The CFL season is heating up, and each week, we’re diving into the numbers to spotlight the league’s top performers.

Thanks to consistent demand from fans, we’re bringing you the top 10 highest-graded CFL players who played significant snaps, based on PFF’s grading system.

From quarterbacks dissecting defenses to defensive linemen wreaking havoc in the trenches, these are the athletes who stood out above the rest in Week 16. We’ll be highlighting this group every week of the season, so CFL fans can keep track of the top-tier talent making an impact across the league.

Want to dig deeper into the data? Click here for full season-level PFF grades across the CFL.

Grading Highlight of the Week: RB Zander Horvath, B.C. Lions

Heading into last weekend, B.C. Lions rookie running back Zander Horvath had just one carry on the season — a 4-yard rush back in Week 5. But with starter James Butler sidelined due to injury, Horvath stepped into the spotlight and delivered in a big way.

The rookie exploded for 156 yards on 13 carries, including a 70-yard touchdown run, and finished as PFF’s highest-graded running back of the week. Still, his overall grade came in at a solid — but not elite — 79.7. So why the discrepancy?

Let’s start with the positives. Horvath earned an impressive 89.3 rushing grade, forcing three missed tackles and averaging a staggering 10.3 yards after contact per attempt. He gained positive yardage on every carry and even had a 36-yard run with two broken tackles wiped out by a penalty. As a pure runner, Horvath was exceptional.

Where Horvath’s overall grade dipped was in the other phases of the game. PFF evaluates running backs across four key areas: rushing, receiving, pass blocking and run blocking. While Horvath excelled as a rusher, the rest of his performance dragged down his composite grade.

He ran 22 routes but was targeted just once and dropped that lone opportunity. That single drop across so many receiving snaps resulted in a 39.1 receiving grade.

In pass protection, Horvath stayed in to block on four snaps. Although the sample size was not large, he allowed a quarterback hurry on one of them, which earned him a 49.1 grade in that area. He did not earn a formal run-blocking grade, as his only blocking reps came on quarterback sneaks, leading to a default grade of 58.8.

Altogether, Horvath posted grades of 89.3 (rushing), 39.1 (receiving), 49.1 (pass blocking) and 58.8 (run blocking). Rushing performance carries the most weight in a running back’s overall grade, with receiving and pass protection factored in to a lesser degree. That explains why his final mark of 79.7 reflects a strong but not elite showing — an outstanding game on the ground, offset by struggles elsewhere.

Quarterback

Running Back

Wide Receiver

Offensive Tackle

Offensive Guard

Centre

Interior Defender

Edge Defender

Linebacker

Cornerback

Halfback

Safety