brown has flashed plenty of upside when healthy, already turning in 27.5 and 23.7 DK points in two of the three full games he's suited up for.
The Stampeders make for an intriguing opponent, considering they've allowed 296.3 passing yards per game, a league-high 201 completions and an elevated 69.3 percent completion rate. Brown has been encouragingly aggressive and completed an impressive 73.1 percent of his passes while recording a trio of completions of 30+ yards. Additionally, with the turnover-prone P.J. Walker drawing the start for Vernon Adams Jr. (head) on Thursday, there's certainly a chance Brown is set up favorably once or twice in Stamps territory.
ALSO CONSIDER: Nick Arbuckle, TOR at WPG ($9,900)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 9
Brady Oliveira, WPG vs. TOR ($10,100): Game script didn't exactly work out in ideal fashion for the ground game in the first installment of the home-and-home series between the Blue Bombers and Argonauts, but Oliveira still finished a solid 13.0 DK points, his third consecutive double-digit tally. The veteran back unsurprisingly found consistent running lanes against the Argonauts, who've had trouble slowing down the run all season.
The Argos are allowing the second-most rushing yards per game (117.6) and doing so at the second-highest yards per carry (5.3). The Argos have also surrendered the second-most rushing first downs (52) and second-highest touchdown drive rate (22.1 percent), keeping Oliveira very viable in a rematch that will see the mobile Chris Streveler, who could help keep Toronto's defense even more honest against the run, draw the start for Zach Collaros (neck).
Dedrick Mills, CGY at OTT ($8,800): The electric Mills has essentially proven to be matchup-proof, utilizing his speed to consistently pile up chunk plays on the ground on his way to a league-high 15 runs of 10+ yards. The Nebraska product's most recent success came at the expense of the Alouettes, who Mills tormented to the tune of 78 rushing yards, two touchdowns and 18.8 DK points.
That performance was preceded by tallies of 11.4 to 33.4 DK points in four of Mills' first five games of the campaign. That includes a 16.3 DK-point performance against the Redblacks in Week 3, where Mills finished with 123 total yards. Ottawa is allowing 100.1 rushing yards per game at 5.0 yards per carry, and the Redblacks are also giving up the second-most yards per play (7.1). Mills already has a CFL-high seven rushing TDs as well, furthering his case at a salary he could well outpace.
ALSO CONSIDER: Greg Bell, HAM at EDM ($7,700)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 9
Kenny Lawler, HAM at EDM ($11,100): Lawler is always in play for tournaments irrespective of salary, and in Week 9, he presents as a particularly interesting candidate. The speedy veteran has been quiet by his standards the last two games, posting a combined 5-95-1 receiving line while posting tallies of 15.6 and 4.9 DK points. However, he'd generated 20.7 to 47.7 DK points in four of the first five games of the season, a sample that included 162- and 207-yard efforts.
The various weaknesses of the Elks against the pass were already enumerated in Mitchell's entry, and in addition to the numbers cited there, it's worth noting Edmonton has also surrendered 14 completions of 30+ yards. That dovetails perfectly with Lawler's downfield role, one that's seen him average 19.2 yards per reception, including a co-league-high eight catches of 30+ yards, and a league-high eight touchdown grabs. Lawler also has drawn a league-high 20 targets of 20+ yards in depth and brought in 12 of them, the CFL's highest percentage.
Damonte Coxie, TOR at WPG ($8,600): Coxie comes into Week 9 with a head of steam, having recorded four straight double-digit DK-point efforts, including tallies of 14.6 to 29.5 DK points in the last three contests. Coxie has also found the end zone in each of that trio of contests, and his 6-145-1 receiving line against the Bombers in Week 8 was a season-best effort.
Winnipeg is more generous thus far this season against the pass than previous years, giving up 285.3 passing yards per game, 10 touchdown passes and 13 completions of 30+ yards. Coxie has at least seven targets in all but one game this season, and he's tied with Lawler for most catches of 30+ yards (eight).
Cole Spieker, MTL at CGY ($6,800): Spieker came through nicely as a value option in Week 8, turning in 16.5 DK points via a 6-45-1 receiving line. That was preceded by contributions of 17.7 and 29.9 in Weeks 4 and 7, corroborating the upside the sure-handed Spieker brings at a salary that's only bumped up $200 over last week.
The Roughriders have been a team to target with opposing air attacks this season, allowing a league-high 331.6 passing yards per game, the CFL's second-highest completion rate (72.4) and the second-most passing TDs (14). Saskatchewan has also allowed 12 completions of 30+ yards, brightening Spieker's outlook for a game that could very well turn into a high-scoring affair.
Jerreth Sterns, WPG vs. TOR ($4,700): Sterns is this week's highlighted tournament value play, as the Western Kentucky product has started to increase his profile in Winnipeg's air attack over the last few weeks. Sterns has eclipsed 17 DK points in two of the last three contests, and he's posted multi-reception tallies in all but Week 1 this season.
Even though Streveler is getting the starting call as noted earlier, Sterns has already shown some chemistry with the veteran backup as recently as last week's first game against the Argos. Toronto is also surrendering a 68.4 percent completion rate and has conceded the second-most completions of 30+ yards (16), along with the third-most yards after catch (806).
ALSO CONSIDER: Dominique Rhymes, CGY at OTT ($6,700)
Team Defense Plays for Week 9
Ottawa Redblacks ($3,500) vs. Calgary Stampeders: This is the riskiest suggestion of the week if going strictly by the numbers, but there's an interesting case to be made for taking the leap of faith and saving a ton of salary in the process. As mentioned earlier, Walker, who's thrown a whopping 16 interceptions in just 21 regular-season NFL games and has added eight fumbles (three lost) during that span, is drawing the Week 9 start for Calgary.
Ottawa is also coming in off a bye week and is at home, and the Redblacks, despite averaging just 4.7 DK points per contest, have compiled a solid nine sacks, five interceptions, four fumble recoveries and one defensive TD. Additionally, they recorded a season-high 11.0 DK points against Calgary in Week 3, a game in which they picked Adams off once and sacked him twice.
The Redblacks have also surrendered the second-lowest TD drive rate (15.5 percent), adding to the unit's appeal in what could be a sneaky-good spot despite the fact Ottawa is also conceding 370.1 yards of net offense and the third-most points per game (29.0).
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 9
Dru Brown, QB
Dedrick Mills, RB
Damonte Coxie, WR
Total salary expenditure: $26.5K
This trio checks requires an investment of just over half your salary cap, but the upside these players bring could make it well worth it. Brown carries a salary that's arguably low for the ceiling he offers, and he has a good matchup on paper. Mills has been able to consistently offer strong value relative to salary thanks to his speed, while Coxie carries upside north of 20 DK points and already proved capable of exploiting the Blue Bombers secondary in Week 8.
