CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Week 18 on DraftKings

While half the CFL’s playoff berths are now spoken for, there’s still four teams fighting for the final three spots. Two of the squads, the Stampeders and Roughriders, are even facing off against each other this week, making it a very intriguing Week 18 four-game slate.

As customary, we’ll break down multiple options for each roster spot and also offer a trio of core plays to consider making the centerpiece of your lineups.

Quarterback Plays for CFL Week 18

Nathan Rourke, BC at TOR ($10,700): Rourke continued to put his stamp on another outstanding season in Week 17, posting a season-high 37.7 DK points on the strength of a 375-yard, four-touchdown tally. Rourke was nearly perfect, completing 22 of 28 passes against the Roughriders in a big win for BC on his way to his fourth effort of more than 30 DK points this season.

The Argonauts make for good targets, considering Toronto is allowing 305.7 passing yards per game. Additionally, the Argos have surrendered the second-most completions of 30+ yards (29), while Rourke is averaging a career-best 320.9 passing yards per game and the second-highest yards per attempt (10.4) of his career. 

Vernon Adams Jr., CGY at SSK ($10,000): Adams came through for us for a second straight game in a plum matchup against the Redblacks in Week 17, the second installment of a back-to-back between Calgary and Ottawa. The veteran signal-caller compiled 33.4 DK points on the strength of a 24-for-30 tally through the air that netted a season-high 422 passing yards and three touchdown tosses. 

Adams has thrown for 779 yards in the last two games alone, and he should once again be very aggressive in a critical Week 18 matchup. The Roughriders allowed 15.1 DK points to Adams in their one prior meeting back in Week 3, and Saskatchewan also comes in surrendering the third-most passing yards per game (314.3) and the second-highest completion rate (72.1 percent) in the league.  

Trevor Harris, SSK vs. CGY ($9,500): Harris supplied a modest 16.5 DK points in Week 17 against the Lions, but the veteran signal-caller still turned in a highly impressive performance. Harris completed an elite 78.8 percent of his passes for 297 yards and a touchdown without an interception, and he’s now teed up for a big Week 18 matchup against a Stampeders defense he already torched for 28.0 DK points back in Week 3 on the strength of a 349-yard, three-touchdown day. 

The Stampeders have been vulnerable to the pass all season, and Calgary checks in allowing the second-most passing yards per game (319.8), as well as a league-high 36 touchdown passes. The Stamps have also had plenty of trouble surrendering big plays through the air, yielding the third-most completions of 30+ yards (28), along with the second-most yards after the catch (1,777). Meanwhile, Harris has the fourth-most completions of 30+ yards (24), rendering him well-suited to capitalize on that vulnerability. 

ALSO CONSIDER: McLeod Bethel-Thompson, OTT vs. HAM ($10,300)

Running Back Plays for CFL Week 18

Brady Oliveira, WPG at MTL ($9,300): Oliveira has been dealing with some nagging injuries for a significant portion of the season, but the veteran running back has still put together an excellent season that includes 1,223 rushing yards and five touchdowns alongside a 35-278-1 receiving line. Oliveira is averaging 18.1 DK points per contest overall, and he’s eclipsed 100 yards on the ground in four of the last five contests entering Week 18.

Oliveira did fail to practice Thursday due to his ankle injury, but he’s had spotty practice participation before this season and then suited up and played very well. The Alouettes come in allowing 5.4 yards per carry and have given up the fourth-most rushing touchdowns (18) as well, and Oliveira just lit them up for 106 yards on 16 carries in a performance that netted 20.8 DK points. 

Larry Rountree, HAM at OTT ($7,000): Rountree has had a solid CFL rookie season after splitting the first four years of his pro career in the NFL and UFL. Rountree is up to a career-best 697 rushing yards (along with two TDs), and he’s added a robust 37-193-0 line through the air. The Missouri product is also coming off his second-highest rushing yardage total of the season, as he accumulated 91 on 13 carries against the Elks in a Week 17 overtime loss. 

Rountree typically sees double-digit rush attempts whenever Hamilton is able to remain competitive, and the Week 18 matchup suggests this could certainly be one of those weeks. The Redblacks are still in search of their first win, and Ottawa has surrendered a league-high 130.6 rushing yards per game at 5.7 yards per carry. The Redblacks are also tied for both the second-most runs of 10+ yards (48) and 20+ yards (13) allowed, making them a premium matchup in every sense. 

ALSO CONSIDER: A.J. Ouellette, SSK vs. CGY ($6,500)

Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 18

Keon Hatcher, BC at TOR ($10,100): Hatcher paid some nice dividends as a Week 17 suggestion, generating 23.6 DK points via a five-catch, 66-yard, two-touchdown effort in a win over the Roughriders. The veteran wideout also posted a season-high 31.7 DK points in the game before BC’s Week 16 bye, as he hung a 9-137-1 line on a talented Alouettes defense. The Lions continue their quest for a postseason spot in Week 18, and Hatcher is therefore right back in play while facing a beatable Argonauts secondary.

KeeSean Johnson, SSK vs. CGY ($9,300): Johnson also came through for us after being highlighted last week, as he supplied 23.9 DK points thanks to his 9-119-0 line in the loss to the Lions. The game marked Johnson’s seventh with more than 21 DK points this season, a sample that includes four 30+ DK tallies. Johnson’s chemistry with Harris is unquestioned, and the veteran receiver will now be in position to benefit from the same Stampeders defense highlighted in the veteran signal-caller’s entry.

Tevin Jones, CGY at SSK ($7,400): Our wide-receiver suggestions remain largely unchanged from last week, as Jones is also a returning player after he posted a career-high 29.2 DK points in a Week 17 win over the Redblacks. It was Jones’ second 100-yard effort in as many games against Ottawa’s league-worst defense, and his third contest with more than 24 DK points this season. That’s particularly noteworthy considering Jones typically plays a complementary role in the air attack, and with his salary still very reasonable, he’s once again worthy of consideration.

Ayden Eberhardt, OTT vs. HAM ($6,900): Eberhardt has somewhat flown under the radar this season, but the combination of his sub-$7K salary and career-best numbers make him very appealing in Week 18. Eberhardt is up to a career-high 69-941-6 line over 14 games, and he’s flashed some nice upside relative to his current salary by scoring 16.0 and 35.5 DK points on six occasions this season.

ALSO CONSIDER: Damonte Coxie, TOR vs. BC ($10,100)

Team Defense Plays for CFL Week 18

Montreal Alouettes ($4,500) vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 

The Bombers have ruled out Zach Collaros again for Saturday’s game due to a head injury, which tees Dru Brown up for another start. Brown wasn’t exactly smooth during his Week 17 spot start against the Argonauts, throwing a pair of interceptions and taking four sacks. He now faces an Alouettes defense that’s picked off 16 passes and recorded 19 sacks on the season, one with the veteran savvy to force him into some mistakes.

Montreal has done a very good job of keeping plays in front of it this season, allowing the second-fewest completions of 30+ yards (15). The Alouettes have done the same on the ground, where the six rushes of 20+ yards they’ve conceded are the third fewest in the CFL this season. The Bombers could also be down Oliveira as noted earlier, but even the confirmed absence of Collaros is enough to put the Als’ defense into play while playing on their home field. 

CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 18

Total salary expenditure: $25.8k

This is an encouragingly cost-effective trio that carries some solid upside. Harris and Johnson are a natural pairing, given both their well-established chemistry and the fact this is a critical game for Saskatchewan in which the veteran wideout should be a frequent target. Then, Rountree has an ultra-secure role and is coming off one of his best games of the season, and he now draws the best matchup in the league for running backs against the Redblacks.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it’s possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Juan Carlos Blanco plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: jcblanco22, FanDuel: jc_blanco22, DraftPot: jc_blanco22, FantasyDraft: jc_blanco22, OwnThePlay: jcblanco22.