TORONTO — The draft period for the new CFL Fantasy presented by theScore Bet is well underway.
CFL.ca’s writers joined separate leagues from each other and have completed their own drafts, building their ultimate rosters ahead of the 2026 season.
If you haven’t drafted yet, there’s still plenty of time to gather your friends and figure out who you should take with your first round pick, regardless of whether you’re picking first overall or sixth. Should you go with a veteran quarterback or a big play receiver? Perhaps a dual threat running back is the way to go.
If you’re looking for some inspiration of who to take with your first pick, our experts are here to share who they selected first on their draft boards.
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KRISTINA COSTABILE | THIRD OVERALL | BO LEVI MITCHELL
I knew I wouldn’t get Nathan Rourke once my turn came around at third overall, so I decided to go with the next best quarterback instead of a receiver (but it was tempting to take Keon Hatcher Sr.!) Back-to-back 5,000+ yard seasons and a league-high 36 touchdown passes in 2025 were the upside for me to take Mitchell. With Kenny Lawler enjoying the best season of his career playing with Mitchell and Kiondré Smith also coming off a 1,000-yard season, the sky should be the limit for Mitchell this season in Hamilton. I hope.
MATTHEW CAUZ | FIRST OVERALL | NATHAN ROURKE
I was lucky enough to get the first pick in my draft, and this was a no doubter. I took the obvious pick of BC Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke. The gulf between Nathan Rourke and the next best quarterback from a fantasy standpoint is bigger than the gap between Keon Hatcher Sr. and whoever you believe is the No. 2 receiver in the game. Dedrick Mills led the league in rushing, but I can make a case for four other running backs to do the same in 2026. I took the CFL’s best passer who also led all quarterbacks with 564 yards on the ground as well. Easy pick.
VICKI HALL | THIRD OVERALL | KENNY LAWLER
With Nathan Rourke and Keon Hatcher Sr. gone with the first two picks, I selected Kenny Lawler for his big-play ability and his fondness for the end zone. He led the entire league with 14 receiving touchdowns last season and finished second only to Hatcher with 1,443 receiving yards. The Tiger-Cats are my pick to win the 113th Grey Cup, and there’s clearly a good reason why they opened the vault during training camp to sign Lawler to a new extension through 2028. Given the on-field chemistry between Lawler and veteran gunslinger Bo Levi Mitchell, I expect Lawler to put up big numbers — perhaps even bigger than last year — in 2026.
JAMIE NYE | THIRD OVERALL | JUSTIN RANKIN
After Nathan Rourke and Brady Oliveira went back-to-back, there was no doubt who I was picking. Justin Rankin’s ability to catch the ball in a PPR format and run the ball is a massive game breaker for a running back that can be used in Edmonton’s offence like he is. Plus, Cody Fajardo will be a safer QB and make sure he makes the smart play to dump it off to Rankin rather than put his team at risk if nothing is there down field. I pondered taking him first to be honest, if I were picking No. 1.
PAT STEINBERG | FOURTH OVERALL | KENNY LAWLER
With the connection he built with Bo Levi Mitchell back for another year, it’s impossible to ignore his 1,400+ yards and 14 receiving touchdowns from 2025. Even if the numbers aren’t quite as high this season, Kenny Lawler still projects to have another monster campaign.
