Ottawa's defense is a walking cheat code and this week's slate is stacked with smash spots because of it.
Four games on tap — Calgary hosts Hamilton, Edmonton welcomes Saskatchewan, Winnipeg tangles with a banged-up BC squad, and the marquee matchup sees the 6-1 Alouettes host the winless Redblacks. Ottawa has coughed up points and yards all year, and Montreal's offense should feast. Meanwhile Edmonton and Montreal both sit at 6-1, and their skill players have been putting on a clinic weekly — build around them.
Must-Start Players
These are the players you pencil in no matter what your build looks like.
- Vernon Adams Jr (QB, Calgary) — $10,700: 20 passing TDs and zero picks through seven games is absurd efficiency. He's carved up everyone he's faced and Hamilton's defense hasn't stopped anybody consistently. Pay up.
- Justin Rankin (RB, Edmonton) — $10,200: 560 rush yards, 370 receiving yards, seven total touchdowns. He's the engine of the league's hottest offense and gets a Saskatchewan front that's been gassed by four different backs.
- Tyson Philpot (WR, Montreal) — $10,500: 839 receiving yards and four scores against Ottawa's defense should be lights out. He's the priciest receiver on the board for a reason.
- Brady Oliveira (RB, Winnipeg) — $9,300: 554 rush yards plus 126 through the air. BC's run defense has gotten torched all season and Oliveira is going to keep the chains moving all afternoon.
Top Value Plays
Salary relief without sacrificing upside — these guys are priced like complementary pieces but play like stars.
- Kian Schaffer-Baker (WR, Saskatchewan) — $9,300: 656 yards and four TDs on just 42 catches. He's a big-play threat every time he touches it and Edmonton's secondary has given up chunks all year.
- Austin Mack (WR, Edmonton) — $9,200: Five touchdowns already and he's Fajardo's clear go-to when the Elks need a chain-mover in the red zone.
- Dedrick Mills (RB, Calgary) — $9,100: 578 rush yards and five total scores. He's been quietly balling out behind that Calgary line and gets a Hamilton run defense that's been leaky.
- Erik Brooks (WR, Calgary) — $6,200: 33 catches for 370 yards in the Adams Jr. attack. He's the underneath safety valve and the price hasn't caught up to the volume.
- Maximilian Mang (TE, Hamilton) — $2,500: Three touchdowns on just eight catches. At the tight end minimum price, that's a ridiculous scoring rate — he's basically free equity.
Sleeper Picks
Lower-owned pieces who could quietly wreck your opponents' lineups.
- Kiondre Smith (WR, Hamilton) — $6,700: 28 grabs, three scores, and he's flying under the radar behind the bigger Hamilton names. Against a Calgary secondary that's been shaky, he's a sneaky flex.
- Kaion Julien-Grant (WR, Edmonton) — $5,800: Three touchdowns already for Edmonton's WR3, and this offense has been so good that even the complementary pieces are producing.
- Zander Horvath (RB, BC) — $5,300: Five total touchdowns on limited touches. He's a goal-line vulture in an otherwise ugly BC offense, and that's worth a shot at this price.
Players to Avoid
- Jake Maier (QB, Ottawa) — $9,500: Eight interceptions already this season for a winless team. Ottawa's offensive line and playcalling have looked lost all year and Montreal's defense should make it worse.
- Chase Brice (QB, BC) — $9,200: Four picks and only two touchdowns through three starts. BC has couldn't buy a first down for stretches this season and Winnipeg's defense will make him pay for mistakes.
- Justin McInnis (WR, BC) — $7,400: 28 catches but zero touchdowns. That's a bad price for a player who isn't finishing drives, and BC's offense has no juice right now.
Budget Lineup of the Week
This build attacks the Montreal-Ottawa mismatch and the Edmonton onslaught while saving cap for the studs at the top. It comes in well under the cap, leaving room to pivot if news breaks before kickoff.
| Position | Player | Team | Salary | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Jake Dolegala | Hamilton | $8,800 | Four rushing TDs gives him a rare floor for a backup-priced arm |
| RB | Larry Rountree | Hamilton | $7,000 | 24 catches keeps his PPR floor safe even in a tough matchup |
| RB | Greg Bell | Ottawa | $6,000 | 19 catches and heavy touches even on a bad team |
| WR | Erik Brooks | Calgary | $6,200 | Volume in the league's most efficient passing attack |
| WR | Kiondre Smith | Hamilton | $6,700 | Three TDs and steady targets at a discount |
| TE | Maximilian Mang | Hamilton | $2,500 | Minimum price, max touchdown rate |
| FLEX | Kaion Julien-Grant | Edmonton | $5,800 | Cheap piece of the league's hottest offense |
Total Salary: $43,000 / $50,000
Final Thoughts
The theme this week is simple: stack Edmonton and Montreal, fade Ottawa and BC. Both 6-1 teams have offenses humming on all cylinders while Ottawa's defense and BC's passing attack are the two weakest links on the slate. Don't overthink it — pay for the studs at the top of the Elks and Alouettes rosters, then fill out value with the Hamilton and Calgary skill guys who keep finding the end zone against soft coverage.