This article is part of our DraftKings CFL DFS Picks series.
The CFL is ready to roll for Week 3 action, with a Thursday night clash between the Elks and Lions kicking things off. The talented Tiger-Cats draw the bye this week, but there's still an attractive pool of fantasy options and the possible season debut of Blue Bombers star running back Andrew Harris (calf) on tap. There are some intriguing storylines as well, including whether the Roughriders can continue the hot start that has quarterback Cody Fajardo looking like an early Most Outstanding Player candidate.
DraftKings CFL Plays- Week 3
Quarterback
Cody Fajardo, SSK vs. OTT ($11,200): Fajardo has been stellar through the first two games of the season, averaging 24.1 DK points per contest while forging a 4:1 TD:INT and averaging 7.7 yards per rush to boot. Fajardo will be missing one of his top weapons in Shaq Evans (leg) for Week 3 and several more games beyond that, but he still has the speedy Kyran Moore and an impressive group of complementary pass catchers that include Mitchell Picton and Brayden Lenius. The Redblacks also allowed 333 passing yards in their one game thus far this season, along with a CFL-high 75.0 percent completion rate.
Mike Reilly, BC vs. EDM ($10,000): Reilly is still dealing with an elbow injury that may haunt him for a good chunk of the season, and it certainly seemed to affect the zip on his throws during a Week 1 loss to the Roughriders. However, he bounced back nicely while surprisingly drawing the start in Week 2 against the Stampeders, finishing with 23.3 DK points on the strength of a 342-yard passing effort. Reilly now gets a crack at his old Elks squad, which has been tough against the pass over the first two games but which will have to contend with Reilly's explosive arsenal of pass-catching weapons that includes Lucky Whitehead, Shaq Johnson, Bryan Burnham and Dominique Rhymes.
Michael O'Connor, CGY vs. MTL ($7,700): O'Connor makes for an interesting cost-savings tournament play against the Alouettes, which can put points on the board and therefore force the other team to keep its foot on the gas. O'Connor will be manning the offense in place of Bo Levi Mitchell (leg), and he'll enter Friday night's game with only 25 CFL pass attempts under his belt. However, O'Connor was once a highly touted prospect that was third-round pick of the Argos back in 2019, and given his salary, he won't have to do an inordinate amount to justify his rostering.
Running Back
John White, TOR vs. WPG ($9,500): White's status will have to be monitored carefully ahead of Saturday afternoon's contest, as he's nursing a hip injury that prevented him from practicing Wednesday. However, if he's able to suit up, he could be poised to build on an impressive 111-yard rushing day against these same Blue Bombers in Week 2. White is also a steady contributor in the passing game – he's recorded three grabs apiece in the first two contests of the season – and has already enjoyed success against Winnipeg once. *If White is out, the Alouettes' William Stanback ($9,000) becomes a good pivot at $500 less in salary*
William Powell, SSK vs. OTT ($8,700): Powell has dispelled any doubts as to what type of workload he may be able to tolerate at age 33, at least for the early portion of the season. The veteran running back has already logged 30 carries through two games and produced with them, posting 13.5 and 12.7 DK points. Powell also has five receptions in addition to his rushing exploits, and he faces an Ottawa team that allowed 110 rushing yards at 5.2 yards per carry to the Elks in its first game.
James Butler, BC vs. EDM ($6,800): Butler has done a fine job subbing for Shaquille Cooper (undisclosed) over the first two games, compiling 18.2 and 11.0 DK points in those contests. He hasn't been efficient on the ground with just 3.2 yards per carry, but he does have 19 rush attempts and has added nine catches. That type of volume isn't bad at all at Butler's salary, and Edmonton comes in having allowed 105.0 rushing yards per contest over the first two games. Butler would be out of consideration should Cooper be announced as available, however, and in such a scenario, it's best to consider one of the other two options listed below.
ALSO CONSIDER: James Wilder, EDM at BC ($8,000); Ka'Deem Carey, CGY vs. MTL ($7,500)
Wide Receiver/Slotback
Kyran Moore, SSK vs. OTT ($9,100): As mentioned earlier, Moore will be playing without teammate Shaq Evans (leg), which should certainly open some extra targets. Moore has already been shining over the first two weeks with a 10-110-2 line (13 targets) that's netted an average of 16.5 DK points. Considering the Redblacks' vulnerabilities against the pass noted in Fajardo's entry, Moore makes for a very viable cash or tournament option if you're paying up.
Kenny Lawler, WPG at TOR ($8,300): Lawler has been a favorite of Zach Collaros through two games, bringing in 14 of 20 targets for 168 yards and two touchdowns. The University of California product had already made quite an impression during his first CFL season in 2019 with a 43-637-4 line across 16 games, and given his chemistry with Collaros and the Argonauts' league-high 55 completions and average of 272.0 passing yards per game surrendered, he could be poised to extend his season-opening success.
Brayden Lenius, SSK vs. OTT ($6,000): Lenius is the second Roughriders pass catcher I'm including in this week's article, as the New Mexico product could be set for a role that's not reflected in his current salary. Lenius already secured all five targets for 62 yards against the Ti-Cats in the Week 2 win, with the early exit of Shaq Evans (leg) certainly playing a part. Evans will be out again in Week 3, leaving Lenius poised for another potentially busy night against Ottawa's suspect secondary.
Greg Ellingson, EDM at BC ($5,400): Ellingson is likely to be rostered fairly lightly after a lackluster start to the season, which makes him all the more intriguing as a cost-savings tournament option. The sure-handed veteran has a modest 6-53 line on nine targets over the first two games, but this is the same receiver that racked up four straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2016-19, a span during which he also totaled 26 receiving scores. The opposing Lions have allowed an average of 260 passing yards per contest and the third-most completions (49) over the first two weeks, furthering Ellingson's case.
ALSO CONSIDER: Derel Walker, EDM at BC ($8,500)
Team Defense
Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Toronto Argonauts ($4,900): The Bombers did spring a few leaks against the run against John White last week as alluded to earlier, but they sport a tenacious defense overall and could certainly be dangerous facing the same team on back-to-back weeks. Winnipeg has posted 16 and 11 DK points in the first two games of the season, allowing under 300 total yards in each. The Bombers also have three interceptions, three fumble recoveries, two sacks and a CFL-high 15 two-and-outs forced. Toronto's passing game also looked mostly lost against Winnipeg last week, with both Nick Arbuckle and McLeod Bethel-Thompson throwing for under 100 yards and barely completing 50.0 percent of their passes.
