DraftKings CFL: Week 3 Value Plays

The CFL returns to a full four-game slate in Week 3, with a potential high-scoring Eskimos-Blue Bombers matchup kicking things off Thursday. Two of the most vulnerable defenses in the league in the early going, the Alouettes and Argonauts, are in action, which makes several players on the opposition especially appealing fantasy options. With plenty to break down, let's examine multiple options at each position across the salary spectrum:

DraftKings CFL Plays - Week 3

Quarterback

Jeremiah Masoli, HAM vs. MTL ($10,800): After a subdued Week 1, Masoli and the Tiger-Cats positively detonated in Week 2 at the expense of an overwhelmed Argonauts squad. Masoli totaled 39.02 fantasy points on the strength of 338 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, and that was without the benefit of a full four quarters. To Masoli's good fortune, he arguably has as good of a matchup in Week 3, considering Montreal allowed 447 yards to Trevor Harris back in Week 1 before a Week 2 bye. Masoli totaled 300 yards and threw a pair of touchdowns in his one game against the Alouettes last season, adding five rushes for 36 yards and another score. Even if Luke Tasker (undisclosed) misses a second straight game in Week 3, Masoli has more than enough weapons in Brandon Banks, Bralon Addison and Marcus Tucker, among others, to rack up another handsome return.

Trevor Harris, EDM at WPG ($10,500): The early returns on the Harris-Eskimos marriage are glowing, with the veteran quarterback proving to be an ideal fit in head coach Jason Maas' high-octane attack over the first pair of contests. Harris leads the CFL in passing yards (741), passing touchdowns (six) and passer efficiency rating (135.0) through two weeks, and he now faces a Blue Bombers team that he lit up for 710 yards and a 4:0 TD:INT over two regular-season meetings in 2018. Winnipeg allowed 324 passing yards to Mike Reilly in Week 1, along with three completions of 30 yards or greater. Harris is averaging 370.5 passing yards through his first pair of contests, and he already has a trio of connections of 30 yards or greater as well. Given his seemingly thorough grasp of the Eskimos' offense, Harris is an excellent play once again in Week 3.

Cody Fajardo, SSK vs. TOR ($8,400): Fajardo may very well "Wally Pipp" veteran Zach Collaros (head) for the starting quarterback job if his Week 2 performance proves not to be a mirage. The Nevada product came through with flying colors as a value play against the Redblacks, completing an impressive 79.4 percent of his 34 attempts for 360 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His matchup lines up even better on paper in Week 3. The Argonauts yielded 443 passing yards to the Tiger-Cats in their one game thus far and did so while surrendering a 75.7 percent completion rate to Jeremiah Masoli and backup Dane Evans. The Argos additionally surrendered a whopping 12.0 yards per attempt in that game, and Masoli also added a rushing touchdown. Fajardo boasted a 10.6 YPA himself in Week 2, and he also found the end zone on the ground. With so much lining up for him on paper, he's a solid value play in Week 3.

Running Back

Andrew Harris, WPG vs. EDM ($8,900): Naturally, the Eskimos' C.J. Gable ($8,700) is always under consideration as another pricey dual-threat back. However, I like Harris just a tad more in Week 3 coming off a signature effort in Week 1 where he racked up 25.5 fantasy points by gaining 148 yards on 16 carries and adding a 5-27 line through the air. Harris also totaled 150 rush yards and a touchdown on 34 carries and added seven receptions in two regular-season meetings versus the Eskimos last season, and Edmonton comes in surrendering the second-highest average yards per rush (5.8) through the first two weeks. Given his ability to impact a game through multiple means, I consider Harris the top back to nab if you're paying up at the position in Week 3.

William Powell, SSK vs. TOR ($8,200): Powell saw game script work against him a bit in Week 2 with Fajardo at the helm and the Roughriders needing to put the ball up to keep pace with the Redblacks. Powell still produced a serviceable 11-45-1 line and added four catches for 18 yards, but he did see Marcus Thigpen soak up nine carries. While it remains to be seen how involved Thigpen – who's made his CFL bones as a receiver and returner as much as a runner – will remain in the rushing attack week to week, Powell has a good chance of enjoying higher volume in Week 3. The Argonauts gave up 11 rushing first downs, along with a CFL-high 6.4 yards per rush and 161 ground yards overall, in their season-opening loss to the Tiger-Cats during Week 2. Powell demonstrated his upside with a 20-104-1 line in Week 1 against Hamilton, resulting in 22.0 fantasy points. With the flow of the game having a strong likelihood of favoring the ground game in Week 3, Powell is worth the investment.

Sean Thomas-Erlington, HAM vs. MTL ($7,100): Thomas-Erlington enjoyed a coming out party as much as anyone on the Tiger-Cats offense in Week 2, racking up a career-best 109 rushing yards and showing off his receiving skills with a 3-56 line that featured a highlight-reel 37-yard diving grab. The emerging running back had also put together a solid season-opening performance versus the Roughriders, and he's now averaging 17.9 fantasy points over the first two games. The Alouettes yielded a 154-yard rushing day to C.J. Gable in their one game thus far, and they surrendered a trio of receptions to the veteran back as well. Thomas-Erlington can do damage through both the ground and air, and he could well find himself in a game script conducive to the rushing attack in Week 3.

Wide Receiver/Slotback

Brandon Banks, HAM vs. MTL ($9,600): Sticking with the fantasy juggernaut that is the Hamilton offense, Banks shapes up as a highly appealing option once again in Week 3 if you're paying up. The veteran speedster struck in multiple ways during last Saturday's blowout win, eclipsing the century mark in receiving yardage while also logging a 113-yard touchdown on a missed field-goal return. Banks put together a 5-114-1 line against the Alouettes in his one meeting against them last season, and Montreal allowed three touchdowns and a whopping 447 passing yards to the Eskimos in their season-opening loss. Included in those numbers was a pair of 30-yard-plus completions, a figure that Banks is highly capable of adding to with his blazing speed. Additionally, there's a chance that Luke Tasker (undisclosed) misses a second consecutive game, which would up Banks' opportunities and appeal even further.

Darvin Adams, WPG vs. EDM ($7,800): Adams made some noise to open the season in Week 1, putting together a 5-73-1 line that featured a pretty 43-yard grab. The veteran clearly has the trust of quarterback Matt Nichols and the speed to make defenses pay downfield. Granted, the Eskimos did an impressive job defending Mike Reilly and company in Week 2, but they actually showed some vulnerability in the opener once Vernon Adams, Jr. entered the game for the Alouettes. Edmonton has already allowed a trio of completions of 30 yards or more and the Blue Bombers figure to remain aggressive, given how potent an offensive unit the Eskimos have boasted over the first pair of games.

Kyran Moore, SSK vs. TOR ($6,900): Moore has rather quietly put together a strong start to the season, tallying eight catches for 160 yards over the first pair of contests. His clear chemistry with quarterback Cody Fajardo in Week 2 earns him a spot as a strong mid-tier option in Week 3 versus an Argonauts squad that didn't look like it could stop anyone in its season opener. Toronto allowed a pair of 100-yard receiving performances to the Tiger-Cats in that contest, while Moore compiled 19.3 fantasy points on the strength of a 5-117 line against the Redblacks in his Week 2 game. The Austin Peay product had his moments last season (32-475-1 across 10 games) despite inconsistent quarterback play, and his connection with Fajardo could certainly pay off against the sieve-like Argos secondary.

Tevaun Smith, EDM at WPG ($4,900): A bit lost in the spectacular exploits of position mate Greg Ellingson in the Eskimos' impressive Week 2 victory was Smith's solid performance, one that included his first CFL touchdown on five receptions overall. The former NFL wideout and CFL rookie is clearly building some solid rapport with Trevor Harris early, which makes his bargain price especially enticing in Week 3. The Blue Bombers were impressive against the Lions in Week 1 and have had a bye week to prepare for Edmonton, but Harris has shown a willingness and ability to effectively spread the ball around. Moreover, given his modest salary, Smith won't have to generate a particularly spectacular line to justify the investment.

Team Defense

Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Toronto Argonauts ($4,700): As alluded to earlier, the Argonauts appear to be in very dire straits after their first contest, and that goes for both sides of the ball. Neither James Franklin nor McLeod Bethel-Thompson were able to make much of an impact at quarterback, and the latter somewhat fittingly closed out the game by throwing a 37-yard pick-six that vaulted the Tiger-Cats over the 60-point mark for the afternoon. The Roughriders already came into the season with high expectations on defense, and although they were certainly generous against Ottawa in Week 2, they also collected four sacks, have limited their first two opponents to a miserly average of 78.0 rush yards per contest and have yet to yield a rushing touchdown. That leaves them poised to make life difficult for James Wilder, Jr. and potentially trap an already suspect passing game in an even more unfavorable situation. The Riders have also already forced the second-most two-and-outs (11) in the CFL and the Argos allowed four sacks in their opener, two other metrics that line up favorably for Saskatchewan. Given that they're actually the fourth-most expensive team defense in Week 3 despite arguably having the most favorable matchup, I give the Roughriders a high grade on this slate.