Get your Thanksgiving revved up by building your CFL Fantasy Presented by ToonieBet lineup for WestJet Thanksgiving Weekend.
This week’s edition of Start vs. Sit includes a pair of pivots who are starting to warm up, while a pair of receivers who have been bargain plays at times this season have cooled off a bit.
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TORONTO AT SASKATCHEWAN
Friday, October 10
9:00 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS2/CFL
Line: Saskatchewan (-10.5)
O/U: 49.5
Start: AJ Ouellette, RB, Saskatchewan, $15,000 Salary
You can’t load your roster with maximum salaried players, so if you’re looking for a sure play at $15,000, AJ Ouellette perfectly fits the bill. He’s scored majors in five straight games while recording at least 19 touches from scrimmage in four of those five contests. Following a Week 9 hiccup of nine fantasy points, Ouellette has ripped off seven straight games of at least 12.9 FP, including games of 19.4 FP in Week 15 and 21.2 in Week 17.
The West Division title isn’t quite locked up, so look for Ouellette to continue his bid to capture the league rushing title. He comes into Week 19 with 1,110 yards, only 10 yards behind Calgary’s Dedrick Mills, the current league leader. Ouellette leads the CFL with 222 carries and should thrive at the expense of a Toronto defence allowing 103.3 rushing yards per game along with a league-high 7.6 yards per first down play. The Argos have yielded a CFL-most 48 offensive majors, putting Ouellette in position to keep his scoring streak alive.
Sit: Tommy Nield, WR, Saskatchewan, $7,000 Salary
Tommy Nield has been able to string together a handful of good fantasy outings, evidenced by his 11.4 FP per game. He’s one of the unsung heroes of the Roughriders’ passing game, but with the unit now at full strength now that Kian Schaffer-Baker is healthy, not everyone is going to have a bushel of targets coming from Trevor Harris.
Nield’s fantasy regression started in Week 18, where he managed a 23-yard reception that resulted in his only target of the night. With 3.3 fantasy points, Nield had his worst fantasy effort of the season one week after he tallied 18.4 FP in the loss to the Elks. It will be hard to envision Nield approaching his Week 17 total with the wealth of talent the Riders have at the position, meaning his run of being a fantasy bargain has ended, at least for now.
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CALGARY AT HAMILTON
Saturday, October 11
3:00 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS2/CTV/CFL+
Line: Hamilton (-2.5)
O/U: 56.5
Start: Kiondré Smith, WR, Hamilton, $6,000 Salary
Kiondré Smith crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career in Saturday’s win over Toronto, entering the week with the sixth-most receiving yards in the league (1,004). The Week 18 performance that saw Smith score 15.8 fantasy points was his third straight game with at least 12.5 FP. He has rebounded from a two-game skid in Weeks 14-15 that resulted in a mere 6.4 fantasy points.
The Tiger-Cats will face a Stampeders pass defence that has fallen down the league rankings during their current four-game losing streak. Calgary allows 285 passing yards per game (sixth), and their 70.9 percent completion percentage to opposing passers places them seventh. Bo Levi Mitchell snapped out of his fantasy funk in Week 18, and with a chance to move closer to clinching the East Division title, he and Smith will pair up to the delight of fantasy users.
 Sit: Damien Alford, WR, Calgary, $6,000 Salary
Injuries have hampered what once looked like a breakout season for Damien Alford, who had a combined 55.5 fantasy points in Weeks 6-7. Alford turned four of his eight receptions into touchdowns in that span and appeared set to become the Stampeders’ big-play threat. However, he hasn’t scored since and has fallen down the list of options for quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.
Alford did turn his only reception into a 58-yard gain in Week 18, so the potential is still there. The temptation to consider him as a sleeper is risky, as Alford has caught just two of his eight targets since Week 13. There are other value plays at the position offering more upside, so let Alford’s role continue to be decided without impacting your lineup.
WINNIPEG AT EDMONTON
Saturday, October 11
7:00 p.m. ET
TSN/CFL+
Line: Winnipeg (-3.5)
O/U: 53.5
Start: Zach Collaros, QB, Winnipeg, $14,000 Salary
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We’re starting to see signs of Zach Collaros returning to the form that made him a two-time Most Outstanding Player award winner. He scored 23.2 fantasy points in Week 13 and returned from injury to score 18 FP in Week 17, producing a combined 693 passing yards and four scoring tosses. He gets another opportunity to play an Edmonton defence he torched for a season-best 32.3 FP performance in Week 4, just in time for the Bombers to move closer to clinching a playoff spot.
The Elks allow a league-high 300.7 passing yards per game and a 72.4 percent completion rate that also sits at the bottom of the league. Collaros has accounted for 17 of Winnipeg’s 23 completions of 30+ yards and has thrown for seven majors on passes of 20+ yards in depth. All signs are pointing toward using him as your Week 19 pivot, and with this being a must-win for the Blue Bombers, they’ll rely on their veteran gunslinger to carry them. You should, too.
Sit: Jerreth Sterns, WR, Winnipeg, $8,700 Salary
Jerreth Sterns returned to the lineup in Week 17 and finished with 5.3 fantasy points. The receiving room is different from where it was before Sterns was injured, as Ontaria Wilson and Dillon Mitchell have complemented Nic Demski and Brady Oliveira in the Winnipeg passing attack.
After a three-game run that saw Sterns score a combined 40 fantasy points, he fell off to seven fantasy points in Week 12 before being knocked out of the lineup. He will continue to get a handful of targets, but the recent play of Wilson and Mitchell has left Sterns out in the cold. Don’t let him put a chill into your fantasy production.
OTTAWA AT MONTREAL
Monday, October 13
1:00 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS/CBSSN/CFL+
Line: Montreal (-13)
O/U: 51.5
Start: Davis Alexander, QB, Montreal, $15,000 Salary
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The long-awaited return of Davis Alexander to the Als’ lineup in Week 17 resulted in him winning his ninth straight start while accounting for 18.8 fantasy points. He’s recorded 300-yard games in his last two starts (Weeks 7 and 17) and three of his last four (Week 2).
Guess who he threw for 344 yards against in Week 2? The REDBLACKS, who allowed 341 passing yards to Trevor Harris last week. Like Harris, Alexander is loaded with big-play options at receiver, namely Tyson Philpot and Tyler Snead. Look for him to continue warming up for the post-season with the potential of topping his season-best 23.1 FP performance in Week 3.
Sit: Dru Brown, QB, Ottawa, $11,900 Salary
Dru Brown looked like he was set to finish the 2025 campaign strongly after scoring 20.4 fantasy points in Week 16. That was before he threw three interceptions in last week’s loss to Saskatchewan, before being replaced by Dustin Crum, finishing with -0.8 FP. He’s thrown five interceptions in his last two starts and is the only qualifying pivot with fewer than 10 completions of 30+ (nine).
With the playoffs no longer in question, Brown still has something to play for, namely the chance to return as the REDBLACKS’ starter in 2026. At the same time, Ottawa could turn to Crum, who had consecutive starts with at least 33.8 FP in Weeks 14-15 and showed marked improvement as a passer. If Crum does start, his running presence makes him a sleeper of sorts. If Brown remains atop the depth chart, it’s best to look for other options at the position this week.