This article is part of our DraftKings CFL DFS Picks series.
CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Week 15 on DraftKings
The CFL barrels down the stretch with just six weeks remaining in the regular season, and there are naturally several teams with an especially elevated level of incentive. That gives us a strong player pool to choose from this week, with some especially appealing matchups on tap for several skill-position assets on contending squads.
Quarterback Plays for CFL Week 15
Vernon Adams, BC vs. OTT ($12,200): Adams and the Lions come into this highly favorable matchup off a bye, which enhances their overall appeal even further. The veteran signal-caller is already coming in on quite the hot streak, having eclipsed 300 yards in four consecutive contests and 30 DK points in three of them. The Redblacks make for excellent targets for him, as they've allowed a CFL-high 325.8 passing yards per game, along with the highest average yards per pass (10.4) and the second-most touchdown passes (21). On that note, it's worth noting Adams is tied for the league lead with 14 touchdown passes on throws of 20 yards or more in depth, while Ottawa has conceded a CFL-high 33 completions of 30 or more yards.
Zach Collaros, WPG at HAM ($10,900): Collaros is typically an excellent play regardless of opponent, but especially against a Ti-Cats defense that's played well at times but is still allowing 272.3 passing yards per game and a 67.1 percent completion rate, both the third-highest figures in the league in those categories. Hamilton is also tied with the Roughriders for the second-most completions of 30+ yards allowed (24), while Collaros is tied with Adams for the league lead with 14 touchdown passes on throws of 20 yards or more in depth and sets the pace in the CFL with 1,279 yards in those scenarios as well. The veteran is averaging 22.6 DK points per game overall and is coming off his best game of the season, a 319-yard, five-touchdown effort versus the Riders that netted 36.9 DK points.
Cody Fajardo, MTL vs. TOR ($9,300): Fajardo isn't likely to be highly rostered in Week 15 after the Alouettes turned in a Week 14 dud as an offense in a loss to the Argonauts, but a closer look reveals a few reasons why that entire scenario was a bit misleading. To begin with, Fajardo lost top receiver Austin Mack to an ejection in the first quarter, which set off a domino effect of negativity. Additionally, the veteran still managed to compile a respectable 13.9 DK points while working short-handed. Then, consider that Fajardo not only gets Mack back this week, but Kaion Julien-Grant as well from a multi-game absence due to a hand injury. He'll also be at home, where he's averaged 16.3 DK points per game, and facing a Toronto defense that's still allowing 304.2 passing yards per game, a league-high 72.8 percent completion rate and a league-high 22 passing touchdowns. Given his salary, Fajardo could overdeliver quite easily and serve as one of the better fantasy-point-per-dollar values of the week.
ALSO CONSIDER: Tre Ford, EDM at SSK ($10,700)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 15
Brady Oliveira, WPG at HAM ($10,800): It's certainly possible for both Collaros and Oliveira to have rewarding DFS outputs in the same game, as they've proven on several occasions this season. That could be especially true against the Ti-Cats, which have been essentially as vulnerable against the run as the pass. Oliveira lit up Hamilton for 28.1 DK points back in Week 1 with 171 total yards and one rushing touchdown. The Ti-Cats have also surrendered 125.9 rushing yards per game at 5.4 yards per carry, while Oliveira is in the midst of a stretch where he's scored 23.0 to 34.1 DK points in his last three games with the help of one of his best receiving days of the campaign (four receptions, 57 yards) in his most contest.
Jamal Morrow, SSK vs. EDM ($8,100): Morrow hasn't exactly been consistent this season, but that doesn't negate his massive upside. The speedy back has three tallies of over 15 DK points this season, and he just saw a four-game streak of double-digit DK points snapped due to game script in a lopsided loss to the Blue Bombers in Week 14. Morrow should have a good chance of bouncing back Saturday, however, as the Elks have allowed a CFL-high 137.2 rushing yards per contest at a robust 5.8 yards per carry. Edmonton has also conceded 257 passing yards per game at a 69.4 percent completion rate, and Morrow is a talented pass catcher who has a 26-233-1 line through the air this season.
Walter Fletcher, MTL vs. TOR ($3,600): Fletcher doesn't have the most appealing matchup on paper, but he should be set for a lead-back role with William Stanback (hand) on the one-game injured list and carries a salary than in no way matches his expected workload. Fletcher has above-average speed and is a very good receiver out of the backfield, as he just demonstrated in Week 14 against these same Argos with a 5-52 line through the air. That helped net him 11.2 DK points, his second double-digit tally of the season despite the fact he's logged very little action overall. Toronto is allowing a league-low 73.4 rushing yards per game, but as already explored in Fajardo's entry, they make up for it by allowing plenty of production against the pass.
ALSO CONSIDER: A.J. Ouellette, TOR at MTL ($9,400)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 15
Kenny Lawler, WPG at HAM ($10,900): It's admittedly difficult to pick which Blue Bombers pass-catching assets to roster this week, considering the caliber of the matchup and the talent of several of those players. Lawler is an excellent play for tournaments, considering his penchant for explosive plays that's evidenced by his 22.3 yards per reception. The California product generated 23.4 DK points in his most recent game in Week 14 against the Riders on the strength of a 4-104-1 line, his third straight tally of three double-digit DK points. As already illustrated in Collaros' entry, the Ti-Cats defense has been vulnerable to long pass plays, making Lawler the potentially ideal play to attack them with.
Kaion Julien-Grant, MTL vs. TOR ($9,100): As mentioned, Julien-Grant will be making his return from the injured list Friday night, and the fact he last played Week 8 will likely make him lower-rostered than he otherwise would be. That makes him a very interesting tournament play at a reasonable salary, especially since Julien-Grant has demonstrated plenty of upside while posting a 30-469 line across six games. The Argos' vulnerabilities against the pass were already specified in Fajardo's entry, and in addition to the numbers cited there, it's worth noting Toronto has conceded a CFL-high 284 completions and already yielded 13.1 DK points to Julien-Grant in one previous meeting this season.
Alexander Hollins, BC. vs. OTT ($8,900): Much like the very favorable outlook for Blue Bombers receivers, the Lions' air arsenal is also in good position against the league-worst Redblacks pass defense. Ottawa's many deficiencies against the pass were already detailed in Adams' entry, particularly the Redblacks' tendencies to allow big plays through the air. Meanwhile, Hollins comes in with an average of 15.2 DK points per game, which has been partly generated on the strength of an average of 15.4 yards per reception. Hollins also has four totals of over 20 DK points this season, with three of those coming in the last four contests. Finally, consider no CFL receiver has more receptions on targets of 20+ yards than Hollins, who's accumulated 15.
Omar Bayless, HAM vs. WPG ($5,300): Bayless makes for a viable value consideration for tournaments in what will be only his third CFL game. While the Ti-Cats have an unenviable matchup against a talented Bombers defense, Bayless' salary is certainly reasonable enough to make him a tournament play who could deliver at a very low roster rate. Bayless posted four receptions for 53 yards against the Redblacks in Week 14, and he demonstrated substantial upside with a 96-1,653-17 line across 13 games at Arkansas State in 2019 in his final college season. Bayless could well see at least 4-to-6 targets in a game in which improving quarterback Taylor Powell should have to put up the ball a good bit, adding to the wideout's appeal.
ALSO CONSIDER: Austin Mack, MTL vs. TOR ($11,700); Dalton Schoen, WPG at HAM ($11,000); David Ungerer III, TOR at MTL ($4,500)
Team Defense Plays for CFL Week 15
B.C. Lions ($4,400) vs. Ottawa Redblacks: The Lions are averaging a solid 9.3 DK points per game on defense, but an especially impressive 11.2 in that split at home. The Redblacks aren't without some offensive threats beginning with mobile quarterback Dustin Crum, but B.C. boasts an aggressive unit that's already recorded 36 sacks, 10 interceptions, five fumble recoveries and two defensive touchdowns across 12 games. Meanwhile, Ottawa has surrendered the second-most sacks (43), carries the second-lowest second-down conversion rate (41.9 percent) and is tied with the Roughriders and Alouettes for second-fewest offensive touchdowns scored (20). The Lions are the week's biggest favorite by far at a spread of -10, making this all the more an appealing scenario to roll with their defense.
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 15
Zach Collaros, QB
Jamal Morrow, RB
Total salary expenditure: $27.9k
This isn't the most cost-effective trio we've recommended this season by any stretch, but it is a triumvirate of rock-solid players that should carry safe fantasy floors. Collaros is in an enticing matchup against a suspect Ti-Cats defense, while Morrow gets a crack at the CFL's worst run defense. Then, Hollins is in an excellent scenario in his own right against a Redblacks team that constantly allows big plays through the air.
