Minas Panagiotakis/CFL.ca
Making judicious use of your $70,000 salary cap in CFL Fantasy is paramount to success. Everyone can pick Bo Levi Mitchell ($14,000) or Brady Oliveira ($13,700). However, fantasy users also keep a wary eye out for a value play that can carry their team to weekly glory.
Another year dawns upon us, which means another year of CFL Fantasy Sleepers is ready to wake up.
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QUARTERBACK
Nick Arbuckle, Argonauts — $5,100 Salary (at Alouettes, Friday)
Can Nick Arbuckle pick up where he left off last November? The Grey Cup Most Valuable Player could open the season atop the depth chart as starter Chad Kelly ($13,500) recovers from injury. Beginning the title defence in a hostile environment doesn’t bode well for fantasy success. Then again, few expected Arbuckle to rise to the occasion under the brightest lights nearly seven months ago.
Arbuckle projects for 8.2 fantasy points, yet the feeling here is that the Argos will have to throw the ball because: 1) the Alouettes contain Toronto’s revamped ground game, or 2) Montreal gets out early and forces the Argonauts to throw more than expected.
We’re taking door No. 2, and that would work well for fantasy users willing to gamble on Arbuckle. A 14–15 FP outing is a reasonable expectation if you’re buying into either of our theories.
RUNNING BACK
Stevie Scott III, Alouettes — $2,500 Salary (vs. Argonauts, Friday)
Let’s stay at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium and invest in Montreal’s projected starter in the backfield. At five-foot-11, 231 pounds, Stevie Scott III won’t be too hard to miss.
Honestly, missing defenders isn’t Scott’s style. Rather, he enjoys plowing up the middle with a violent, hard-hitting mindset that will make him dangerous in short-yardage situations. The Als have two other backs (Sean Thomas Erlington and rookie Travis Theis) on the roster, an indication they’re high on Scott being the physical presence the ground game lacked at times last season. He’s projected for 6.3 FP in Week 1, but with his expected workload and bargain salary, Scott should be a popular value play for fantasy users.
RECEIVERS
Jalen Philpot, Stampeders — $6,400 Salary (vs. Tiger-Cats, Saturday)
Points should not be hard to come by in a game where the O/U is 52.5 (and take the over). That means Jalen Philpot will be heavily involved in making the debut of new pivot Vernon Adams Jr. ($14,000) into an entertaining affair.
Philpot’s name is among the shortlist of potential breakout stars for 2025. He’s two years removed from an injury that sidelined him for an entire season and is coming off a 66-catch campaign that feels like the opening act before a run that will make him a headliner. With a projected 9.6 FP to open the season, Philpot is poised to exceed that. The road to his first season with over 100 targets begins in a big way, so don’t count on his salary being this affordable for long.
Stanley Berryhill III, Lions — $2,600 Salary (vs. Elks, Saturday)
Watching the BC offence is worth staying up late for, even for non–Pacific Time folks. With Nathan Rourke ($12,500) at the helm, the Lions are hoping they can keep the scoreboard moving against an Edmonton defence that ranked seventh in points allowed in 2024. The combo of Justin McInnis ($13,500) and Keon Hatcher Sr. ($8,000) will get their share of targets, but if you’re looking for someone who can produce fantasy points on a limited target share, then look in the direction of Berryhill.
Berryhill caught 34 passes for 369 yards and two majors last season. He has the speed to be more than just an underneath option, so we’re banking on Rourke offering up a deep ball or two in his direction. His big-play potential was on full display in the regular season finale when he caught all three targets for 81 yards and a touchdown. That’s the Berryhill we want to see—one that can sprint past his projected 7.9 FP.
Binjimen Victor, Elks — $2,500 Salary (at Lions, Saturday)
Wanna really roll the dice? This play isn’t for the faint of heart, but there’s a lot of intrigue surrounding Binjimen Victor, a former receiver at THE Ohio State University. At six-foot-four, 200 pounds, Victor has the size-speed combo that will conjure flashbacks of another big-bodied Edmonton pass-catcher. He’s got a way to go before he can be fairly compared to Duke Williams, but you get the picture.
How the Elks utilize Victor makes this a risky play, but there are those fantasy users (and we heart you much) who love a wild bet. Victor projects for 3.1 fantasy points, but there’s a good hunch he can do more. Let’s see how it plays out.
Brendan O’Leary-Orange, Tiger-Cats — $2,500 Salary (at Stampeders, Saturday)
Brendan O’Leary-Orange had four catches for 62 yards in last season’s opener before an injury kept him off the field until Week 13. Five of his 16 catches went for at least 25 yards, including a 71-yard reception in Week 18 against his former Blue Bombers teammates. Finding targets in a receiving corps filled with top-shelf talent will be a challenge for O’Leary-Orange, who projects for 8 FP in Week 1.
That said, Calgary’s secondary can’t cover everyone, so this opens the door for O’Leary-Orange to be a low-salaried fantasy standout. There’s a 12–14 FP upside waiting here.
