CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Week 19 on DraftKings
Four out of six playoff spots are sewn up heading into the CFL Week 19 Thanksgiving (Canada) slate, so there's still incentive aplenty for teams like the Stampeders, Blue Bombers and Elks, with the latter two teams facing off Saturday night.
As customary, we'll break down multiple options for each roster spot and also offer a trio of core plays to consider making the centerpiece of your lineups.
Quarterback Plays for CFL Week 19
Bo Levi Mitchell, HAM vs. CGY ($10,400): Mitchell bounced back from an ugly Week 17 performance against the Blue Bombers to put up 320 yards and four touchdowns against the Argonauts, a performance that netted 32.1 DK points. That was Mitchell's highest total since Week 5 – which also came against Toronto – and marked his ninth time of 20 DK points overall this season. One of those previous occasions came against the same Stampeders squad he'll face Saturday, as he posted 20.3 DK points versus Calgary back in Week 1 while throwing for 304 yards.
The Stampeders have been easier to attack on the ground, but they're allowing 285.0 passing yards per game as well, along with the third-higehst completion rate (70.9 percent). Calgary has done a good job limiting chunk plays by surrendering the second-fewest completions of 30+ yards (20), but Mitchell comes in as the CFL leader in completions (382), passing yards (4,726), passing touchdowns (32) and 300-yard games (10), putting him in play against any opponent.
Zach Collaros, WPG at EDM ($10,000): Collaros made a triumphant return from a one-game absence in that Week 17 win over the Tiger-Cats, amassing 367 yards and a touchdown on his way to 21.7 DK points in Winnipeg's 40-3 blowout win. The veteran signal-caller has now had bye week to rest up for a matchup against a vulnerable Elks pass defense, one Collaros posted a season-high 35.7 DK points against back in Week 4 on the strength of a 334-yard, three-touchdown tally.
The Elks have been an effective defense overall versus the run, but Edmonton has surrendered a league-high 300.7 passing yards per game while allowing a league-high 385 completions and 72.4 percent completion rate as well. Edmonton's other deficiencies against the pass include having allowed the third-most passing touchdowns (27), and Collaros has already proven amply capable of thriving against this same unit as he demonstrated in the aforementioned Week 4 breakout performance.
Jarret Doege, TOR at SSK ($8,800): Doege will be under center the rest of the way for the Argonauts due to Nick Arbuckle's shoulder injury, and with Toronto out of playoff contention, the former could be allowed to run a wide-open offense beginning with Friday night's battle against the Roughriders. Doege put up 13.1 DK points in a Week 16 spot start against Montreal, and with the exception of turnovers, he was productive in Week 18 emergency duty against the Ti-Cats by throwing for 323 yards and two touchdowns alongside his four interceptions.
The Roughriders have been an aggressive, disruptive defense, but they've also surrendered the second-most passing yards per game (289.0), along with the fourth-most touchdown passes (25). Additionally, Saskatchewan is tied for the third-most completions of 30+ yards allowed (26), while Doege has completed an efficient 67.4 percent of his throws thus far and could be much more settled in while running gameplan that could be fairly wide open considering there no longer postseason ramifications for Toronto.
ALSO CONSIDER: Trevor Harris, SSK vs. TOR ($9,600)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 19
Greg Bell, HAM vs. CGY ($9,500): Bell continued his strong run of production in Week 18, tallying 18.6 DK points against the Argos. The versatile back exceeded 75 rushing yards for the fifth straight game and scored his fifth rush TD as well. Bell has also posted multiple catches in every game this season, and his robust dual role could certainly pay big dividends considering the Stampeders' run defense has turned into the league's most generous over the course of the season.
Calgary checks in allowing a league-high 112.2 rushing yards per game and a co-league-high 5.6 yards per carry. Bell only posted 10.6 DK points back in Week 1 against the Stamps, but he's subsequently hit his stride with nine tallies of at least 15 DK points and carries a very safe floor thanks to his ample pass-catching role.
Dedrick Mills, CGY at HAM ($7,700): Mills makes for an interesting option on the other side of the Stampders-Tiger-Cats clash, as the speedy back has been cleared of the shoulder injury that plagued him during the practice week. Mills has put together another stellar season as Calgary's No. 1 back, averaging a solid 14.6 DK points per game and totaling a career-high 1,120 rushing yards and eight rush TDs.
The Tiger-Cats gave up Mills' season-high 33.4 DK-point performance back in Week 1, one where the Nebraska product averaged 5.5 yards per carry on his 17 totes and scored three rushing touchdowns while adding a 3-30-0 receiving line. Hamilton is also tied for the second-most rushing yards per game allowed (104.9) at a co-league-high 5.6 yards per carry (tied with Calgary), sothe numbers all line up for another big day for Mills.
ALSO CONSIDER: A.J. Ouellette, SSK vs. TOR ($9,400)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 19
Kenny Lawler, HAM vs. CGY ($10,000): Lawler is always a viable stacking partner with Mitchell, even as his high-percentile performances have been more infrequent down the stretch. The veteran wideout nevertheless offered a reminder of what he's capable of during the Week 18 win over the Argos, contributing a pair of touchdown grabs on his three catches on his way to 21.3 DK points. That pushed Lawler's season average to 18.1 DK points per contest, and it marked his sixth time over the 20-mark for the season.
Given his upside and downfield prowess, he makes for a solid option against a Stamps defense whose various vulnerabilities against the pass were already outlined in Mitchell's entry. Lawler also posted 20.7 DK points on a 6-87-1 receiving line on 13 targets back in Week 1 versus the Stampeders, so he's already proven adept at generating a solid return on investment in this specific matchup.
Jake Herslow, TOR at SSK ($9,500): Herslow was affected by Arbuckle's aforementioned early Week 18 exit, as the talented receiver finished with just four catches for 19 yards. That snapped a six-game streak of double-digit DK points for Herslow, who'd exceeded 23 DK points on four occasions during that span. As mentioned in Doege's entry, the Argos have incentive to let it rip on offense at this point with the playoffs out of reach, and Herslow could therefore be poised for a bounce-back effort after a week of practice reps with his new signal-caller.
The vulnerabilities of the Roughriders' defense against the pass were already detailed in Doege's entry, and Herslow is well-equipped to capitalize on some of those. The second-year wideout is averaging 13.0 yards per reception overall, has four catches of 30+ yards and has brought in six of the 14 targets of 20 yards or more in depth that he's seen.
Justin Hardy, OTT at MTL ($9,300): Hardy is one of the steadier mid-salary options every time he's on a slate, and that rings true this week as well. The veteran receiver is averaging 15.3 DK points per game and is in the midst of a solid stretch of play, having scored 16.7 to 30.2 DK points in the last three games. Hardy has particularly been good on the road, where he's averaging 18.7 DK points per game, and he's just 63 yards away from his third straight 1,000-yard campaign.
The Alouettes have generally been a sound defense this season, but Montreal has given up an elevated 70.1 percent completion rate, 23 touchdown passes and the fourth-most yards after catch (1,719). Hardy has a strong 70.9 percent catch rate as well and has brought in eight of 15 targets of 20+ yards, and while he only has one catch of 30+ yards, that actually dovetails well with the Alouettes' tendencies to give most of their production in the short and intermediate passing windows.
Ontaria Wilson, WPG at EDM ($6,100): Wilson could prove to be one of the top value options on the slate, considering his speed and likely low roster rate. The Florida State product was a 1,000-yard receiver as a rookie in 2024, but he's been limited to just four appearances this season. Nevertheless, Wilson has double-digit fantasy points in three of those contests, making him quite the under-the-radar stacking option with Collaros against Edmonton's beatable secondary.
Edmonton's numerous substandard metrics against the pass were already detailed in Collaros' entry, and in addition to the numbers cited there, it's also worth mentioning that the Elks have allowed 22 completions of 30+ yards, while Wilson is averaging 19.4 yards per reception after putting 14.5 yards per grab over last season's larger sample.
ALSO CONSIDER: KeeSean Johnson, SSK vs. TOR ($9,200); Kevin Mital, TOR at SSK ($8,100)
Team Defense Plays for Week 19
Hamilton Tiger-Cats ($4,200) vs. Calgary Stampeders:
As already mentioned, the Ti-Cats have secured their postseason spot, but Hamilton is still trying to hold off the Alouettes for the division crown in the East. The Stamps are vying for one of the two remaining playoff spots, yet their offense has been inconsistent and Hamilton will be at home, where its defense has averaged 8.4 DK points per game.
The Ti-Cats recorded 10 DK points against Calgary in the one prior meeting this season way back in Week 1. The Ti-Cats' defense has a very diversified profile as well in terms of metrics, having recorded 34 sacks, a league-high 63 pass knockdowns, 27 tackles for loss, 11 forced fumbles, three defensive touchdowns and a co-league-high 21 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries.
The Stamps are averaging a relatively middling 23.5 points, have the third-fewest passing touchdowns (20) and have mustered a league-low 89.4 passer efficiency rating. Calgary has also tossed the third-most interceptions (18) while the Ti-Cats have scored a league-high 125 points off turnovers, further cementing their case.
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 19
Zach Collaros, QB
Greg Bell, RB
Jake Herslow, WR
Total salary expenditure: $29K
This trio will set you back more than half your salary cap, but as each player has repeatedly proven this season, they can be well worth their respective salaries. Collaros is coming off a stellar performance and is in a critical game against a pass-funnel defense that can be exploited. Bell checks in on a hot stretch of play and is facing a highly vulnerable run defense, while Herslow's roster rate may take a slight hit this week after his Week 18 dud, but he retains as much upside as ever and has had further time to acclimate to working with Doege.
