The CFL 2026 season essentially has one month in the books already, and there's been no shortage of excitement from a DFS perspective.
We have another four-game main slate on tap in Week 5, with the Alouettes getting their first bye week of the campaign. We've certainly had some surprise team-level results on both ends of the spectrum, but we've also seen plenty of rewarding fantasy performances from many of the usual suspects.
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 5
Nathan Rourke, BC vs. EDM ($10,400): The Lions are alarmingly 0-3 to open the season, but one wouldn't know it by Rourke's numbers. The reigning Most Outstanding Player is putting up numbers commensurate with that distinction once again, completing 70.2 percent of his passes while averaging 361.0 yards per contest and posting a 4:2 TD:INT. Rourke also has 71 rushing yards and another score, and he's averaging an elite 26.5 DK points per contest.
With the Lions getting increasingly desperate for a win, it's very likely Rourke, who's already averaging 38 pass attempts per game, remains very aggressive through the air. If that's the case, he'll be doing so against an Elks defense that's allowed 283.0 passing yards per game and the fourth-most completions (75) per contest. Edmonton also has yet to record an interception through three games while allowing four TD passes, and Rourke certainly has the weapons and the dual-threat ability to capitalize.
Bo Levi Mitchell, HAM vs. WPG ($10,200): Mitchell has also been on an MOP-level track in his first three games, and his accuracy has been at a career-best level. The veteran signal-caller has completed an absurd 84.0 percent of his passes for 879 yards while posting an 8:1 TD:INT over his first three games, displaying plenty of aggressiveness downfield while averaging a career-high 10.9 yards per attempt. Mitchell has at least 285 passing yards in each game, and he's averaging 33.2 DK points in his last two games.
The Blue Bombers have been most vulnerable on the ground, but Winnipeg's defense has been beatable all the way around. Partly due to being so attackable by the run, the Bombers have given up a league-low 264.3 passing yards per game, but they've done so at a 70.9 percent completion rate. Winnipeg has also conceded a 5:0 TD:INT, six completions of 30+ yards and the second-highest passer efficiency rating (119.0), all numbers that further the red-hot Mitchell's case.
Trevor Harris, SSK at OTT ($9,900): Harris kept rolling as a Week 4 suggestion, racking up 409 passing yards and tossing a pair of touchdowns against the Argonauts on his way to 26.4 DK points. Harris had also posted 31.7 and 28.0 DK points in his first pair of contests, and he's averaging an outstanding 391.7 passing yards per contest overall while benefitting from his elite collection of targets.
The Riders do have some injuries at receiver this week, but the outlook is much brighter now that the practice week has ended. Kian Schaffer-Baker has been cleared to play through his oblique injury, and after Samuel Emilus was able to practice in full Wednesday despite his ankle injury, he appears trending toward playing through a questionable tag. The Redblacks check in allowing a robust 345.0 passing yards per game and a 72.9 percent completion rate as well, numbers that dovetail very nicely for fantasy purposes with Harris' body of work so far.
ALSO CONSIDER: Chad Kelly, TOR at CGY ($10,300)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 5
Justin Rankin, EDM at BC ($9,900): Rankin has been a mainstay in our article so far this season with ample reason. The explosive back is averaging 180.3 total scrimmage yards per game and already has four rushing touchdowns through three contests. Rankin has at least 102 rushing yards and multiple receptions in each contest as well, averaging 33.0 DK points in the process.
Rankin's volume has been encouraging so far, as he has at least 18 touches in all three games. The opposing Lions have been very effective against the run so far with only 71.6 rushing yards per game surrendered at a CFL-low 3.6 yards per carry. However, Rankin had a tough matchup against the Alouettes as well two games ago and responded with a season-best 179 rushing yards and 43 DK points, and his game-breaking speed keeps him in play every week.
Larry Rountree, HAM vs. WPG ($7,000): Rountree arrived in the CFL this year looking to restart a career that stalled at the NFL level and never really got going in the UFL that last two years, either. Through three games, the decision looks prudent, as the well-traveled back's 209 rushing yards already outpace his combined spring-league totals over the prior pair of seasons.
The 2021 sixth-round pick of the NFL's Chargers has encouragingly logged 41 carries over his last two games while taking clear control of Hamilton's backfield, and he's averaging a solid 11.3 DK points per contest. He's now in position to potentially author his best performance yet, as the opposing Blue Bombers have conceded a league-high 154.3 rushing yards per game at 5.6 yards per carry, while also giving up a co-league-high six rushing TDs.
ALSO CONSIDER: Dedrick Mills, CGY vs. TOR ($8,600)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 5
KeeSean Johnson, SSK at OTT ($9,500): Johnson was already having a solid season coming into Week 4, and he then authored his second 100-yard effort of the season in a narrow loss to the Argonauts. Johnson supplied a season-high 30.2 DK points on the strength of a 10-112-1 line, a performance preceded by a 131-yard tally in his Week 2 season debut in which he netted 25.1 DK points.
Johnson even managed a solid 15.8 DK points in his non-100-yard effort in Week 3, and he now gets a crack at the vulnerable Redblacks defense Friday night. Ottawa's vulnerabilities against the pass were enumerated in Harris' entry earlier, and in addition to the numbers cited there, it's worth noting the Redblacks have tied for the second-most touchdown passes allowed (seven) and have surrendered a CFL-high 10 completions of 30+ yards. Johnson is a trusted target at all levels of the field, making him a smart investment if you're paying up at receiver.
Keon Hatcher, BC vs. EDM ($8,800): Hatcher exploded for a nine-catch, 162-yard performance that netted 29 DK points in a Week 4 loss to the Stampeders, a highly encouraging showing coming out of a Week 3 absence. Hatcher got his season started with a solid 4-64-0 line in Week 2 against the Roughriders as well, and his big-play upside makes him particularly appealing at his current salary.
Some of the Elks' numbers against the pass were already discussed earlier in Rourke's entry, and Hatcher has an impressive 72.2 percent catch rate through two games. Hatcher already has two receptions of 30+ yards as well, and he's a proven downfield threat for Rourke that is likely to enjoy another high-volume opportunity after his breakout effort.
Kiondre Smith, HAM vs. WPG ($8,500): Kenny Lawler rightfully garners the most headlines in the Tiger-Cats' talented pass-catching corps, but Smith has continued his career ascension early this season and has been a key component of Bo Levi Mitchell's success. Smith is averaging an impressive 18.3 DK points per contest thanks to his 13-239-3 line on 14 targets, displaying elite efficiency with his opportunities.
Given the Tiger-Cats ground game could see a solid amount of usage in Sunday's game, investing in an undeniably high-upside but pricey option like Lawler may not be the bet route to take. In contrast, Smith requires considerably less investment but still carries a nice ceiling, and he already has three receptions of 30+ yards and a perfect catch rate on the three targets of 20+ yards in depth that he's seen.
Tyler Kahmann, TOR at CGY ($6,100): Kahmann put together a prolific college career at Division II Emporia State, wrapping up his tenure with the Hornets with a pair of 100-catch seasons in which he scored 20 touchdowns apiece. The CFL rookie has impressively carried over that same momentum into the pro ranks, already generating a 15-237-4 line on 21 targets over his first three games while exceeding 25 DK points in two of those contests.
In Week 5, Kahmann faces a Stampeders defense that's been burned for 355.0 passing per game at a 68.2 percent completion rate. Calgary has also allowed seven touchdown passes and seven completions of 30+ yards through three games. Kahmann has a strong 71.4 percent catch rate and has brought in three of the six targets of 20+ yards in depth that he's seen thus far, making him a threat to strike from anywhere on the field.
ALSO CONSIDER: Tim White, WPG at HAM ($8,200)
Team Defense Plays for CFL Week 5
Saskatchewan Roughriders ($4,500) at Ottawa Redblacks:
Selecting a team defense this week is a tough proposition, as there are plenty of high-powered offenses in action. The Redblacks showed plenty of improvement in Week 4 as Jake Maier continued to display increasing comfort in his new offense. Nevertheless, Ottawa has a challenge this week in the form of an aggressive Roughriders defense that's given up just three TD passes and recorded seven sacks through three games.
The Riders have allowed some yardage but have done a good job keeping plays in front of them, tying with the Tiger-Cats for the fewest big plays allowed (five) and with the Elks for fewest completions of 30+ yards surrendered (two). The Riders also rank No. 1 in opponent average time of possession (28:16) and have surrendered the second-lowest opponent second-down conversion rate (47.6 percent). Meanwhile, the Redblacks have seen Maier toss three interceptions and take six sacks, and Ottawa is still ranked last in net offense (317.7 total yards per game), first downs (58) and yards per play (5.8).
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 5
Trevor Harris, QB
Larry Rountree, RB
Keon Hatcher, WR
Total salary expenditure: $25.7k
Unlike some of the recent trios we've highlighted, this Week 5 group will run you a bit less in salary yet still offers the potential for some significant upside. Harris is on an absolute tear to open the season and could once again be relied on even more than usual with star running back A.J. Ouellette listed as questionable due to an ankle issue, while Rountree has an excellent on-paper matchup and appears to have firm control of his team's backfield. Hatcher is coming off his first breakout game of the season and is in a prolific air attack, and the Lions defense's spotty play could continue to force BC to remain highly aggressive through the air.
