This piece will identify some of my favorite NFL DFS stacks of the weekend. Be sure to use our Stacking tool within our Player Models to find the highest projected stacks, the stacks that figure to be chalky, and more. Our Correlation Dashboard is also an excellent resource for finding hidden edges in stacking positions and games.
You can also plug these stacks into our Lineup Builder to hand-build the rest of it, or you can optimize it with our projections. And if you like to create multiple lineups, our Lineup Optimizer allows you to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups.
The Lineup Optimizer has endless customization opportunities.
Oh yeah! And our SimLabs Lineup Generator gives you the ability to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
You can check out our in-depth SimLabs guide here.
Week 18 NFL DFS Stacks and Picks
Joe Flacco + Jonathan Taylor + Michael Pittman Jr. + Brian Thomas Jr.
- Joe Flacco ($5,400 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel)
- Jonathan Taylor ($8,200 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel)
- Michael Pittman Jr. ($5,200 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel)
- Brian Thomas Jr. ($7,300 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel)
The Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars are both eliminated from playoff contention, but it does not seem like either side is resting any players for their Week 18 matchup. This could also be quarterback Joe Flacco‘s swan song. He is 39 years old, and it would not be surprising if this was his last game played.
The Colts are five-point home favorites against their division rival and get the luxury of playing at home in a dome in January. This game has a 44-point total, which is tied for the second-highest on the slate.
Playing against the Jaguars secondary is the best matchup for opposing quarterbacks. They are allowing a league-high 257.7 passing yards and 25.6 points per game this season. Opposing quarterbacks are averaging 19.6 fantasy points per game against them, which makes this a prime spot for Flacco. Anthony Richardson is most likely out again this week, making Flacco the starter. In his start last week, Flacco threw for 330 yards and two touchdowns, accumulating 21.3 DraftKings points. At his price tag, that is a steal.
In order to capture all of the Colts’ touchdowns, we are going to pair Flacco with Colts’ stud running back Jonathan Taylor. In his 13 games played this season, Taylor is averaging 96.5 rushing yards per game with 11 total touchdowns. After not scoring since Week 8, Taylor has five rushing touchdowns in back-to-back games. He has averaged 171.5 rushing yards and 36.7 DraftKings points per game in his last two games.
Not only are the Jaguars awful against the pass, but they are not much better against the run, allowing 127.8 rushing yards per game. Opposing running backs are averaging a total of 25.2 fantasy points per game, which is the second-highest in the league. Taylor has been accumulating a majority of the Colts’ running back snaps recently. Keep an eye on his status to make sure he is not limited. Taylor is drawing the second-highest ownership at the running back position, making him a strong play in all formats.
Which wide receiver to get exposure to comes down to Michael Pittman Jr. or Josh Downs. The latter was popular last week but posted a dud with only three catches for 22 yards on four targets. Meanwhile, Pittman Jr. erupted for nine receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown. He had 10 targets and a team-high 28% target share. The biggest differentiator between these two is the route participation. Downs only ran 65% of the team’s routes compared to 95% for Pittman Jr., who also had 100% last week.
Both wide receivers are priced similarly across the industry, so it is difficult not to run it back with Pittman Jr. in this spot. Downs is more of a tournament dart throw, but Pittman Jr. is the preferred option. Pittman Jr. leads the Colts in receptions and targets while ranking second in yards to Alec Pierce. Pittman Jr. is a great pairing with Flacco and Taylor. These three should torch the pitiful Jaguars defense this week.
Brian Thomas Jr. is the clear-cut top bring-back for the Jaguars. He is coming off a season-high 48% target share, where he scored his fourth touchdown in his last three weeks. It was the first game where he ran 100% of the team routes. Over the last five weeks, Thomas Jr. has had double-digit targets in every game. Even at a higher price tag, Thomas Jr. is arguably one of the best pay-up options on the slate.
The Colts defense is not the Jaguars, but they have allowed 230.8 passing yards per game, which ranks as the seventh-highest in the league. Mac Jones is not the best quarterback to be receiving passes from, but at least he peppers the rookie with a multitude of targets. Mac Jones and Joe Flacco in a shootout at Lucas Oil Stadium. What a time to be alive. Welcome to Week 18. This is my favorite tournament stack.
Don’t forget to check out our SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
Justin Herbert + Ladd McConkey + Brock Bowers
- Justin Herbert ($5,900 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel)
- Ladd McConkey ($6,900 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel)
- Brock Bowers ($6,600 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel)
Currently seeded sixth in the AFC playoffs with a 10-6 record are the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s an impressive season for first-year Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. They are 4.5-point road favorites against the Las Vegas Raiders, implied for 23 points, and looking for the season sweep. Targeting another dome game will be beneficial despite the pretty low 41.5-point game total.
This game could be extremely interesting, depending on the outcome of the Steelers and Bengals matchup on Saturday. The Bengals are two-point favorites, and if they beat the Steelers, then the Chargers will have a chance to beat the Raiders and secure the No. 5 seed. That would ultimately mean getting a playoff matchup against the beaten-down Texans compared to the red-hot Ravens. If the Steelers win, then the Chargers are locked into the No. 6 seed, which makes this an interesting spot. Go Bengals!
Under the Chargers’ new coaching staff, quarterback Justin Herbert is having the best year of his five-year career. He has thrown a career-low three interceptions while posting a career-high 99.9 quarterback rating with 23 total touchdowns. Over his last three games, Herbert has thrown seven touchdowns and is averaging 20.8 DraftKings points per game over that time, which will easily pay off his sub-$6,000 salary.
The Raiders have been a decent pass defense but have faced Spencer Rattler, Mac Jones, and Kirk Cousins in their last three games. In their season opener, the Chargers beat the Raiders 22-10, and Herbert was visibly still getting his feet wet in the new offense. He has been dialed in recently, especially when throwing to his No. 1 target, rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey.
Since Week 11, McConkey has taken the No. 1 receiving option and run with it. During that six-game stretch that he played, McConkey averaged 93.7 receiving yards per game with three touchdowns. He has double-digit DraftKings points in each game while averaging an impressive 20 DraftKings points per game during that time, to go along with a team-high 27% target share.
Despite a rising salary across the industry, McConkey has the third-highest projected ownership. He is coming off one of his best games of the season, with eight receptions for 84 yards and two receiving touchdowns. With not many true pay-up options worth targeting, McConkey is a fantastic option. If the Chargers are, in fact, playing for the fifth seed, McConkey will need to be a priority on this slate.
Currently ranked second in fantasy points per game among tight ends is rookie Brock Bowers. He set three different records last week. His 108 catches is a season-high for any Raiders player, breaking the record set by Darren Waller in 2020. He also broke Puka Nacua‘s 105 catches from a rookie last season. Lastly, Bowers’ 1,144 receiving yards is the most in NFL history by a rookie tight end, breaking Mike Ditka’s record he held since 1961. Bowers has one more game to add to his historic rookie season.
With the uncertainty at the top of the tight end pricing tier, Bowers is easily the top option to target. He is currently drawing the most ownership at the tight end position for DraftKings and FanDuel by a wide margin. Bowers is second in nearly all statistical categories at his position behind Trey McBride. He has not scored a touchdown since Week 13, but Bowers continues to be peppered with targets. It is difficult to find a player with his upside at the tight end position, making him an elite play in all formats.
If the Bengals win Saturday, this game stack is full speed ahead. If the Steelers win, read the news and make sure the Chargers are not taking their foot off the gas for this Week 18 matchup.
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