Tuesday offered an exciting matchup in which the underdog Ottawa Redblacks knocked off the Edmonton Elks. Three more exciting games are in store for us starting Friday night when the Blue Bombers travel west to B.C. to take on the Lions. Tuesday’s game certainly offered some unexpected firepower. Even still, this three game slate has the bulk of this week’s fantasy points still up for grabs. The highest scorers in every position are still on tap for your CFL and DraftKings lineups. Hopefully the rest of Week 9 plays out the way it started and you are able to clean up in your matchups and/or contests.
The following players are suggestions for each position (except defence), for the second week of play. Feel free to mix and match to find a final roster that is best for you. Also this week, many of the players that work on the CFL’s official fantasy game also work for your DraftKings lineups. So because of that, player prices will be listed by their CFL value first, and their DK price next. Many of the fade options this week also serve as great flex options, so you can feel comfortable loading them in those spots as well. Hopefully, you have fun this season watching the CFL and of course, playing fantasy football along with it.
Quarterback
Top Shelf Option: Michael Reilly – B.C. Lions (CFL: $11,838; DK $8,800)
All season long, Michael Reilly has been the model of fantasy consistency at the quarterback position. In the DraftKings scoring system, Reilly has produced more than 20 fantasy points in all but two of his outings. Thanks in large part to his ability to reach and surpass the 300-yard barrier, the Lions’ pivot is fantasy gold week in and week out. To make things even better, Reilly has thrown at least two touchdowns in each of the last three games. His lethal new connection with Lucky Whitehead has helped him immensely. Whitehead has the ability to turn a screen pass into a long touchdown, which he’s done a few times this season. He can also make plays on deep balls, which he’s also done a few times this season. All in all, Reilly has a talented cast around him which he’s used effectively this season.
He’ll need every one of them this week though as he will be facing a tough Winnipeg Blue Bomber defence. It will be the first time this year Reilly has faced Willie Jefferson, Jackson Jeffcoat and the rest of the vaunted Bombers defensive line. Combined, the Winnipeg defence has sacked opposing quarterbacks 14 times. Jefferson and Jackson own five of them apiece. To add to that, the secondary has nine interceptions already this year. Yes, Reilly will have his work cut out for him Friday night. That said, he seems to be unphased by much these days. Even his nagging elbow injury hasn’t stopped him from putting up quality fantasy numbers each week. This one will be no different. He’s a bargain in DraftKings this week to boot and has been putting up better numbers than the expensive options. You love to see that.
House Options: Vernon Adams Jr. (CFL: $13,172; DK $10,700), David Watford (CFL: $6,926; DK: $6,500)
Running Back
Top Shelf Option: William Stanback – Montreal Alouettes (CFL: $8,701; DK: $9,100)
Apparently the Als didn’t get the memo that the CFL is a “pass happy,” league. The only team to utilize the rushing attack more in the league are the Blue Bombers. Over the first six games of the season, William Stanback has had less than 15 carries only once. He has three consecutive games of more than 100 rushing yards and four such games on the season. What’s more, he is coming into this week’s matchup with back-to-back games of over 130 yards on the ground. The only part of his game that lacks is his touchdown production. He did manage to cross the goal line last week, so hopefully there are more majors to follow. Opportunity breeds fantasy production, and Stanback has that in spades.
It won’t be all that easy this week though as he will face a tough assignment against the Tiger-Cats. The last time these teams met in Week 4, the Ticats held Stanback to his lowest fantasy production all season. It has also been the only time all year he’s failed to reach double digit fantasy points. That said, Hamilton’s defence is not completely impenetrable. In Week 1, Winnipeg backup running back Brady Oliveira touched them up for 126 rushing yards. Saskatchewan’s William Powell enjoyed a tidy 89-yard game against them as well. Stanback has turned in three straight games over 100 yards since his thud against Hamilton. You can count on Khari Jones to keep feeding his running back. You can also count on Stanback to keep producing. Make room for him on your roster this week.
House Options: Shaq Cooper (CFL: $5,130; DK: $7,900), Kadeem Carey (CFL: $6,154; DK $7,600
Wide Receiver
Top Shelf Option: Lucky Whitehead – B.C. Lions (CFL $9,881; DK: $8,200)
At this point, it’s Lucky Whitehead’s world and we’re all living in it. The former Bomber has taken to his new home in B.C. with reckless abandon and it’s been fun to watch. Over the last two week he’s accounted for 244 yards on 12 receptions as well as 3 touchdowns. Michael Reilly loves his new weapon as is evident by Whitehead’s team-leading 46 targets. One wrinkle that also makes the speedy receiver more dangerous is his ability to return kicks. In Week 6, he added 138 yards and a touchdown to his day by way of the return game. There is no question as to his talent and it’s been on display all season long. It’s worth it to ride this wave as long as it lasts. Even against a challenging defence this week.
That challenging defence is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. They are a squad that has allowed only a single wideout to reach the 100-yard mark against them all season. Toronto managed to get DaVaris Daniels to exactly 100 yards against the Bombers back in Week 3. It will certainly be a tough task for Reilly, Whitehead and the rest of the Lions offence this week. That said, it doesn’t take a lot for Whitehead’s explosiveness to pay off for you in fantasy. His ability to cash in on the DraftKings yardage bonus points also goes a long way in making this a winning pick.
House Options: Eugene Lewis (CFL: $9,588; DK $9,400), Bralon Addison (CFL: $10,840; DK: $8,600),
