DraftKings CFL: Week 7 Value Plays

The CFL and DraftKings are back with a four-game slate in Week 7, one that includes the second game of a Roughriders-Lions and home-and-home series  and a tantalizing fantasy matchup for the Eskimos against the Argonauts.

With plenty to break down, let's delve into multiple options at each position across the salary spectrum for your Week 7 cash games and GPPs.: 

DraftKings CFL Plays- Week 7

Quarterback

Mike Reilly, BC vs. SSK ($10,400): The start of Reilly's Lions tenure has been almost completely forgettable from a bottom-line standpoint. BC is a single point from being 0-6, but Reilly has been generating fantasy production that still makes him one of the top options in any format each week. The veteran gunslinger completed 77.5 percent of his passes against the Roughriders in Week 6, posting 346 yards/1 TD and then adding 32 and another score on the ground to compile 29.04 fantasy points. Reilly also has a 34.26 fantasy-point tally on his ledger this season (vs. Toronto), so the GPP upside remains. A home rematch against Saskatchewan could yield strong returns once again, as the Riders are now allowing the second-highest completion percentage (73.8) in the league, along with the most completions on targets of 20 yards or more in depth (16). Reilly has put up 34 or more pass attempts in four of his first six games and should be in for another busy night Saturday, giving him an opportunity to deliver despite the five-figure salary.

Trevor Harris, EDM v. TOR ($10,000): Harris has been on the opposite end of the spectrum while filling Reilly's old spot under center in Edmonton. His 271-yard output in Week 6 actually served as a season-low figure, which underscores how quickly he's mastered coach Jason Maas' offensive system.  He now draws one of the most appealing matchups in the CFL in the form of the Argonauts, which have allowed the second-most passing yards (315.0), highest average yards per pass (9.9), most completions of 30 yards or more (11) and the second-highest passer efficiency rating (115.7). Toronto is also allowing a passer rating of no less than 91.9 in any of the three main passing windows (0-9 yards, 10-19 yards, 20 yards or greater), upping Harris' prospects no matter where he throws the ball.

Cody Fajardo, SSK at BC ($9,000): Fajardo proved that pair of stellar starts earlier in the season were no fluke by racking up 28.42 fantasy points at the expense of the Lions last week in the first game of a home-and-home set. The mobile signal-caller once again flashed his dual skills, compiling 278 yards through the air and another 53 on the ground. The Lions continue to be ranked in the latter portion of the league in several pass defense categories, including passing yards allowed per game (280.0), pass attempts allowed (194) and completion percentage (73.2). They've also yielded the most completions overall (142) and have been particularly susceptible to downfield throws, surrendering the third-most completions of 30 or more yards (nine) and second-most completions on targets with a depth of at least 20 yards (14). With Fajardo able to supplement his passing with his legs and two 30-plus fantasy-point hauls already on his 2019 resume, he's still arguably underpriced.

Running Back

Andrew Harris, WPG at HAM ($10,200): I've been off Harris in the last couple of weeks primarily due to price, but the versatile back has mostly delivered despite his typically exorbitant costs. Harris has exceeded 20 fantasy points in each of the last two games versus the Argonauts and Redblacks, respectively. He'll certainly run into a tougher overall challenge against the Tiger-Cats, but Hamilton has been considerably more generous on the ground than through the air. The Ti-Cats are allowing the second-most rushing yards per game (120.6), are tied with the Argos for highest yards per carry allowed (5.9) and have given up the second-most rushing touchdowns (eight). Additionally, since they've been notably tougher against the pass, Harris could see a bit of an uptick in workload as the Bombers look to keep them off balance.

Ka'Deem Carey, CGY at OTT ($6,100): Carey continues to be the primary beneficiary of Don Jackson's injured-list stint, as he now has a pair of double-digit fantasy-point tallies over his first three games. After a bizarre three-carry workload in Week 5, Carey was back to normal volume in Week 6 versus the Argos, posting a 12-65 line on the ground and adding four grabs for 30 yards. He's likely for double-digit carries once again in Week 7 against a Redblacks defense that's allowed the third-most rushing yards per game (118.8), most rushing attempts (121) and most rushing touchdowns (nine). Ottawa is also tied with the Argonauts for second-most rushes of more than 20 yards allowed (four), putting Carey squarely in play at a very affordable price.

Shaquille Cooper, EDM vs. TOR ($4,200): C.J. Gable (undisclosed) is already announced as out for Thursday night's contest, and Cooper has been designated as the starter in his stead. The 26-year-old should have fresh legs if nothing else, considering he's yet to touch the ball this season and carried just 25 times during his rookie 2018 CFL campaign. The Fort Hays State product put together a solid college career at the Division II level, posting 2,768 rushing yards (6.1 yards per carry) and 19 touchdowns to go along with a 73-736-10 line through the air over three seasons. Cooper is bargain priced, and he could see plenty of work if Edmonton jumps out to a big lead against an Argonauts team that comes in allowing the most rushing yards per game (139.6) and that's tied for the highest average yards per carry allowed (5.9).  

Wide Receiver/Slotback

Brandon Banks, HAM vs. WPG ($10,700): Somewhat like Andrew Harris, Banks is a player whose salary can often be quite daunting to fit into a lineup. However, there's no denying the veteran receiver has the upside to pay it off, with his electric ability on returns always giving him an opportunity to supplement his typically impressive production from scrimmage. Banks has scored 32.6 to 43.3 fantasy points in three of his past four games, logging a pair of 100-yard-plus missed field-goal returns along the way. The Blue Bombers have allowed a relatively robust 278.6 passing yards per game thus far, but they've been the stingiest team in the league while permitting just a 56.1 percent completion rate. A decent amount of those connections have been downfield, however, as the Bombers have yielded eight completions of 30 yards or greater and 11 completions on targets of 20 yards or greater in depth. Banks has an impressive 50.0 percent catch rate on looks of the latter distance and leads the CFL with 50 targets overall, keeping him in play despite the hefty cost.

Shaq Evans, SSK at BC ($8,100): Somewhat lost in the shuffle of the CFL's bigger-name receivers to open the season, Evans has actually been a force in each of the last three games he's suited up for. Evans has eclipsed the century mark and upped his yardage total in each, topping out at 158 in Week 6 against the same Lions squad he'll face Saturday night. The Lions' various deficiencies against the pass, especially on deeper throws, were already detailed in Fajardo's entry, and Evans comes in with a CFL-leading six catches of 30 or more yards and an elite 77.7 percent catch rate on the nine targets of 20 or more yards in depth that he's seen thus far.

Ricky Collins, EDM vs. TOR ($7,100): DaVaris Daniels (undisclosed) will miss Thursday night's contest, which should increase Collins' downfield role. The veteran has admittedly been a bit hard to trust for fantasy purposes early, but his reasonable mid-tier price accounts for some of his inconsistency. Collins has already seen double-digit targets twice this season, and he encouragingly notched eight in Week 6 despite Daniels' presence. Toronto's various deficiencies against the pass were already outlined in Harris' entry, and it's worth noting Collins' 16.7 yards per grab makes him a good match for the Argonauts' inefficiency defending the deep ball.

Kenny Lawler, WPG at HAM ($4,500): Lawler is this week's cost-savings tournament flier, as he comes off a solid 5-83-1 line that produced 19.3 fantasy points on a minuscule $3,500 salary. The price bump this week is therefore justified, and although the matchup isn't the easiest, Lawler certainly sports a price tag that's not overly difficult to pay off. The Tiger-Cats have been above-average but short of elite against the pass, surrendering 266.0 yards through the air per contest and 7.8 yards per attempt. Lawler displayed some upside in his Week 6 performance, and at a bargain price once again, he's worth a shot if you need to punt one lineup spot.

Team Defense

Edmonton Eskimos vs. Toronto Argonauts ($5,300): The Tiger-Cats ($4,900) are also an interesting option coming off a bye week if you need to save a few hundred more, but the Eskimos defense gets the Argonauts rub for me this week. Defenses have made a living facing Toronto thus far this season, with the Blue Bombers the latest beneficiaries in Week 6 (20.0 fantasy points). One particularly appealing matchup for the Eskimos defense versus Toronto could be on the pass rushing front, as the Argos come in allowing the third-most sacks (14). In turn, Edmonton has logged the most sacks (19), displaying an ability to consistent bear down on opposing quarterbacks. Then, the Argonauts have also committed the most turnovers (21) and allowed the most points off turnovers (66), which combined with the probability of multiple QB takedowns, could lead to a defensive touchdown or two for the Green and Gold.