This article is part of our DraftKings CFL DFS Picks series.
We're all set for another four-game slate in Week 7, one that sees the hapless Redblacks on bye and that features Roughriders and Elks teams that are trying to come back from particularly disappointing losses. The Tiger-Cats also face the possibility of playing without some key offensive personnel, and there's some potential fireworks on tap in a Lions-Alouettes showdown Saturday evening.
DraftKings CFL Plays- Week 7
Quarterback
Vernon Adams, MTL vs. BC ($10,400): Adams has massive upside due to his status as a dual threat, putting him in play despite the hefty salary in Week 7. The mobile veteran has already exceeded 20 DK points twice in his first four games, including 30 once. He's also got a favorable matchup through the air against the Lions, which have allowed 276.8 passing yards per contest, along with the third-most completions (129). BC also brings a potent offense that figures to force the Alouettes to remain aggressive throughout the contest, which brightens Adams' outlook even further.
Mike Reilly, BC at MTL ($9,400): In accordance with the just-stated theory that the Lions will attack consistently on offense Saturday, Reilly is certainly in play at what has to be considered a reasonable salary by CFL standards, given his significant upside. Reilly just compiled a season-high 33.4 DK points against the Redblacks on the strength of a 319-yard, four-touchdown effort. Ottawa may well be the easiest matchup in the league, but the Alouettes check in having allowed 258.5 passing yards per contest, a robust 8.8 yards per pass and seven completions of greater than 30 yards through their first four games. Reilly is blessed with a stacked pass-catching corps and also has a tally of greater than 27 DK points already this season, cementing him as either a good cash or GPP play.
Nick Arbuckle, TOR at SSK ($8,200): Arbuckle should be back under center again in Week 7 after helping lead the Argos to a narrow Week 6 win against the Tiger-Cats, and he'll get a crack at what has been a surprisingly vulnerable Roughriders pass defense. Saskatchewan comes into Friday night's contest having allowed 260.4 passing yards per game and the league's second-highest completion percentage (68.9), and they're also tied for second with 10 completions of more than 30 yards allowed. Arbuckle has tallies of 25 and 18.3 DK points in two of his three starts thus far, certainly solid returns on his current salary if he's able to approach that range again.
ALSO CONSIDER: Bo Levi Mitchell, CGY at HAM ($9,700); Trevor Harris, EDM vs. WPG ($9,600)
Running Back
James Wilder, EDM vs. WPG ($8,900): Wilder carries one of the more locked-in roles of any running back in the CFL, making him a weekly consideration for cash or GPPs at a position that can be difficult to find consistency with in the pass-happy league. Wilder did fall short of double-digit DK points for only the second time this season in Week 6, but he still averaged well over five yards per carry on 11 rushes and only really saw a downturn in his receiving opportunities. Wilder could well bounce right back in the matchup versus the Blue Bombers, which have already allowed 102.0 rushing yards per game at a CFL-high 5.6 yards per carry while also tying for second with four rushing TDs surrendered. What's more, Winnipeg has given up a league-high 142 completions, brightening Wilder's pass-catching outlook.
William Stanback, MTL vs. BC ($8,700): Much like Wilder, Stanback can make a sizable impact through both the ground and air, and he actually arguably brings a bit more explosiveness to the table. The versatile back is averaging 12.0 DK points per contest, but that number will rise once he starts to become more efficient with his targets. Stanback has brought in only one of seven looks in the passing game through four contests, but he came into the season having racked up 58 catches for 642 yards and two touchdowns in his first two CFL campaigns. Stanback is already averaging 5.8 yards per carry on the ground, and while the Lions have proven a tough matchup against the run thus far, Stanback's talent is such that he's certainly worth a look at a position with a fairly shallow player pool
Shaq Cooper, BC at MTL ($7,700): Cooper is still in the process of really getting his feet under him in the BC offense and as a legitimate lead back, but he's averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his first three games and also has three receptions on his first four targets. The Alouettes have been generous against the run thus far as well, giving up 106.0 rushing yards per game at the second-highest average yards per carry (5.4) and four rushing TDs. If Cooper can get back to the double-digit carry threshold this week – and the matchup would seem to lead in the direction of a healthy dose of the ground attack – he could deliver nicely on his modest salary.
ALSO CONSIDER: Sean Thomas Erlington, HAM vs. CGY ($8,400); Ka'Deem Carey, CGY at HAM ($7,500)
Wide Receiver/Slotback
Eugene Lewis, MTL vs. BC ($7,900): There are several much higher-salaried wideouts on the slate that could have difficulty hitting an adequate return on investment, making Lewis an interesting pivot. The veteran has been an early favorite target of Vernon Adams, already logging 31 looks through his first four games. Lewis is coming off his best game of the season, a 5-120-2 performance versus the Redblacks in Week 6 that netted 32.0 DK points. While the Lions defense will be markedly tougher, Lewis has actually seen a $200 drop in salary over last week and could certainly capitalize on the elevated completion rate allowed by BC that was mentioned in Adams' entry.
Ricky Collins, TOR at SSK ($7,300): Collins should once again serve as one of Nick Arbuckle's favorite targets after logging nine looks in his return from a one-game absence in Week 6. The veteran already has tallies of 20.6 and 14.0 DK points in two of his four games, exceeding the century mark in yardage once. Collins should be in good position to take advantage of the vulnerabilities of the Roughriders pass defense already described earlier in Arbuckle's entry, with his deep speed particularly making him a good candidate to exploit the Roughriders' tendency for allowing big downfield plays.
Lucky Whitehead, BC at MTL ($7,200): Speaking of speed, Whitehead has it in spades and has been parlaying it into some excellent fantasy outings thus far. The former NFL wideout already has compiled four double-digit DK-point tallies in five games, including a trio over 20. His work on special teams in Week 6 helped fuel his most recent big game, as Whitehead amassed 138 yards on returns, with 119 of them coming on a missed-FG-return TD to complement his 3-82 line through the air. His downfield chops have already produced a pair of 100-yard games as well, and with the Alouettes already seven completions of over 30 yards in four games, Whitehead could certainly strike with a big play or two in Week 7.
Kamar Jorden, CGY at HAM ($6.900): Jorden has a reasonably tough matchup on paper against the Tiger-Cats secondary, but it's still difficult to believe he's actually seen a $100 salary drop after posting a 12-159-1 line in Week 6 that led to 36.9 DK points against what is normally a very stingy Edmonton secondary. Jorden's game-breaking talent and ability to transcend matchup is what could once again make him a top value option this week, especially with his old battery mate Bo Levi Mitchell under center. Jorden has seen double-digit targets in two straight games and eight three contests ago, and it's also worth noting Hamilton does come in tied for second-most passing TDs allowed (eight) through six weeks.
ALSO CONSIDER: Greg Ellingson, EDM vs. WPG ($8,500); Kyran Moore, SSK vs. TOR ($7,700); Jevon Cottoy, BC at MTL ($6,100)
Team Defense
Calgary Stampeders at Hamilton Tiger-Cats ($4,500): The Redblacks aren't around to pick on this week with our team defense selection, so I'll swing for the fences with a unit that's likely to be low-rostered overall but that could pay some surprising dividends. Calgary's D looked like a shell of itself from recent seasons over the first five games, actually producing a pair of -1.0 DK-point tallies along the way. However, the Stamps came alive in Week 6 against Edmonton, racking up seven sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery on the way to 15 DK points. Friday night, they get a crack at a Ti-Cats team that could be down to third-string QB David Watford if Jeremiah Masoli (ribs) is out again, as Dane Evans is already slated to miss up to six weeks with a lower-body injury. Moreover, the explosive Brandon Banks missed Week 6 with an undisclosed injury and has already missed three practices this week. Hamilton also comes in ranked last in net offensive yards (270.8) and second to last in average yards per play (5.1) while also generating the fewest first downs (82) and allowing the most sacks (20).
