The Battle of Alberta and a historic quadruple-header hand DFS players the deepest slate of the season.
Four games, twelve hours, and a genuine gift matchup in Ottawa hosting nobody — wait, Ottawa is the host of misery this year. The 0-11 Redblacks welcome Toronto to town, and that alone should shape half your lineup construction this week. Add in Montreal's league-best offense rolling into BC and the Banjo Bowl pitting two feature backs against each other, and there's no excuse for a boring roster.
Must-Start Players
These are the plays you build around, not the ones you talk yourself out of.
- Tyson Philpot (WR, Montreal Alouettes) — $10,200: Leads the league with 98 catches and 1,414 yards. Ten touchdowns. Twelve games. This isn't a matchup play, this is just feeding the best receiver in the CFL against a BC secondary that's given up plenty through the air.
- Damonte Coxie (WR, Toronto Argonauts) — $10,100: Ottawa's pass defense has been picked apart all season. Coxie's sitting on 1,043 yards and five scores, and against the league's worst team, Chad Kelly should have all day to find him deep.
- Justin Rankin (RB, Edmonton Elks) — $8,600: Rankin's the definition of a locked-in dual-threat back — 838 rushing yards and 50 catches for 534 more. The Battle of Alberta always gets chippy and physical, and Rankin thrives on volume no matter the game script.
- Brady Oliveira (RB, Winnipeg Blue Bombers) — $9,200: Almost 1,000 yards on the ground with 34 catches mixed in. The Banjo Bowl brings out the best in this rivalry, and Oliveira is the workhorse who touches the ball on nearly every Winnipeg possession.
Top Value Plays
Salary relief matters when you're trying to jam three studs into one lineup. These guys pay you back.
- KeeSean Johnson (WR, Saskatchewan Roughriders) — $9,400: Johnson has quietly put together 81 catches, 1,022 yards, and seven touchdowns. That's WR1 production for a price that lets you double up elsewhere.
- Kian Schaffer-Baker (WR, Saskatchewan Roughriders) — $9,100: Only seven games played but 704 yards and four scores in that span. Per-game, he's outproducing guys priced $1,500 higher.
- Austin Mack (WR, Edmonton Elks) — $9,100: Eight touchdowns on the year against a Calgary defense that's given up chunks all season. Mack finds the end zone more than anyone at this price point.
- Dedrick Mills (RB, Calgary Stampeders) — $8,200: 917 rushing yards and a real receiving role add up to a workhorse floor without a workhorse price tag.
- Isaiah Smith (RB, Toronto Argonauts) — $5,700: Against Ottawa's run defense, which has looked lost against the run all season, Smith is a cheap way to grab a piece of a Toronto blowout.
Sleeper Picks
Nobody's talking about these guys, and that's exactly why you should.
- Ayden Eberhardt (WR, Ottawa Redblacks) — $7,200: Ottawa's down so often they're forced to throw, and Eberhardt's 754 yards and five scores show he's Maier's guy when the Redblacks need chunk plays. Garbage time is real fantasy time.
- Jalen Philpot (WR, Calgary Stampeders) — $7,400: Six touchdowns already, and Edmonton's secondary hasn't exactly shut anyone down this year. Cheap way onto a shootout.
- Bryson Barnes (QB, Ottawa Redblacks) — $6,500: Seven rushing touchdowns in seven games is a wild rate for a guy this cheap. If he sees the field in any capacity, he's a punt play with real upside.
Players to Avoid
- Jack Coan (QB, Saskatchewan Roughriders) — $8,800: Zero games played, zero stats to go on. Paying starter money for a total unknown is how you torch a lineup before kickoff.
- McLeod Bethel-Thompson (QB, Ottawa Redblacks) — $8,200: Maier is Ottawa's guy. This salary makes no sense for a backup with 103 yards on the season.
- Chase Brice (QB, BC Lions) — $6,500: Four picks in three games is a nightmare rate, and Montreal's defense isn't the group to fix that.
Budget Lineup of the Week
Load up on the Ottawa disaster game and Montreal's high-powered attack, then let the rest of your cap sit as insurance for late swaps.
| Position | Player | Team | Salary | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Nick Arbuckle | Toronto Argonauts | $9,400 | Rushing and passing floor vs. the league's worst defense |
| RB1 | Justin Rankin | Edmonton Elks | $8,600 | Dual-threat volume in the Battle of Alberta |
| RB2 | Isaiah Smith | Toronto Argonauts | $5,700 | Cheap piece of a likely Toronto blowout |
| WR1 | Damonte Coxie | Toronto Argonauts | $10,100 | Smash spot against Ottawa's secondary |
| WR2 | Ontaria Wilson | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | $8,300 | 736 yards and 5 TDs for value pricing |
| TE | Dante Daniels | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | $2,500 | Cheapest reliable pass-catching TE on the slate |
| FLEX | Kalil Pimpleton | Ottawa Redblacks | $7,000 | Volume king in Ottawa's pass-heavy game script |
Total Salary: $51,600 / $60,000
Final Thoughts
The theme this week is simple: stack the Ottawa game from both sides. Toronto's offense should carve up a defense that's couldn't buy a first down last time out, while Ottawa's own skill guys rack up garbage-time volume trying to keep pace. Pair that with Montreal's passing attack rolling through BC, and this is a week to be aggressive with your studs and let the cheap plays fill in around them.