Week 7 Matchups and Player Spotlights
Week 7 of the CFL season is underway, featuring several key matchups and individual player performances that could influence fantasy leagues. The action begins with the BC Lions travelling to face the Edmonton Elks. This marks the second encounter between these two teams this season. In their previous meeting, the Lions secured their only win of the season, inflicting the Elks‘ sole loss so far this year. During that game, BC‘s run defence contained Edmonton‘s rushing attack, limiting running back Justin Rankin to seven carries and 19 yards. Conversely, James Butler of the Lions had a strong performance, accumulating 135 yards and two touchdowns.
The Elks‘ defence has been notable for forcing turnovers, with 16 takeaways this season, including two interceptions against Nathan Rourke in their earlier game against BC. For fantasy players, Justin Rankin is averaging 162.2 scrimmage yards per game heading into Friday’s contest. Nathan Rourke is anticipated to begin a strong run of performances, especially after the Lions secured a win.
Saturday’s doubleheader includes the second part of a home-and-home series between the Montreal Alouettes and the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium. Last week’s game saw Montreal‘s balanced offence and strong defensive play secure a win against Calgary. This matchup also features the Philpot twins, Tyson and Jalen, facing each other for the fourth time. Tyson Philpot had a significant game last week with nine catches for 132 yards and one touchdown, improving his record against his brother to 3-0. He currently leads the league in catches with 45 and receiving yards with 719.
The Stampeders have faced challenges with injuries in their secondary, contributing to their pass defence struggles. Despite this, Calgary‘s Dedrick Mills has been effective in the running game, and Vernon Adams Jr. has a strong touchdown-to-interception ratio. Davis Alexander of Montreal has thrown for at least 301 yards in each of his five games. Tyson Philpot is on pace for 2,588 receiving yards this season and has consistently received double-digit targets. Tyler Snead leads the league with 764 depth yards and 15 targets of at least 20 yards.
Key Offensive and Defensive Players to Watch
The second Saturday game features the Toronto Argonauts visiting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Both teams enter this game with a 2-3 record and are on two-game losing streaks. Hamilton is dealing with a quarterback injury, with Bo Levi Mitchell expected to miss significant time. Backups Jake Dolegala and Tre Ford have combined for 181 passing yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, and seven points in recent play. However, they will face an Argonauts defence that allows the most passing yards per game at 375.0 and the second-most net offence at 434.4. Toronto‘s offence, led by Chad Kelly, is strong in passing yards per game and offensive points. Chad Kelly‘s tendency for turnovers is a factor to consider for fantasy purposes.
For running backs, Brady Oliveira of Winnipeg has accounted for at least 82 yards from scrimmage in four of his five starts. His potential for finding the end zone is enhanced against the REDBLACKS, though his practice status was limited earlier in the week. Travis Theis of Montreal has scored touchdowns in three consecutive games. Samuel Hicks of Toronto has 10 carries of at least 10 yards and could be a strong play.
The week concludes on Sunday with the Ottawa Redblacks hosting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Redblacks are still seeking their first win of the season. Dru Brown, a former Redblacks quarterback, filled in for an injured Zach Collaros last week for Winnipeg, completing 25 of 31 passes for 339 yards and one touchdown, leading the team to a victory. It remains to be seen who will start for the Blue Bombers on Sunday. The Redblacks have struggled offensively, ranking last in points for, net offence, and rushing yards per game, and defensively, ranking last in net offence allowed and rushing yards allowed, and second last in points allowed.
Defensively, the Elks have forced a league-high 16 turnovers. Montreal has also created 10 turnovers. The Argonauts have forced 14 turnovers. Winnipeg faces an Ottawa defence that has allowed 18 touchdown drives and 13 completions of at least 30 yards. For kickers, Sergio Castillo of Winnipeg leads the league with 17 field goal attempts, including three from beyond 50 yards. Vincent Blanchard of Edmonton and Brett Lauther of Ottawa have not missed a field goal attempt.
Among receivers, Keon Hatcher Sr. of BC is averaging 17.8 yards per catch and is due for his first major of 2026 against the Elks. Justin Hardy of Ottawa has recorded at least 92 receiving yards and averaged nearly 12 targets per game in his last three outings. Austin Mack of Edmonton has emerged as a significant player. Jalen Philpot and Tevin Jones are performing well with Calgary‘s offence, which leads the league in scoring. Tevin Jones is averaging a CFL-best 20 yards per reception. Kiondré Smith of Hamilton is considered a safe play. Jermaine Jackson of BC has 12 catches for 199 yards and a major in his last two games.
The CFL Week 7 schedule includes four games over three days.
Read Also
Source: cfl.ca
Chloe Tremblay is the Sports Reporter at CasinoNews, covering basketball, tennis and athletics with nine years of reporting experience. She reported on the Raptors' rise and two Olympic cycles. She holds a degree in Journalism from Concordia University. Based in Montreal, she plays recreational basketball and follows track athletics. “The best stories come from the athletes everyone overlooks.”
