Two weeks into the 2026 CFL season, and there’s stability at the top — but movement is beginning underneath.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders remain the unanimous choice at No. 1 in the SportsCage.com CFL Power Rankings following another dramatic victory. At the same time, the Montreal Alouettes continue to look every bit like an East Division powerhouse at No. 2.
The biggest mover this week belongs to Hamilton, which vaulted three spots after an impressive road victory over Winnipeg.
1. Saskatchewan Roughriders (Last Week: 1)
Until someone knocks off the defending Grey Cup champions, the Riders stay on top.
Saskatchewan opened its title defence with another thriller against the B.C. Lions, one that felt eerily similar to last season’s Western Final. Just when it looked like the Lions had stolen momentum late, Trevor Harris calmly marched the offence 80 yards and delivered the game-winning touchdown to Samuel Emilus with 51 seconds remaining in a 31-27 victory.
The offence looked explosive from the opening possession.
Harris threw for 417 yards and three touchdowns, showing once again why age remains just a number for the 40-year-old Grey Cup MVP. Emilus hauled in all three touchdown catches while finishing with six receptions for 91 yards.
The Riders’ receiving corps might be the story of the young season. Kian Schaffer-Baker erupted for 165 yards on 11 catches while KeeSean Johnson added 131 yards.
Defensively, there are still areas to tighten up after allowing B.C. back into the game, but the champions found a way — and championship teams tend to do exactly that.
2. Montreal Alouettes (Last Week: 2)
Montreal continues to build a compelling case as Saskatchewan’s biggest challenger.
For the second consecutive week, the Alouettes overcame adversity before finishing strong, defeating Toronto 37-30 and improving to 2-0.
Quarterback Davis Alexander remains one of the league’s hottest stories.
Alexander completed 30 of 42 passes for 441 yards and two touchdowns while improving to an incredible 13-0 as a regular-season starter.
His connection with Tyson Philpot was nearly unstoppable. Philpot exploded for 193 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while Jerreth Sterns added 114 more.
Montreal also showed complete-team football late, scoring on a blocked punt and continuing to make winning plays across all three phases.
3. B.C. Lions (Last Week: 3)
No movement despite the loss.
That might seem surprising after dropping their opener, but B.C. showed enough against the top-ranked Riders to remain inside the top tier.
Nathan Rourke threw for 330 yards and kept drives alive with his legs, while James Butler scored twice on the ground as the Lions nearly erased a double-digit deficit.
There are no moral victories in professional football, but losing by four points on the road to the defending champions doesn’t justify a major drop.
4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Last Week: 7)
This week’s biggest riser.
Hamilton looked completely different from the team that opened the season with a loss.
The Tiger-Cats dominated stretches of their 37-27 win over Winnipeg and finally found balance offensively.
Bo Levi Mitchell delivered timely deep throws while rookie running back Larry Rountree III exploded for 124 rushing yards on 23 carries.
Kiondré Smith was the offensive star with two touchdown catches, but perhaps most importantly, Hamilton protected the football.
After turnovers hurt them in Week 1, the Tiger-Cats committed zero giveaways and controlled the game.
That’s enough to launch them into the top half of the rankings.
5. Edmonton Elks (Last Week: 5)
Bye weeks don’t usually create movement.
The Elks stay put after sitting out Week 2 and remain one of the tougher teams to evaluate early in the season.
6. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Last Week: 4)
The Bombers slide after their first loss of the season.
Hamilton exposed Winnipeg’s inability to establish the run and forced the Bombers into too many catch-up situations.
There’s no reason to panic, but dropping two spots reflects both Hamilton’s rise and questions about whether Winnipeg can consistently generate explosive offence.
7. Calgary Stampeders (Last Week: 6)
Sometimes teams fall without playing.
Calgary slips one spot simply because Hamilton earned a jump ahead of them.
No major concerns here — the Stampeders remain firmly in the middle tier heading into Week 3.
8. Toronto Argonauts (Last Week: 8)
The Argonauts stay eighth despite an encouraging offensive performance.
Chad Kelly returned and immediately reminded everyone what Toronto’s ceiling can look like, throwing for 445 yards and three touchdowns.
The problem? Montreal simply made more winning plays.
Toronto showed enough offensively to avoid falling.
9. Ottawa REDBLACKS (Last Week: 9)
No change at the bottom.
Ottawa still has work to do to climb out of ninth and will need a stronger showing to start changing perceptions around the league.
SportsCage.com CFL Power Rankings — Week 2
- Saskatchewan Roughriders (1)
- Montreal Alouettes (2)
- B.C. Lions (3)
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats (7) ↑3
- Edmonton Elks (5) —
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4) ↓2
- Calgary Stampeders (6) ↓1
- Toronto Argonauts (8) —
- Ottawa REDBLACKS (9) —
