This article is part of our DraftKings CFL DFS Picks series.
CFL DFS Picks and Cheat Sheet for Week 8 on DraftKings
We're on to Week 8 in the CFL and back to a four-day late that kicks off with Thursday night's Roughriders-Alouettes battle. Despite the high-powered B.C. Lions being on bye this week, there are still plenty of appealing DFS options across each position and point on the salary scale to consider. 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 8
Bo Levi Mitchell, HAM at EDM ($10,400): With the Lions on bye this week and Vernon Adams therefore unavailable, Mitchell is arguably the highest-upside option at quarterback available. Even when factoring in a slight reduction in production in Week 7, Mitchell still threw for a solid 270 yards and compiled 13.8 DK points against the Argonauts. That was actually Mitchell's worst fantasy performance of the season by far, as he'd scored 21.6 to 30.8 DK points in four of the previous five games. The Elks could certainly facilitate a bounce-back performance as well, considering they're allowing 309.3 passing yards per game and a 70.3 percent completion rate.
Jake Maier, CGY at OTT ($9,300): Maier was brilliant in Week 7, racking up a season-high 27.5 DK points for his third 20+ DK-point tally of the campaign. That's an impressive ceiling for a player of Maier's salary, and he draws a fairly solid matchup with which to try to put together a successful encore in Week 8. The Redblacks have surrendered 268.3 passing yards per game, along with nine completions of 30+ yards in six contests. In turn, Maier has 13 completions of 20+ yards in depth, including five touchdowns.
Caleb Evans, MTL vs. SSK ($8,300): Evans could turn out to be one of the best fantasy-point-per-dollar values of the week if he leverages his experience and capitalizes on what is a very favorable matchup on paper. Evans' salary doesn't accurately reflect his interim starting role, one he's been afforded due to the absence of Cody Fajardo (IL-hamstring). Evans isn't without experience – he's put up 462 pass attempts in his CFL career along with 197 rushing attempts, while recording 45 total touchdowns (15 passing, 30 rushing) – and he recorded 12.9 DK points in emergency duty in Week 6 after Fajardo went down. Evans has had a bye week to get used to running the first-team offense as well, and he's facing a Roughriders defense that's yielded a CFL-high 328.2 passing yards per game and 11 completions of 30+ yards, the latter qualifying as the second-highest amount in the league.
ALSO CONSIDER: McLeod Bethel-Thompson, EDM vs. HAM ($10,000)
Running Back Plays for CFL Week 8
Ka'Deem Carey, TOR vs. WPG ($9,300): Carey is set up to potentially be the most productive running back of the week, considering his talent and the highly favorable matchup against the Blue Bombers' highly porous run defense. Carey has recorded double-digit DK-point tallies in every game this season, although he's slowed down after starting the season with two games of more than 20 DK points. Nevertheless, the veteran back enjoys a solid pass-catching role as well, and he's facing a Blue Bombers defense that's yielded a CFL-high 119.9 rushing yards per game at 5.1 yards per carry. Carey has also demonstrated an ability to consistently rip off chunk gains, having already posted a CFL-high 12 runs of 10+ yards on his way to an impressive 5.2 yards per carry.
Ryquell Armstead, OTT vs. CGY ($7,600): Armstead shapes up as an appealing value option in Week 8, and he checks into an appealing matchup against a vulnerable Stampeders run defense. Armstead, a one-time fifth-round pick of the NFL's Jaguars who also spent time in the 2023 version of the XFL, has looked right at home in his first CFL season while averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 8.6 yards per reception over his first five games. Armstead could well be primed to deliver another strong return this week after averaging 13.3 DK points per contest in his first six games, as the Stampeders are yielding 103.2 rushing yards per game at a league-high 6.1 yards per carry.
ALSO CONSIDER: Frankie Hickson, SSK at MTL ($3,900)
Wide Receiver/Slotback Plays for CFL Week 8
Tim White, HAM at EDM ($9,900): White makes for an intriguing pairing with Mitchell if you can make it work overall salary-wise, as the veteran wideout is capable of serving as the veteran signal-caller's top target on any given week. White checks in with three straight double-digit DK-point tallies, with the first one in that sample a massive 33.7 DK-point showing against the Redblacks. The Elks' weaknesses against the pass were already partly discussed in Mitchell's entry, and in addition to the numbers cited there, it's worth noting Edmonton has given up 10 passing touchdowns and completions of 30+ yards apiece to rank in the bottom half of the league in both categories.
Reggie Begelton, CGY at OTT ($8,400): Begelton is another veteran pass catcher that could deliver a strong return on investment in Week 8, as he checks in having just scored a season-high 18.2 DK points in a Week 7 matchup against the Lions. Begelton has recorded double-digit DK-point tallies in four of his last five games overall, and he's scored a trio of touchdowns in that span. As mentioned in Maier's entry, the Redblacks have been prone to given up some big plays through the air, and Begelton still has the ability to break free for long gains on occasion.
Hergy Mayala, EDM vs. HAM ($6,700): Mayala didn't quite deliver after serving as a Week 7 suggestion and has seen a slight salary bump of $400, but I'm a believer in going back to the well with the Connecticut product this week. As already highlighted in Mitchell's entry, the Elks have had a considerably vulnerable pass defense, and Mayala just saw a season-opening streak of four games with double-digit DK-point totals snapped in Week 7. The opposing Tiger-Cats could help facilitate a resurgence this week for Mayala, as Hamilton is now allowing 301 passing yards per game, the third-most completions (151) and a co-CFL-high 12 touchdown passes.
Damonte Coxie, TOR vs. WPG ($5,000): Coxie seems to perpetually carry a salary that isn't commensurate to his upside, which always makes him a value play to consider, especially for tournaments. The Memphis product is averaging a solid 11.4 DK points per game for the season, and he's coming off his second-highest fantasy tally of the campaign in the form of his 13.7 DK points against the Tiger-Cats in Week 7. Coxie is also averaging 15.0 yards per reception and has seen seven targets of 20+ yards in depth, making him a particularly dangerous matchup for a Blue Bombers pass defense that's given up a CFL-high 13 completions of 30+ yards.
ALSO CONSIDER: Kalil Pimpleton, OTT vs. CGY ($5,200)
Team Defense Plays for CFL Week 8
Saskatchewan Roughriders ($4,100) at Montreal Alouettes: Despite my tabbing of Evans earlier as a solid value play at quarterback, I still like the idea of the Roughriders as a cost-effective option on defense. Saskatchewan has ironically done a very good job getting its hands on the ball despite its poor pass-defense yardage metrics, picking off a league-high 12 passes while also recovering a CFL-high six fumbles. That's helped lead to Saskatchewan producing a CFL-best +11 turnover ratio, which could well come into play against a talented but still backup quarterback. Montreal was already leaning heavily on its passing game with its ground attack producing just 81.7 rushing yards per game, so the Riders could well be focusing heavily on confusing Evans when he drops back and building on their already impressive 10.5 DK points per game in the process.
CFL DFS Cheat Sheet for Week 8
Bo Levi Mitchell, QB
Ka'Deem Carey, RB
Hergy Mayala, WR
Total salary expenditure: $26.4K
The investment of just over half your salary cap on this trio of capable veterans could well be worth it. Mitchell will draw a very good matchup as already outlined, and he boasts a deep group of pass catchers through which he can maximize the opportunity. Carey's prospects on the ground and as a receiver are essentially just as bright against the Blue Bombers, while Mayala makes for a very reasonably salaried wideout that has typically enjoyed a solid floor and that can offer flexibility for the rest of your roster.
