This article is part of our DraftKings CFL DFS Picks series.
CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Week 16 on DraftKings
We're set for another intriguing slate in Week 16 as the march toward the postseason continues. The high-powered Blue Bombers are off the slate, but there's still plenty of upside to be captured via several other favorable individual matchups across the quartet of games.
Quarterback Plays for CFL Week 16
Vernon Adams, BC at EDM ($12,500): Adams came through with another highly rewarding fantasy performance in Week 15, posting 29.5 DK points on the strength of a 325-yard, three-touchdown effort against the Redblacks. The veteran signal-caller looks to help the Lions claim a share of the top of the West Division on Friday night in another favorable matchup against an Elks team that's been vulnerable in all aspects. Edmonton is surrendering 257.9 passing yards per game and the second-highest completion percentage on the season (68.6) -- along with the CFL's highest passer efficiency rating (102.5) -- making its secondary a viable target to attack with the prolific Adams.
Chad Kelly, TOR vs. HAM ($12,000): Kelly certainly requires a hefty chunk of your salary cap to roster, but in this matchup, the mobile signal-caller could well be worth it. Kelly posted 22.7 DK points against Hamilton in Week 13, which was preceded by a tally of 29.3 DK points versus the Tiger-Cats back in Toronto's season opener in Week 2. The Tiger-Cats continue to struggle against the pass as the season winds down, particularly in the prevention of chunk plays through the air. Hamilton is allowing 277.8 passing yards per game, along with the second-highest average yards per pass (9.8) and second-most completions of 30+ yards (27). The latter two figures are especially relevant when considering Kelly, as he's averaging a CFL-high 10.5 yards per attempt and has a CFL-best 51.6 percent completion percentage on throws of 20+ yards in depth.
Taylor Powell, HAM at TOR ($9,200): Powell could turn out to be one of the best fantasy-point-per-dollar plays of the week at any position. Powell already corroborated his ability to exploit Toronto's generous pass defense once – he recorded 25.5 DK points in Week 13 on the strength of a 296-yard, three-touchdown tally – and he followed that performance up with 30.7 DK points against the Redblacks the following week. The Argonauts are allowing 301.7 passing yards per game, a CFL-high 73.0 percent completion rate and the second-most touchdown passes (23), offering Powell no shortage of paths to fantasy success in a game Hamilton will have to likely remain aggressive in.
ALSO CONSIDER: Jake Dolegala, SSK at OTT ($8,500)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 16
A.J. Ouellette, TOR vs. HAM ($9,800)**UPDATE: Ouellette has now been ruled out as a healthy scratch with Toronto having clinched the East Division, and primary backup Andrew Harris is also sidelined with a knee issue. Therefore, Javon Leake, ($5,800) becomes an excellent value play and could also continue in his returner roles** : Ouellette has simply been one of the safest running back plays all season, averaging a steady 14.3 points on the back of an outstanding 5.7 yards per carry. The versatile back has eight total touchdowns and produced a solid 12.9 DK points against the Ti-Cats back in Week 13. Ouellette is typically a critical component of Toronto's offense regardless of game script, and Hamilton's defense has essentially been as vulnerable to the run as it has the pass.
Taquan Mizzell, BC at EDM ($9,000): Mizzell is another back capable of contributing handsomely as both rusher and receiver, as evidenced by his 792 total yards in 11 games. The one-time Chicago Bear has collected 15.6 and 25.7 DK points in the first two meetings of the season with Edmonton's porous run defense as well, making him all the more appealing at his reasonable salary in this third matchup between the teams. Edmonton is still giving up a CFL-high 131.8 rushing yards per game at 5.8 yards per carry despite some recent wins, so Mizzell's prospects are as bright as in the first two encounters.
Kevin Brown, EDM vs. BC ($8,100): Brown crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the season with yet another explosive performance in Week 15, as he racked up 175 yards and a touchdown against the Roughriders. That performance was preceded by a 143-yard tally versus Calgary in Week 14, and that pair of efforts serves as a shining example of the virtually limitless ceiling the speedy back offers at a very manageable salary. The Lions have allowed an impressive-on-the-surface 93.7 rushing yards per contest, but they're surrendering a robust 5.1 yards per carry. Brown could therefore have a chance to still produce another stellar performance with a couple of big runs, or with a big enough workload if the Elks keep the game competitive.
ALSO CONSIDER: Devonte Williams, OTT vs. SSK ($6,900); Frankie Hickson, SSK at OTT ($4,000)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 16
Tim White, HAM at TOR ($10,200): White makes for a very good tournament stacking partner with Powell in a matchup he's already dominated this season. The speedster produced 29.9 DK points against Toronto on the strength of an 8-110 line in Week 13, and the Argos' porous secondary could well coax another stellar showing out of a receiver that's averaging 17.4 DK points per contest overall. It's also worth noting that in addition to the Argonauts' questionable pass-defense metrics cited in Powell's entry, Toronto has also given up a CFL-high 314 completions, while White has seen an elevated 94 targets in 13 games.
Alexander Hollins, B.C. at EDM ($9,400): Hollins didn't deliver as hoped in Week 15, but his talent is such that he's worth going back to the well with in what qualifies as another favorable matchup. The Elks have displayed plenty of vulnerability to the pass as already discussed in Adams' entry, and Hollins posted 14.4 DK points against Edmonton during the most recent matchup between the teams in Week 8. Hollins has already crossed 20 DK points on four occasions this season, so his upside is beyond debate. Then, in addition to the Elks' shaky pass-defense metrics cited in Adams' entry, it's also worth noting Edmonton has given up 22 completions of 30+ yards, while Hollins has caught 15 of the 27 targets of 20 or more yards in depth that he's seen.
Tevin Jones, SSK at OTT ($8,300): Jones makes for an eye-catching mid-salary play this week in a matchup opposing pass catchers have been capitalizing on all season. Ottawa has surrendered a league-high 325.8 passing yards per contest and 33 completions of 30+ yards, making its defense highly susceptible to a big-play asset like Jones. The Memphis product has scored 14.5 points to 25.3 DK points in seven contests this season, and Jones has been used frequently downfield as evidenced by his 20 targets of 20 yards or greater in depth.
Damonte Coxie, TOR vs. HAM ($7,100): Coxie's salary is finally starting to creep up some, but he still requires a very reasonable investment for a player who's now averaging 13.2 DK points per contest after hitting 17.2 points or more in three of the last four games. The athletic second-year CFL pro is averaging an outstanding 19.5 yards per catch overall and gets a crack at a Hamilton defense he's produced 22.1 and 11.2 DK points against in two prior matchups. As already noted in Kelly's entry, the quarterback has been the league's best deep passer in several metrics, while Coxie has five catches of 30+ yards and has hauled in seven of the 10 targets of 20 yards or more in depth that he's seen.
ALSO CONSIDER: Eugene Lewis, EDM vs. B.C. ($7,200); Justin McInnis, B.C. at EDM ($5,200)
Team Defense Plays for CFL Week 16
Montreal Alouettes ($4,300) at Calgary Stampeders: The Alouettes have averaged a solid 7.8 DK points, but they've actually been at their best on the road with 9.0 DK points per game across six contests. While Montreal hasn't been very effective at getting to the quarterback (21 sacks), the secondary has been opportunistic with 16 interceptions. The Als also have an impressive six defensive touchdowns, and Montreal's defensive unit enjoyed one of its best games of the season against the Stamps in Week 8 with 15 DK points on the strength of two interceptions, three sacks and one defensive score. Calgary's Jake Maier has proven to be susceptible to turnovers all season as well, and the Als could therefore turn out to be one of the best value defenses of the week.
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 16
Taylor Powell, QB
Taquan Mizzell, RB
Tim White, WR
Total salary expenditure: $28.4k
This is a solid trio that should have a good chance of delivering in their respective salaries. Powell has proven capable of capitalizing on favorable matchups on several occasions and certainly has one in Week 16, while Mizzell is the latest running back we'll target the porous Elks run defense with. Then, White makes for a good pairing with Powell and has demonstrated substantial upside as his top target in multiple games.
