This piece will identify some of my favorite DFS stacks of the weekend. Be sure to use our Stacking tool found within our Player Models to find the highest projected stacks, the stacks that figure to be chalky, and more. Our Correlation Dashboard is also a great resource to find hidden edges in stacking positions and games.
Running Back + Wide Receiver + Opposing Tight End
- Leonard Fournette ($7,400 DK, $7,600 FD)
- Chris Godwin ($7,100 DK, $7,700 FD)
- Dawson Knox ($5,000 DK, $6,000 FD)
This Tampa Bay-Buffalo game is incredibly unique. It carries the highest over/under (53.5 points) on the Sunday slate, yet each defense is very effective at limiting individual offensive positions.
Buffalo ranks first in fewest schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends (4for4). Tampa Bay is not quite as strong but still ranks seventh-best against quarterbacks, 12th against running backs and ninth-best against wide receivers. So, how will the points be scored?
The first play is clearly Tampa Bay running back Leonard Fournette, who has four consecutive RB2 or better performances, including the overall RB1 and RB5 games the past two weeks. Fournette has seen over an over 80% snap share the past two weeks, a rarity in today’s RBBC NFL. The best part of Fournette’s production is his high passing game use, seeing 31 targets the past four games. He is second in PPR fantasy points per game (24.2) since Week 9, with an increased average (26.6) since Week 11.
Buffalo’s loss of CB Tre’Davious White has opened up some latitude in the normally stout secondary, and we are adding wideout Chris Godwin, who has a more varied route tree than Mike Evans. Besides a poor performance in Week 12 at Indianapolis, Godwin has been uber-productive without Antonio Brown in the lineup this year. His per-game averages?
- 11 targets
- 8.8 receptions
- 103.2 receiving yards
- 0.6 touchdowns
If this game approaches the 53.5 point total, Godwin and Fournette are the most likely offensive options to explode. Both players come with a high price tag, gravitating me towards a lesser-priced bring-back option. The Buccaneers’ biggest weakness is against opposing tight ends, where they rank 22nd in fewest fantasy points allowed to the position. Buffalo’s Dawson Knox has been one of the most proficient per-game tight producers since Week 3.
Knox produced the overall TE2 and TE4 stat lines in the two weeks prior to breaking his hand in Week 6 against Tennessee. He returned in Week 10 and subsequently had the TE6 and TE3 in Weeks 11 and 12. Knox’s seven total touchdowns rank first among all tight ends, even in just 10 games.
Using this unique stack configuration allows for fantastic options at the other positions. Using the FantasyLabs Optimizer, I produced the following lineups for FanDuel and DraftKings. The FanDuel lineup gets a great stack with Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill, and the DraftKings allows room for two projected workhorse running backs in Antonio Gibson and Saquon Barkley.
I am always looking to stack in the highest projected game, and this creative grouping provides us the perfect opportunity in Week 14.
Running Back + Tight End + Opposing Wide Receiver
- JaMycal Hasty ($4,000 DK, $4,700 FD)
- George Kittle ($6,900 DK, $7,100 FD)
- Tee Higgins ($6,400 DK, $6,800 FD)
This week’s free-square DFS play is San Francisco’s JaMycal Hasty, who enters Week 14 as the only healthy San Francisco running back. Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson Jr., Trey Sermon, and Trenton Cannon are all nursing injuries. This has resulted in San Francisco working out Brian Hill, Jeremy Cox, and Dexter Williams in preparation for Sunday’s game at Cincinnati.
The Bengals allow the eighth-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to opposing running backs, which will provide ample opportunity for Hasty to far exceed his minimal cost. Hasty has yet to have a game as the leading running back this season, but his three games of three or more receptions illustrate his efficiency in the passing game. The lead running back on the 49ers is always a favorable DFS position, as San Francisco ranks fifth in team rushing attempts per game (29.6). In their last three games, the 49ers are skewing even more run-heavy, increasing to 35.3 attempts per contest.
With wide receiver Deebo Samuel out with a groin strain, tight end George Kittle returned to his dominant DFS production last week. He is coming off a monstrous Week 13 overall TE1 game with nine receptions, 181 yards, and two touchdowns. While this may feel like “chasing points,” he has another favorable matchup against the Bengals, who have allowed 100 yards or a touchdown to four of the past five tight ends they’ve faced. With limited options at running back and no Samuel (not officially out yet), Kittle should dominate yet again.
I’m bringing back Tee Higgins, who ranks as the sixth-best PPR wide receiver since Week 11. Over the past two weeks? Higgins is the overall WR1 with 26.1 PPR FPPG. Despite Higgins greatly outperforming rookie wideout Ja’Marr Chase since Week 8, Higgins is still $500 cheaper on DraftKings and $400 cheaper on FanDuel.
The savings on Hasty allows for some incredible opportunties at other positions. Here is a DraftKings lineup I created using our FantasyLabs Optimizer that actually includes a double-stack of Higgins and Chase.
I created a second DraftKings lineup that includes the high-projected usage of Austin Ekeler, who could operate without both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams available.
The Bengals offense is too explosive to underachieve for a second consecutive week. Both Tee Higgins and JaMycal Hasty should be the center of their respective offenses, leading to high-upside production with this stack.
Editor’s note: There have been some reports from San Francisco beat writers that Jeff Wilson could be the front-runner to lead the backfield after Thursday’s full practice, while Hasty works as the change-of-pace back. Our models currently project Eli Mitchell as “in,” so be sure to monitor final injury reports on Friday, along with projection updates throughout the weekend.
Running Back + Defense/Special Teams
- Javonte Williams ($5,900 DK, $6,700 FD)
- Denver DEF/ST ($3,800 DK, $4,300 FD)
Even with the potential return of Melvin Gordon, this matchup is simply too good for Javonte Wiliams.
Williams provided the overall RB1 performance with six receptions (on nine targets), 178 total yards, and a touchdown last week against Kansas City.. Melvin Gordon missed last week with a hip injury but certainly will want to return as soon as possible to avoid another Williams explosion. Denver returns home to face a Detroit team that allows the third-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to opposing running backs.
Williams has a fantastic three-down skillset, tallying a 73% college target share while at North Carolina (PlayerProfiler). It is a perfect matchup against a Detroit team that is coming off their first win of the season.
Denver’s pass rush is one of the NFL’s best when playing at Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos lead the NFL with an average of 3.3 sacks per game at home. Detroit is still without star running back D’Andre Swift, and quarterback Jared Goff ranks just 28th with a 37.1% completion percentage under pressure (PlayerProfiler).
This is the perfect scenario for a low-cost DFS running back with huge upside, paired with a strong Denver defense that will bring constant pressure on an inferior Detroit offense.
