Oh, those smooth-handed receivers with silky after-the-catch skills.
Or try those heavy-volume pass catchers who gobble double-digit targets on a weekly basis.
Perhaps it’s those with the nose for the end zone, exulting (or deflating) crowds with a game-swinging major.
The 2025 CFL Fantasy will be filled with each, and in some cases, those who can combine all three traits to make them elite must-start performers.
11 receivers crossed the 1,000-yard mark in 2024 with three others falling within at least 67 yards of the milestone. With the wealth at pivot entering this season, we’re betting the number of receivers over 1,000 yards will flirt with the league record of 19 set in 2005.
So which pass catchers are anchoring fantasy rosters beginning June 5? Let’s discover.
RELATED
» Set your Week 1 CFL Fantasy lineup now!
» Get ready for the 2025 season with insights, analysis and more
» Buy Tickets for the 2025 season
» Subscribe to the CFL’s official YouTube channel
» Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates
MONEY, THY NAME IS…
Justin Hardy, Ottawa ($11,300 Salary): The league leader with 97 receptions, Hardy’s numbers could increase this season now that he has a fellow All-CFL receiver joining him (more on him in a second). Hardy has pulled in 182 passes the past two seasons and will bid for a third straight 1,000-yard campaign as he and quarterback Dru Brown’s rapport will be stronger entering a second season together. He’s scored just eight times in the last two years, but there’s a strong chance he at least matches that total in 2025.
Justin McInnis, BC ($13,500): Sure, he’s going to cost a pretty penny, yet you know what you’re going to get: a big-play threat who can score from anywhere on the field. McInnis led the league with 1,469 yards and 10 receptions of at least 30 yards last season while catching 92 passes. Lions pivot Nathan Rourke will not hesitate to feed McInnis at a healthy clip considering McInnis also led the league with 137 targets in 2024.
Tim White, Hamilton ($12,000): White overcame a slow start to return among the upper crust of fantasy receivers, finishing with 74 receptions, 1,164 yards, and eight majors. Like Hardy, White adds a former All-CFL receiver to pair up with, yet be assured White and a fourth consecutive season of over 1,000 yards and (exactly) eight touchdowns is a lock.
STEADY WITH TIME
Reggie Begelton, Calgary ($11,600): Despite the challenges that faced the Stamps passing game in 2024, Begelton was his usual mark of consistency, topping over 1,000 yards for the third time in four seasons. Count on the number of touchdowns (four) to take an upward hike with Vernon Adams Jr. now at the helm.
Nic Demski, Winnipeg ($10,200): You cannot have a list of steady fantasy performers without Demski, who racked up a second straight 1,000-yard season along with a third consecutive season of at least six receiving majors. The Blue Bombers love getting creative with Demski. While he enters his tenth season, there are no signs of slowing down as he and the Bombers bid to reach the Grey Cup for a sixth consecutive campaign, with this one being in front of the home crowd.
NEW UNIFORM, SAME NUMBERS
Eugene Lewis, Ottawa ($11,400): Perhaps the biggest move of the off-season, Lewis left Edmonton and headed back East, this time joining potential superstar Brown and a loaded REDBLACKS receiving corps that already has fellow All-CFL Hardy, former All-CFL Bralon Addison, and the explosive Kalil Pimpleton. The pairing of Lewis and Brown will lead many fantasy users to happy weekends.
Kenny Lawler, Hamilton ($8,600): Good health hasn’t been a chilly chum of Lawler’s, who has missed a combined 20 games the past three seasons. However, when he’s on the field, Lawler remains one of the league’s most productive receivers, averaging 16.4 yards per catch and 5 majors per season. He and Bo Levi Mitchell will not take long to mesh, making him something of a value play in the early going before his salary takes the expected climb.
Tevin Jones, Calgary ($8,100): Targeted just 51 times last season, Jones made the most of his opportunities by averaging 18.3 yards per catch and averaging a visit to the end zone every eight receptions. The Stamps focused on improving their passing game by adding Adams Jr. at pivot along with keeping Jones in Alberta, albeit in a different locale. Expect the targets to increase for Jones, meaning the veteran could be in line for his first 1,000-yard season.
HERE’S TO GOOD HEALTH
Dalton Schoen, Winnipeg ($8,100): Losing the league’s most prolific receiver the previous two seasons (a combined 141 receptions for 2,663 yards and 26 touchdowns) was nearly impossible to replace, yet the Bombers reached another Grey Cup Final. Schoen will need some time to get adjusted but once he does, the lethal quick-strike element of Winnipeg’s passing game will return. Count on Zach Collaros to exceed last season’s modest total of 17 passing majors now that Schoen is back.
Malik Henry, Calgary ($6,500): Henry played in just three games in 2023 before being sidelined. He never returned last season, suffering a knee injury in practice a week before the regular season opener. Like Schoen for Winnipeg, Henry’s ability to puncture secondaries has been sorely missed in Calgary. A return of a healthy Henry goes a long way toward returning the Stampeders toward playoff contention.
Tyson Philpot, Montreal ($10,500): On pace with over 100 receptions, 1,400 receiving yards, and 10 majors, Philpot injured his foot in Week 11 and never returned to the field. Alouettes fans will tell you the loss of Philpot went a long way toward Montreal not repeating as Grey Cup champs, and their argument carries weight. He’s not quite at 100 per cent but once Philpot comes back, bank on him getting back to his elite status.
That said, here’s how we rank the top 15 fantasy receivers entering the regular season:
- Justin McInnis, BC ($13,500)
- Eugene Lewis, Hamilton ($11,400)
- Justin Hardy, Ottawa ($11,300)
- Tim White, Hamilton ($12,000)
- Kenny Lawler, Hamilton ($8,600)
- Samuel Emilus, Saskatchewan ($10,800)
- Reggie Begelton, Calgary ($11,600)
- KeeSean Johnson, Saskatchewan ($3,300)
- Kalil Pimpleton, Ottawa ($9,000)
- Nic Demski, Winnipeg ($10,200)
- Cole Spieker, Montreal ($7,700)
- Steven Dunbar Jr., Edmonton ($8,500)
- Damonte Coxie, Toronto ($10,000)
- Alexander Hollins, Edmonton ($11,900)
- Austin Mack, Montreal ($8,700)
FIVE POTENTIAL BREAKOUT CANDIDATES
- Jalen Philpot, Calgary ($6,400)
- Stanley Berryhill III, BC ($2,600)
- Kevens Clercius, Winnipeg ($2,600)
- Dhel Duncan-Busby, Saskatchewan ($2,500)
- Kevin Mital, Toronto ($6,500).