We are more than halfway through the CFL season. But that means there are still more opportunities to win by playing Daily Fantasy Sports in CFL contests. As per usual, there are four Canadian Football league games on the schedule for this main slate. Here is CFL DFS Best Dollar Values DraftKings Week 12.
Quarterback
Taylor Cornelius (EDM) $8,600 @ EDM
Last week was the second-straight instance where I suggested playing Taylor Cornelius at QB. Well, let’s go with three-in-a-row! Amid a flurry of injuries, benchings, and poor QB play, selecting Cornelius in DFS lineups the past couple of games was actually a winning strategy. He is coming off back-to-back 20+ fantasy point performances, all while costing around $8K. Even after a slight increase up to $8,600, I still view Cornelius as one of the best QB values on the slate.
In last week’s article, I wrote about the rushing production. Cornelius not only came out and threw a pair of touchdowns passes, but also ran for over 40 yards. So he kept the high floor running, while throwing multiple TD passes for the first time all season. Most importantly, that game was against Ottawa, Edmonton’s upcoming opponent in Week 12. Can Cornelius replicate, and even improve upon last week’s performance? If so, he will very much pay off his DraftKings cost.
Nick Arbuckle (OTT) $6,700 @ EDM
My second QB of the slate will be on the other side of the RedBlacks vs Elks matchup. After acquiring him via trade, Ottawa will give Nick Arbuckle the start in Week 12. And at only $6,700 he comes in as a great value play. This is also a revenge game of sorts as Arbuckle started Week 1 for Edmonton before the trade to Ottawa. Now he will get the chance to beat his old team on the road. The true advantage of Arbuckle this week is the versatility he provides. There are three or even four viable stacking options in various price ranges. You can pair Arbuckle with the team’s top WR and spend less than $17K on both. Or you could go all the way down to practically minimum price for a WR (check the Deep Dive section later in the article).
Running Back
Brady Oliveira (WPG) $7,000 vs CGY
Coming back from bye week, look for Winnipeg to be refreshed and ready to go. That includes RB Brady Oliveira who has emerged as the workhorse back for the CFL-leading Blue Bombers. Oliveira could certainly take advantage of the bye considering that he has received double-digit touches in all but one game so far this season. And that workload has increased of late, with at least 17 touches in 3 straight games entering the bye week. One of the contests was a win against Calgary so look for Winnipeg to repeat their formula. In spite of Olivira’s increased usage, his DraftKings cost has been surprisingly stable. As long as his price remains around $7K, I am happy to play Oliveira. I believe he is a solid option for a 1-RB lineup in both cash contests or tournaments.
Frankie Hickson (SSK) $2,700 @ BC
For anyone following last week’s pay down at RB strategy, the same theory applies here. With the news that their starting RB will be out, the Roughriders are in a rough spot. However, for our DFS purposes, there is an opportunity to get some value. So far this season, Frankie Hickson has been the primary backup RB, and thus the likeliest candidate to become the starter. If that were the case, Hickson could immediately become a workhorse RB because of his passing-down involvement. Before an injury earlier this season, Hickson had a stretch of five-straight games with a catch.
Considering the sub-$3K price tag, the only risk with Hickson is that he doesn’t get the opportunities. Looking at Saskatchewan’s roster, they could active Shaq Cooper and immediately make him the starter. I wrote about that same type of situation last week with the Ottawa backfield. Cooper is the minimum $2,500 and would also be a good value play if he was the starter. So monitor the depth charts on this one.
Wide Receiver
Kenny Lawler (EDM) $10,200 vs OTT
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A couple of weeks ago, I suggested Kenny Lawler as a value play at WR. This is also part of the three-straight games where I have put his QB Taylor Cornelius in my article. As was the case a couple of weeks ago, getting a cheaper QB like Cornelius helps open up the higher-end wide receivers like Lawler. What makes him so secure is the sheer volume of passes thrown his way. Lawler is 2nd in the league in targets (85), and 3rd in receptions (53). He is also one of only 5 CFL players with 5 or more receiving touchdowns in 2022. So safe volume for cash games, while having the TD upside needed in tournament contests.
Fantasy-wise, Lawler has not been affected by Cornelius under center. In all five games that Cornelius has started, Lawler has produced double-digit fantasy points with at least 19 points in three of those contests. DraftKings has not altered his price very much, keeping Lawler in the $10K range all season. But with such great value at RB again, this is another good week to pay up for Lawler.
Davaris Daniels (TOR) $8,000 vs HAM
It is certainly crowded WR room for Toronto. There are currently 5 Argonauts wide receivers with at least 20 receptions so far this season. And their prices vary quite a lot on DraftKings. But the range I want to target is in the $8K zone. There you find Toronto’s top two players in receiving yards. The one that interested me the most is Davaris Daniels. In back-to-back games against Hamilton, Daniels produced double-digit fantasy points in both instances. Facing the Tiger-Cats again in Week 12, I expect another big yardage game from Daniels. Or perhaps a TD. Maybe even both.
Nic Demski (WPG) $7,600 vs CGY
With so many changes and new faces in Winnipeg, there have been a few consistent things over the past few seasons. Winning and Nic Demski. And like his presence on the Blue Bombers, Demski is as steady as they come in terms of fantasy production. As one of the better slot backs in the CFL, Demski has a good catch rate, but thrives with yards-after-reception. In an earlier game against Calgary, Demski also showcased his ceiling with a 2 TD performance that led to 25.9 fantasy points. Against that same opponent in Week 12, look for Demski to produce once again. And considering that the other main Winnipeg slot back is questionable, I expect Demski to soak up a lot of targets.
Shawn Bane (CGY) $4,100 @ WPG
This one will definitely require a look at the injury reports. With several Stampeders receivers questionable for Week 12, Shawn Bane may see extended opportunities on the field. In back-to-back weeks, Bane has combined to produce 37.3 fantasy points on 14 targets. Looking back to 2021, Bane has seen limited chances with Calgary, but has been efficient when called upon. In 7 games over the past two seasons, Bane has caught 14 of 25 targets for 311 yards (22.2 yards per reception) and 2 touchdowns. If the Stampeders want to challenge the league-leading Blue Bombers, they will likely need to throw a lot of pass attempts. And perhaps the best way to attack from a DFS perspective is to select Bane at his value cost.
Deep Dive
Shaq Johnson (OTT) $2,800 @ EDM
There is just something about the $2,800 price tag. My deep dive selection from last week is priced at $2,800 in Week 12. And while Kiondre Smith would be a good play, I am going after a bargain bin priced stack. Specifically the Ottawa stack of QB-WR. There are a couple of RedBlacks receivers who are all prime value candidates. However, I am paying all the way down for Shaq Johnson.
Truth be told, going after an Arbuckle stack with other Ottawa wide receivers makes sense. Either Jaelon Acklin or Nate Behar at their respective prices can work within different lineup builds. Between those two and Johnson, that accounts for 5 of the RedBlacks’ 6 passing touchdowns on the season. Perhaps Johnson finds the end zone again this week.
Defense
Toronto Argonauts $4,400 vs HAM
A theme that has presented itself over recent articles is the numerous Argonauts vs Tiger-Cats matchups in a short schedule span. As they are about to play their third game in four weeks, the series shifts to Toronto. Going with home teams presents an advantage in football for DFS on both sides of the border. Especially when the price difference between the home and road teams is merely $200. Furthermore, the Hamilton offense has committed the most turnovers in the league with a rate of 1.28 per game. It’s always a good idea to chase the defenses who can get takeaways.
Saskatchewan Roughriders $4,000 @ BC
With the news that the BC Lions starting QB will miss significant time, it changes the entire offense. Yet, in spite of losing arguably the best QB in the CFL to injury, somehow the Lions wide receivers all went up in price this week. Not a position (or team) I want to invest in on the Week 12 DFS slate. Instead the best hedge against the Lions offense would be to go with the Saskatchewan defense. I always want to target backup quarterbacks and this week is no exception. While the Toronto unit is more expensive, I actually believe that the Roughriders will be the top scoring fantasy defense in Week 12. Let’s find out and see.
Thank you for reading CFL DFS DraftKings Week 12. Be sure to check all of the great football content available on Going For 2.
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