This article is part of our DraftKings CFL DFS Picks series.
CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Division Semi-Finals on DraftKings
We've finally reached the postseason and are set for a two-game Semi-Final round slate that plays out Saturday. Both the Argonauts-Redblacks and Lions-Roughriders clashes have projected totals over 50 points, so there is plenty of potential for rewarding individual performances that could lead to DFS success.
Quarterback Plays for CFL Division Semi-Finals
Vernon Adams Jr., B.C. at SSK ($11,500): Adams will continue in his starting role to open the postseason after exploding for 34.3 DK points in a Week 20 win over the Alouettes. In that game, Adams looked as good as he did during his season-opening starting stint, throwing for 385 yards and two touchdowns while adding 39 rushing yards. The veteran signal-caller now faces a Roughriders squad he lit up for 32.9 DK points back in Week 6, when he threw for a season-high 451 yards. The Roughriders finished the season allowing 294.3 passing yards per game and a league-high 440 completions, making Adams worth every dollar of his salary in the do-or-die matchup.
Chad Kelly, TOR vs. OTT ($9,400): Kelly should be refreshed for this postseason battle after sitting out the Week 21 finale. The 30-year-old finished off his suspension-shortened regular season with a spectacular showing against these same Redblacks, throwing for 331 yards and three touchdowns and adding a rushing TD in Toronto's 38-31 win. Kelly eclipsed 25 DK points on five occasions overall in eight games, including two total games over 30. That's a fantastic ceiling for a player of his salary, and the fact he's facing a defense he's already thrived against and that finished the season surrendering 288.9 passing yards per game and 31 completions of 30+ yards only brightens his outlook further.
ALSO CONSIDER: Dru Brown, OTT at TOR ($10,200)
Running Back Plays for CFL Division Semi-Finals
Ka'Deem Carey, TOR vs. OTT ($9,500): Carey is another key member of the Argonauts that got Week 21 off, and the veteran back should therefore have fresh legs for this playoff game. The Redblacks gave up tallies of 13.3 and 14.9 DK points in two meetings with Carey this season, and Ottawa finished the regular season conceding a league-low 4.7 yards per carry. Nevertheless, with such a narrow player pool and the Lions' William Stanback up against the Roughriders' elite run defense, Carey is worth a look thanks to a robust dual role that saw him post a 5-71 receiving line in his two games vs. the Redblacks, and a 37-356-1 tally through the air overall on the season.
A.J. Ouellette, SSK vs. B.C. ($5,700): The Roughriders have announced that Ouellette and Ryquell Armstead will see touches of the backfield in Saturday's contest, but Ouellette's track record and his extremely reasonable salary are too much to ignore. The versatile veteran is going to come in very rested, considering he last suited up in Week 19, and that was his first game after a multi-week absence due to a hip injury. Ouellette showed no evidence of rust in that game – he rushed 16 times for 84 yards and added a pair of catches – and that performance came against this same Lions squad. He was even better in a Week 6 meeting with B.C., recording 20.9 DK points with the help of a pair rushing TDs. The Lions faced the second-most rush attempts in the league during the regular season (375) as well, making Ouellette a consideration even with the risk of shared touches.
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Division Semi-Finals
Justin McInnis, B.C. at SSK ($10,800): There's no denying there's some risk rostering McInnis due to the lofty salary, but there's a case to be made if you're paying up at receiver. To begin with, over the last two games of the campaign, the breakout pass catcher began to show signs of returning to the elite production he'd opened the season with. McInnis posted tallies of 19.9 and 20.6 DK points in Weeks 19 and 20, respectively, with the latter total coming in his reunion with Adams, who returned to the starting QB role that week. McInnis' best game of the season came against these same Roughriders, who he lit up for 47.3 DK points thanks to an unforgettable 14-243-1 line in Week 6. McInnis also produced totals of 26.3 and 39.4 DK points during the season, and in addition to the numbers cited for the Riders in Adams' entry, it's worth noting Saskatchewan also allowed 29 completions of 30+ yards.
Kalil Pimpleton, OTT at TOR ($9,800): Pimpleton has proven a high-upside asset virtually any time he's been on the field this season, recording three tallies of more than 30 DK points and one just below that threshold (29.0) on his way to an average of 19.4 DK points per contest overall. The speedy CFL rookie posted one of those standout performances against these same Argonauts, compiling 31.6 DK points in Week 20 via 114 receiving yards and another 204 in returns. Toronto finished the regular season allowing the second-most passing yards (296.8) and second-highest completion percentage (70.8) while also surrendering the second-most passing touchdowns (31) and a league-high 36 completions of 30+ yards.
Makai Polk, TOR vs. OTT ($7,000): Much like Pimpleton on the opposite sideline, Polk experienced a remarkable ascension during the latter portion of the season, and he finished the campaign with a trio of 100-yard efforts in the last four games. In all, Polk eclipsed the century mark on five occasions, and he eclipsed 20 DK points in four contests. Two of those instances came against these same Redblacks, which surrendered 20.5 and 22.4 DK points to Polk in Weeks 14 and 20, respectively. The fact Ottawa had plenty of trouble preventing chunk plays through the air makes Polk an especially dangerous matchup for its defense.
KeeSean Johnson, SSK vs. B.C. ($5,800): Johnson enjoyed a very successful CFL debut campaign, posting a 56-746-5 line across 12 games after logging 18 games at the NFL level in previous years. Johnson scored at least 15 DK points in three of his last four games, and he hit at least 20 DK points in four contests overall. That type of upside is remarkable considering Johnson's salary, and his frequent work in the short and intermediate areas of the field dovetails well with a Lions defense that did a good job keeping plays in front of it and that surrendered a league-high 73.8 percent completion rate as a result.
ALSO CONSIDER: Dominique Rhymes, OTT at TOR ($8,200); Jerreth Sterns, SSK vs. B.C. ($5,600)
Team Defense Plays for CFL Division Semi-Finals
Toronto Argonauts ($3,500) vs. Ottawa Redblacks: Picking a defensive unit among the four in action in this first round isn't easy, considering there's a quartet of high-powered offenses in action. However, the Argos have the advantage of being at home and facing an Ottawa offense that committed a league-high 45 turnovers and averaged the second-fewest points per game (24.6) during the regular season. Toronto's defense averaged a solid 7.8 DK points per contest, and the Argos finished the campaign with a league-high 48 sacks and forced the third-most fumbles (15). The Argonauts' defense scored in double digits on six occasions during the season, so the upside is certainly there at their salary.
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Division Semi-Finals
Chad Kelly, QB
A.J. Ouellette, RB
Makai Polk, WR
Total salary expenditure: $22.1K
This trio is extremely cost-effective and could deliver a significant return on investment. A case could be made that all three merit higher salaries, and Kelly and Polk make for a very good tandem to roll out versus a Redblacks defense that finished the regular season struggling against the pass. Meanwhile, Ouellette does carry a bit of risk due to the presence of Armstead, but his two-way role and the fact he's proven capable of 20+ DK points on numerous occasions throughout his career make him an excellent tournament play.
