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 Correlations page is also a great resource to find hidden edges in stacking positions and games.
Quarterback + Wide Receiver
- Carson Wentz ($6300 DraftKings, $7700 FanDuel)
- DeSean Jackson ($4900 DraftKings, $5700 FanDuel)
Death, taxes, and DeSean Jackson in Week 1.
The word is out on Jackson’s strong early-season production; but just because it’s popular, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Since 2011, Jackson has averaged 8.4 targets, 5.5 receptions, 93.4 receiving yards, 0.8 touchdowns and 19.3 PPR fantasy points in Week 1 matchups. He faces a Washington secondary that he torched last season for eight receptions, 154 receiving yards, and two touchdowns en route to an overall WR2 fantasy performance.
Pair Jackson with quarterback Carson Wentz, who has formed a formidable Week 1 duo with head coach Doug Pederson. In their three Week 1 pairings, Wentz has averaged a 66.1% completion percentage, 299.3 passing yards, 2.3 passing touchdowns, 0.3 interceptions and 24.7 fantasy points per game.
Jackson’s price is incredibly affordable, liberating ample salary cap space to add other high-priced wideout. Eagles wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and rookie Jalen Reagor are both expected to miss Philadelphia’s Week 1 game. Their absence elevates and solidifies Jackson’s role as Philadelphia’s clear de facto WR1. Per our Matthew Freedman from his NFL WR/CB Matchups column for Week 1, Jackson will likely draw an assignment from Washington cornerback Fabian Moreau in man-coverage situations. Moreau has ranked poorly in coverage per Pro Football Focus in each of the past three seasons.
Wentz commands the seventh-highest QB salary on FanDuel and the eighth-highest QB salary on DraftKings. He faces a Washington team that allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks last season while ranking just 24th in Football Outsiders’ pass defense DVOA. Wentz’s and Jackson’s combined ownership may be high, but Wentz-Jackson is a Week 1 stack that deserves high ownership.
Running Back + DEF/Special Teams
- Austin Ekeler ($7000 DraftKings, $7700 FanDuel)
- Chargers D/ST ($2800 DraftKings, $4200 FanDuel)
I always look for a strong defense facing a rookie quarterback in Week 1. The Chargers bring one of the NFL’s top projected defenses into Cincinnati to face former LSU star Joe Burrow making his first NFL start.
The Chargers bolstered their defense with the impactful additions of four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Chris Harris and defensive tackle Linval Joseph. Harris will join with cornerbacks Casey Hayward, Desmond King, and Mike Davis to form one of the best secondaries in the league. Meanwhile Joseph will support two-time Pro Bowl Joey Bosa and fellow lineman Melvin Ingram.
Cincinnati was among the league’s worst offenses in 2019. The Bengals allowed the fifth-most rushing yards and ninth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. The versatile Ekeler finished second among all running backs in targets (102), receptions (92), and receiving yards (993) last year. Furthermore, Ekeler achieved those gaudy receiving statistics while spending 12 games splitting time with former lead running back Melvin Gordon.
In the four games Gordon did not play, Ekeler tallied 23.5% of the the Chargers’ receptions, 21.4% of the receiving yards, and an overwhelming 60% of Los Angeles’ touchdowns. Even with the presence of third-year running back Justin Jackson and rookie Joshua Kelley, Ekeler is likely to command heavy usage in this plum Week 1 matchup.
Quarterback + Wide Receiver + Opposing Pass Catcher
- Jimmy Garoppolo ($5800 DraftKings, $7400 FanDuel)
- George Kittle ($7200 DraftKings, $8000 FanDuel)
- Christian Kirk ($5000 DraftKings, $5800 FanDuel)
George Kittle likely will be the most highly owned tight end on the Sunday main slate, but quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s low-ownership projection makes this stack very appealing.
Garoppolo feasted on the Cardinals last season, totaling 747 passing yards and eight touchdowns en route to weekly fantasy finishes of QB2 and QB4. Arizona allowed the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2019, including a league-worst 16 touchdowns.
Arizona wideout Christian Kirk struggled against San Francisco, mainly as a result of cornerback Richard Sherman. With DeAndre Hopkins on the field, look for opportunities to open up for Kirk, who is available at a great value on both sites.
The over/under has risen from 45.5 to 48 total points, making this game the second-highest projected main slate battle behind Atlanta-Seattle. The Cardinals ranked 26th in pass defense DVOA but surprisingly ranked sixth in run defense efficiency. Despite San Francisco’s prolific rushing attack, the 49ers only averaged 3.3 and 1.8 yards per carry respectively in their two matchups with Arizona. To win this game, he 49ers will need to pass more than the average DFS player will project.
FantasyLabs projects Kittle’s ownership at 13% to 16%, but Garoppolo’s projected ownership is only 2% to 4%. Kirk is a nice, cheap alternative for an Arizona team that played at the fourth-fastest pace in 2019 per Football Outsiders.
Garoppolo’s past success, ownership projections, and an elevated game total make this an affordable QB + WR + Opposing WR stack for Week 1.
