This article is part of our DraftKings CFL DFS Picks series.
The CFL and DraftKings offer up another full four-game slate in Week 5, one bookended by a pair of especially intriguing matchups. Former Eskimos QB Mike Reilly will face off with his old squad for the second time this season when the Lions host Edmonton on Thursday night. Then, the Tiger-Cats and Stampeders put a cap on the weekend Saturday night, with all eyes on Calgary QB Nick Arbuckle as he looks to replicate his outstanding play thus far.
With plenty to break down, let's delve into multiple options at each position across the salary spectrum for your Week 5 cash games and GPPs.:
DraftKings CFL Plays- Week 5
Quarterback
Jeremiah Masoli, HAM vs. CGY ($10,900): Despite a surprising upset loss at the hands of the Alouettes in Week 4, Masoli still racked up over 400 yards for the second straight week. The veteran quarterback has no fewer than 338 passing yards in the last three games overall, and despite the statistically tough matchup, he's in play again if you're paying up in Week 5. Calgary has been more vulnerable than usual to start the year, allowing 263.7 passing yards per game and a 72.8 completion percentage, the latter qualifying as the third highest in the CFL. As his aforementioned yardage totals imply, Masoli has also shown a penchant for the big play, completing 40.0 percent of his 25 attempts of 20+ yards. Calgary has been very impressive at preventing big plays thus far, but it's also worth noting Masoli compiled 344 passing yards against them in one of two meetings last season.
Trevor Harris, EDM at BC ($10,400): Harris has hit the ground running in his new Eskimos digs, and he walks into Week 5 coming off a bye that's allowed him ample time to prepare for a rematch with the Lions. Harris generated 30.16 fantasy points in his first encounter with BC in Week 2, and the Lions check into Week 5 in no appreciably better shape in the secondary than the last time Harris saw them. BC has allowed 281.5 passing yards per game, along with the most completions (103) and attempts (143). They're also surrendering a robust 7.9 yards per throw and the second-highest passer efficiency rating (112.4) in the league. With a week to prepare and an arsenal of pass-catching weapons he's quickly synchronized with, Harris' outlook is bright despite the five-figure price.
Vernon Adams Jr. MTL at OTT ($7,200): Adams and the Alouettes opened plenty of eyes with an upset victory over the Tiger-Cats in Week 4, and the mobile QB now draws an appealing matchup against the Redblacks. Adams contributed 262 total yards in the win, leading to a season-high 19.98 fantasy points. The four-year veteran is still honing his accuracy, but he's upped his production each of the last two games and has supplemented his passing numbers with an impressive 100 rushing yards in 17 carries in that pair of contests as a starter. His price actually went down $200 after his Week 4 performance, making him even more appealing versus an Ottawa defense giving up 313.0 passing yards per contest, a 71.3 percent completion rate, 9.3 yards per attempt and six completions of 30 yards or greater, all over just three games. Then, the Redblacks are also tied for the most rushing touchdowns allowed (six), certainly relevant when considering a player of Adams' skill set.
Running Back
William Stanback, MTL at OTT ($8,700): Stanback was one of the few bright spots during 2018 in a miserable campaign for the Alouettes overall, impressing in the latter portion of the season with his efficiency through both the ground and air. He's picked up right where he left off in the new season, this time as the unquestioned starter. The Virginia Union product has averaged at least 6.0 yards per rush in each game, and he exploded for a career-best 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the Tiger-Cats in Week 4. He's also been a receiving option out of the backfield when needed, bringing in eight of 11 targets through three games and making a season-long 46-yard grab in Week 4. As just mentioned in Adams' entry, the Redblacks are allowing an average of two rushing touchdowns per game over their first three contests. Additionally, they've also given up six completions of 30 yards or greater in their three contests, making them vulnerable to Stanback's pass-catching prowess as well.
John White., BC vs. EDM ($7,800): After a quiet first two games, White has taken a firm hold of the starting running back job in BC. The versatile pro has scored 36.1 and 29.6 fantasy points in his last two contests, respectively, with his Week 4 effort including a season-high 134 rushing yards. He's been a major part of the passing game, boosting his overall fantasy value and putting him squarely in play in what could be a wire-to-wire battle versus the Eskimos. Edmonton is allowing the second-highest average yards per rush (5.6), and they've already given up three runs of 20 yards or greater through three games. Furthermore, it's important to note that the Eskimos' ferocious pass rush (11 sacks through three games) is a bad matchup for the Lions' porous line (CFL-high 12 sacks allowed). Therefore, Mike Reilly may find himself dumping off to White quite frequently in an effort to slow down the onslaught, a development that would be all the better for White's value.
Ka'Deem Carey, CGY at HAM ($5,600): Carey did a fine job filling in for Don Jackson (concussion) in Week 4 against the Roughriders, compiling 16.8 fantasy points on the strength of 88 total yards (63 rushing, 25 receiving). Jackson is now on the six-game injured list, and although Terry Williams was supposed to be the starter in his stead in Week 4, it was Carey who ended up outpacing his teammate in touches by a 15-5 margin. Carey brings plenty of NFL experience, but fresh legs as well – prior to last week, he'd last seen regular-season action in a pro football game back in 2016. Carey certainly looked rested in his Week 4 debut, an effort that should earn him lead-back status in Week 5. The Tiger-Cats just surrendered a whopping 203 rushing yards to the Alouettes' William Stanback, contributing to Hamilton coming into Saturday night's matchup allowing the most rushing yards per game (144.0 and highest average yards per rush (6.1) in the league, while also tying for most rushing touchdowns allowed (six).
Wide Receiver/Slotback
Greg Ellingson, EDM at BC ($9,800): Ellingson also comes in refreshed off the bye week, and he already has one outstanding effort against the Lions on his resume this season. The veteran wideout racked up 41.4 fantasy points on the strength of a 9-174-2 line back in Week 2, including a season-high 54-yard touchdown grab. As alluded to in Harris' entry, BC is a relatively vulnerable team to the pass, and they've also yielded 10 completions on targets that have 20 or more yards in depth. Ellingson has a 50.0 percent success rate (2-for-4) on targets of that length thus far, and he boasts an impressive 139.9 receiver efficiency rating overall by virtue of having snagged 21 of 27 targets.
Lemar Durant, BC vs. EDM ($6,900): For those that need an extra $200 in savings, the Redblacks' R.J. Harris ($6,700) is also intriguing in this price range. Meanwhile, Durant has formed instant chemistry with fellow Lions newcomer Mike Reilly, with the veteran receiver having scored between 19.3 and 30.5 fantasy points in three of the first four games of the season. Durant already has 30 targets and four touchdowns to open the campaign, having scored once in each contest thus far. His price has naturally risen to an extent, but not an unreasonable level by any stretch. The Eskimos have been very tough against the pass overall thanks to their elite pass rush, but that may not necessarily be a bad thing for Durant. The veteran thrives in the short-to-intermediate passing windows (13.4 YPC), and fittingly, Edmonton is allowing a CFL-high 84.8 completion rate on passes of 0-9 yards of depth with quarterbacks typically forced to get the ball out quickly against them.
Dominique Rhymes, OTT vs. MTL ($5,900): The Redblacks passing attack has been surprisingly solid thus far, and Rhymes has been an important reason why over the last two games. The Murray State product has an impressive 17-226-1 line over that period, highlighted by an 11-catch, 168-yard trampling of the Roughriders in Week 2. The young wideout clearly has a burgeoning rapport with quarterback Dominque Davis, and he should have ample opportunity to exploit a vulnerable Alouettes secondary in Week 5. Even in an upset win over the Tiger-Cats in Week 4, Montreal still allowed 401 passing yards to Jeremiah Masoli. The Als are surrendering a CFL-high 421.7 passing yards per game overall and are tied with the Argonauts for highest completion percentage (73.5) allowed. They've also yielded the second-most completions of 30 or more yards, as well as the second-most completions on targets of 20 yards or greater in depth. Rhymes has brought in three of seven such looks thus far this season and may be in line to provide a handsome return on his modest price again in Week 5.
Quan Bray, MTL at OTT ($5,000): Bray is an interesting value GPP dart throw in Week 5, given how quickly he appeared to mesh with quarterback Vernon Adams, Jr. in the pass-catcher's Week 4 debut. Bray saw a whopping 11 targets, bringing eight of them in for 54 yards. The Redblacks' various vulnerabilities to the pass were previously discussed, and Adams has tended to favor the shorting passing game in his two-plus games as the starter thus far (8.6 yards per attempt). Adams boasts completion rates of 64.7 and 63.6 percent on pass attempts of 0-9 and 10-19 yards, respectively. Those ranges are right in Bray's wheelhouse judging by his Week 4 performance, making him a potentially rewarding bargain play Saturday afternoon.
Team Defense
Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Toronto Argonauts ($4,600): The Blue Bombers have been unsurprisingly tough on defense over the first three games. They've allowed no more than 23 points in any one contest and already have four interceptions, four sacks and two fumble recoveries. They haven't exactly done it against pushovers, either, as they've faced the Mike Reilly-led Lions, the Trevor Harris-helmed Eskimos, and the surprising Dominique Davis (Redblacks), who they limited to just 7.56 fantasy points and no touchdowns in Week 4. Now they get a home date against the Argonauts, which are already on their second quarterback of the season following James Franklin's hamstring injury, and which are ranked last or in the bottom half of the CFL in points per game (12.7), offensive touchdowns (three), net offense (308.0 yards per game) and first downs (51). Meanwhile, the Bombers check in yielding the fewest offensive points per game (15.3) and have surrendered just one offensive touchdown through three games. They're also ranked favorably in numerous other defensive categories, including tops in turnover ratio (+5) and forced turnovers (10). Those figures dovetail perfectly for fantasy purposes with Toronto's CFL-high nine turnovers thus far, and they only add to the Winnipeg defense's ample appeal in Week 5.
