This article is part of our DraftKings CFL DFS Picks series.
Quarterback
Bo Levi Mitchell, CGY vs. HAM ($10,800): Mitchell's 253-yard performance against the Roughriders in Week 5 constituted his lowest passing-yardage total of the season, yet he still emerged with a solid 17.12 fantasy points. With such a high floor and a matchup against the most porous secondary in the CFL (401.8 passing yards allowed per game), he serves as the top high-end quarterback option in Week 6. Mitchell has three wideouts -- Marquay McDaniel, DeVaris Daniels and Kamar Jorden --- at his disposal that are legitimate 100-yard receiving threats any given week, and fourth option Lemar Durant is an emerging threat that makes the air attack even more difficult to contain.
Matt Nichols, WPG vs. MTL ($9,600): Nichols accounted for four total touchdowns in last week's overtime thriller versus the Lions, leading to 29.26 fantasy points. He now draws a matchup that could prove ripe for more of the same, as Montreal has surrendered a robust 321.4 yards per game through the air while recording just three sacks and one interception -- both CFL lows. Nichols crossed 30 fantasy points one other time this season in addition to last week's stellar effort, so the upside is there for either cash or GPPs.
Zach Collaros, HAM at CGY ($8,300): If you need to save some dollars at quarterback, Collaros makes for an appealing dart throw in a game that he may need to throw extra passes in order to keep up with the Stampeders' high-powered offense. Collaros flashed some decent upside with a tally of 24.64 fantasy points versus the Lions two games ago, and he has fired at least one touchdown in three straight contests. Calgary hasn't been a pushover against the pass by any means – their 283.4 yards allowed per game through the air ranks fourth in the nine-team CFL – but sheer volume may lead Collaros to a decent return this week.
Running Back
Jeremiah Johnson, BC at EDM ($7,600): Jerome Messam ($7,400) is another high-priced option that's always in play, but Johnson is in a good position in his own right versus an Eskimos defense that funnels action towards the run due to what has proven to be the CFL's best secondary thus far. The Eskimos have been the diametric opposite defending the ground game, allowing a league-high 92.8 rushing yards per contest and forcing only two fumbles on the season thus far. Johnson already rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown against this same squad in the opener – while compiling 25.35 fantasy points -- and an encore performance is certainly a possibility, especially if the Lions lean a bit heavier on him than usual.
Andrew Harris, WPG vs. MTL ($7,500): Harris is a viable play each week, especially due to his well-earned designation as the best pass-catching running back in the CFL. He hauled in a jaw-dropping 12 receptions in Week 5 versus the Lions and also has games with six and eight catches already this season. His success on the ground has been a bit more inconsistent, but it's worth noting that he has generated a solid 4.4 and 4.8 yards per rush in the two games in which he's seen the most carries, and has a floor of 15.5 fantasy points thus far. The matchup in the running game against the Alouettes is a tough one, but Harris' receiving acumen and the volume he sees does plenty to offset that.
Cameron Marshall, SSK at TOR ($5,800): As long as Marshall remains reasonably priced – and he's actually $100 cheaper than in Week 5 – he remains a cash or GPP option. The first-year back has been an asset for the Roughriders, scoring between 13.1 and 20.3 fantasy points in three of his four games. While Saskatchewan's attack can certainly be pass-happy at times, Marshall has seen between nine and 12 carries in three of his first four contests while also notching at least four receptions in every game. Therefore, he's certainly seeing the volume necessary to potentially pay off a sub-$6K price, and the Roughriders may lean on him a bit more this week considering the Argonauts' tough secondary (249.2 yards per game allowed, third-fewest in the CFL) could funnel action more towards the ground game.
Ross Scheuerman, HAM at CGY ($5,600): We could essentially make the same opening statement in our case for Scheuerman as for Marshall—he continues to offer solid production at a discount, and he too saw a price drop despite a strong Week 5 performance. Scheuerman provided a solid 12.4 fantasy points on a $5,800 salary last week while seeing a season-high 10 carries. He's involved in the passing game as well, and he showed his ability to make plays in space against the Eskimos in Week 5 with a 40-yard run and 22-yard rumble off a screen pass. The Week 6 matchup is a solid one as well, as the Stampders check in allowing the third-most rushing yards per game (85.2), have already allowed four rushing touchdowns in their first five games, and have forced just one fumble.
Wide Receiver/Slotback
Brandon Zylstra, EDM vs. BC ($8,900): It was of little surprise that Zylstra spearheaded the efforts of the Eskimos' receiving corps in Week 5 in the absence of Adarius Bowman (hamstring), compiling 22.3 fantasy points on the strength of an eight-reception, 103-yard night. The game marked his third in four weeks in which he both eclipsed 100 yards receiving and 20 fantasy points. With Bowman on the six-game injured list, there's little reason not to deploy Zylstra if you have the cash, considering the Lions have given up a healthy 291.6 yards per game through the air. Furthermore, Zylstra opened up his season with a seven-catch, 152-yard night that netted 25.2 fantasy points against this same Lions secondary, and that was with Bowman in the lineup.
Weston Dressler, WPG vs. MTL ($7,800): The vulnerabilities of Montreal' secondary were alluded to earlier in Matt Nichols' entry, and those same weaknesses could naturally work in Dressler's favor as well. The veteran receiver is Nichols' favorite targets most weeks, as evidenced by the fact that he has already topped 100 yards twice and has scored between 14.4 and 35.6 fantasy points in three of those contests. Furthermore, the Alouettes have already surrendered six touchdowns through the air and four 100-yard receiving efforts in the first five games of the season.
Ernest Jackson, MTL at WPG ($6,900): Jackson makes for an interesting candidate on the other side of the Alouettes-Bombers tilt, particularly because he has started to resemble his old self in the last two weeks after a sluggish start to his Montreal career. Last season's Grey Cup hero has scored 19.7 and 21.1 fantasy points in his last two games, crossing the 100-yard receiving mark in each. He draws an appealing matchup against the Blue Bombers secondary as well, considering they have allowed the second-most passing yards (352.0 per game) in the CFL, along with seven receiving touchdowns. The fact that Winnipeg is also the stingiest unit against the run by far (50.3 rushing yards per game) leads to plenty of pass attempts against them.
Lemar Durant, CGY vs. HAM ($5,200): Durant's teammate Kamar Jorden ($8,500) is also certainly in play if you have the cash to spend up, but Durant stands a chance of returning very good value at his bargain price. The Tiger-Cats' susceptibility to the pass was discussed in Bo Levi Mitchell's entry, and Durant has two games with double-digit fantasy points and scored his first receiving touchdown in Week 5. He has proven to be a dependable secondary target for Mitchell and is likely to frequently draw the best individual matchup on a bad secondary due to the talent of his fellow Stampeders wideouts. This is exclusively a GPP-play given Durant's typically modest volume, but he's worth a roll of the dice if you need significant savings at receiver.
Team Defense
Calgary Stampeders vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats ($5,300): The Stampeders are the highest-priced defense in Week 6 and deservedly so, as they have averaged 11.3 fantasy points per game and are second behind only the Argonauts with 14 sacks. They also sport the second highest interception total (five) in the CFL and face a Hamilton offense that ranks last in nearly every major offensive metric, including yards per game (310.3) and points per game (22.3). Calgary's high-powered offense does sometimes lend itself to the defense giving up some yardage in return – a byproduct of teams looking to keep pace or play catch-up – so this is a weekly reminder that in the pass-heavy CFL, the yards and points allowed aren't always the best indicator of potentially rewarding fantasy production from a defense. Zach Collaros and company may therefore have their moments – hence his inclusion, as well as that of Ross Scheuerman, as potential lineup options – but the Stampeders' aggressive front could well force multiple turnovers, and they have the added advantage of being at home.
