This article is part of our DraftKings CFL DFS Picks series.
The CFL and DraftKings offer up another full four-game slate in Week 4, one headlined by a Blue Bombers-Redblacks showdown. The high-powered Tiger-Cats offense will also get a second consecutive crack at the vulnerable Alouettes defense, while Mike Reilly will try again for his first win in BC against a Toronto team that could help him to his biggest game of the new season.
With plenty to break down, let's delve into multiple options at each position across the salary spectrum for your Week 4 cash games and GPPs.:
DraftKings CFL Plays- Week 4
Quarterback
Jeremiah Masoli, HAM at MTL ($11,000): Masoli trampled the Alouettes defense in Week 3, so there's really no reason not to fire him up again in Week 4. The veteran quarterback put up a season-high 41.68 fantasy points at Montreal's expense and has a whopping 745 passing yards over the last two contests. Following last week's debacle, the Alouettes check in surrendering 432.0 passing yards per game and the highest completion percentage (78.1) in the league. Montreal is also yielding 11.8 yards per attempt and has already given up six completions of 30 or more yards, furthering making a case for Masoli's candidacy despite the sky-high price. Particularly with Trevor Harris on bye, Masoli shapes up as the highest-upside arm in Week 4 based on 2019 numbers.
Mike Reilly, BC at TOR ($10,200): Needless to say, it's been a rough go of it for Reilly thus far in his new BC digs. The Lions are 0-3, and Reilly is naturally still in the process of getting fully acclimated to his new teammates. However, he took a big step toward that in Week 3 despite a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Stampeders. Reilly threw for a season-high 354 yards and notched three total touchdowns, resulting in a season-best 34.26 fantasy points. He could well take things up to the next level in Week 4, considering the Argonauts have been about as bad as the Alouettes on defense in the early going. Toronto has already allowed a CFL-high eight completions of 30 yards or greater despite only playing two games and is also surrendering a league-worst 436.5 yards per contest. Furthermore, the Argos are giving up the second-highest completion percentage (76.5) and allowed Reilly an average of 314 passing yards and 33 rush yards over two regular-season meetings last season.
Matt Nichols, WPG at OTT ($8,400): The Argonauts' McLeod Bethel-Thompson ($6,800) is also an option if you need to save even further at quarterback in Week 4, while many will naturally flock to the Roughriders' Cody Fajardo ($8,700). However, Nichols brings more upside than Bethel-Thompson in my view, and his matchup is notably better than Fajardo's, making him highly viable at what should be lower ownership than the latter. Nichols has scored just under 20 fantasy points in each of his first two games, but he could have a chance to bump up his overall production versus the Redblacks. Ottawa checks in allowing 317.5 passing yards per game over its first two contests, along with a 68.5 completion percentage and five completions of 30 or more yards. The latter ties them for third most in the CFL despite having played just two contests and also bodes well for Nichols, who's hit on deep throws to Darvin Adams and Lucky Whitehead over his first pair of games on his way to an impressive 113.5 passer efficiency rating.
Running Back
Sean Thomas-Erlington, HAM at MTL ($8,300): Thomas-Erlington has taken the lead-back role and literally run with it, all the way to the tune of 224 rushing yards and another 193 through the air over the first three games. In last week's matchup against the Alouettes, Thomas-Erlington went over the century mark through the air for the first time in his career and also averaged an efficient 5.2 yards per carry. With both a 100-yard rushing and receiving day on his ledger already over the first three weeks, he shapes up as the best way to spend up at running back, considering he's $800 cheaper than Andrew Harris, who also draws a tougher matchup. Following last week's loss to Hamilton, Montreal is now allowing a CFL-high 136.5 rushing yards per contest and 5.7 yards per carry.
James Wilder, Jr., TOR vs. BC ($6,600): Lost in the ugliness of the Argonauts' blowout Week 3 loss is that Wilder put together a strong performance against the Roughriders, averaging 6.0 yards per tote while also recording a 4-39 line through the air. Wilder also posted three grabs in Week 2, a game that got completely out of hand for the Argos on the way to a 64-14 defeat at the hands of the Tiger-Cats. The Lions defense should be the most palatable that Wilder has faced yet, and they come in allowing 105.0 rushing yards and 274.0 passing yards per game. Both of those numbers currently rank in the bottom half of the league and afford Wilder multiple paths to paying off a reasonable price. Finally, it's also worth noting Wilder logged four or more receptions in five of seven games he played with McLeod Bethel-Thompson last season, encouraging numbers for his Week 4 prospects.
John White, BC at TOR ($6,300): The Lions are still clearly figuring things out in the new season, but they may have found themselves a lead back. White compiled 151 total yards (64 rushing, 87 receiving) and two total touchdowns in a Week 3 loss to the Stampeders, a tally that included nine receptions. The 27-year-old back will be in position to continue piling up production in Week 4. As alluded to earlier, the Argonauts defense has been among the league's worst early, and they'll come in surrendering the second-most rushing yards (126.5) per contest. The Argos are also allowing a 67.0 percent success rate in the red zone and the highest passer efficiency ratings on targets with depth ranges of both 0-9 yards (153.7) and 10-19 yards (139.6) – encompassing the distances in which White's targets would most likely come – furthering his case at a very solid mid-tier price.
Wide Receiver/Slotback
Brandon Banks, HAM at MTL ($10,000): Banks also thrived at the expense of the Alouettes in Week 3, totaling 34.2 fantasy points on the strength of on a 152-yard receiving night and a 30-yard rushing touchdown. The veteran speedster has back-to-back 100-yard efforts through the air, and his upside and rematch with Montreal both make him worthy of a five-figure investment in Week 4. As explained in Masoli's entry, the Alouettes have laid out the red carpet to offenses in their first two games and have been vulnerable on deep throws in particular. Banks already had a hand to play in that in Week 3 and certainly has the skills to capitalize on the 60.0 percent completion rate Montreal is allowing on targets with a depth of 20 yards or greater.
Duron Carter, BC at TOR ($7,300): There are a number of intriguing options around Carter's price range, including the returning Luke Tasker ($7,800) with Bralon Addison (undisclosed) sitting out Week 4. However, Carter saves you a few hundred, and he's actually been one of the bright spots of the Lions' rough start. Carter has no fewer than six receptions in any of the first three games, and although he's averaging a modest 50.3 yards per contest thus far, a matchup against the vulnerable secondary of his old Argonauts squad could help facilitate a breakout in that department. Toronto's weaknesses against the pass have already been outlined in detail within both Reilly's and White's entries, and the same vulnerability Toronto has defending shorter-area throws could benefit Carter as well. The big-bodied pass catcher has made his living in the short-to-intermediate passing windows thus far, and with an average of just under 10 targets per game in the first trio of contests, he clearly has quickly earned Reilly's trust.
Lucky Whitehead, WPG at OTT ($6,200): Whitehead served notice there's a new deep threat in town during the Blue Bombers' second game of the season in Week 3. The former NFL wideout flashed his impressive wheels on a pair of touchdown receptions and finished with a 7-155 tally that led to 37.3 fantasy points. It's too early in Whitehead's CFL tenure to tell whether he'll be more of a hit-or-miss option each week for fantasy purposes, but his talent is such that there's nothing wrong with taking a shot at him in tournaments at his current salary. The Redblacks shape up as inviting targets in Week 4 as well, considering they've already yielded five completions of more than 30 yards in two games and also check in surrendering the third-highest average yards per attempt (8.7). Ottawa has also facilitated three touchdown receptions on targets of 20 yards or longer in depth, which falls right into Whitehead's wheelhouse.
Llevi Noel, TOR vs. BC ($5,100): For those who need another $300 in savings, the Tiger-Cats' Marcus Tucker ($4,800) also holds appeal as a GPP-only play with Bralon Addison (undisclosed) out. However, Noel has been a solid if unspectacular component of the Toronto passing game through the Argonauts' first two games, recording seven and six receptions, respectively. He also brought in his first touchdown of the season in Week 3, and he'll be in a solid matchup on paper against the Lions. As mentioned in Wilder's entry, BC is conceding just under 275 passing yards per game. Additionally, they've surrendered the most completions (78) in the league through three weeks, which dovetails well with the fact Noel tends to be targeted on high-percentage passes. In fact, the Lions have allowed an 84.1 completion percentage and three touchdown passes on targets of up to nine yards in depth, and a 66.7 percentage and two more scoring grabs on looks of 10-19 yards downfield. Given his bargain price and the synergy between his strengths and the Lions' weaknesses, I see Noel as a shot worth taking if you're looking to save.
Team Defense
Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Calgary Stampeders ($4,800): The Roughriders got the call as our defense in Week 3, and they came through with a solid 12.0 fantasy points versus an unsurprisingly overwhelmed Toronto squad. While the matchup isn't quite as appealing in Week 4 and Saskatchewan is playing on short rest after having taken the field last Monday, they'll face a short-handed Calgary squad that will apparently be down starting quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (shoulder), running back Don Jackson (concussion) and receiver Juwan Brescacin (concussion) in Week 4. The Riders have notched four sacks apiece in each of their last two games, and they rank third in the league with 15 two-and-outs forced. They also slot in at No. 3 in both points allowed (24.7) and net offensive yardage allowed (322.7) while allowing opponents the second-fewest plays per game (54.3). Nick Arbuckle was excellent in relief of Mitchell in Week 3 while spearheading the comeback win, but Saskatchewan will have had the advantage of preparing for him in advance of the home contest. Given Arbuckle's limited experience and the Riders have proven capable of putting pressure on opposing QBs early, I like the combination of their upside and price in Week 4.
