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
- Deshaun Watson ($7100 DraftKings, $8400 FanDuel)
- DeAndre Hopkins ($8100 DraftKings, $8200 FanDuel)
Usually, I try to target low ownership stacks, but this one is simply too good to pass up.
The Raiders allow the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, including the overall QB1 performance in Week 2 (Mahomes) and Week 7 (Rodgers). Oakland generates very little quarterback pressure, ranking 27th overall with only 10 total sacks, and tied for last with only 13 quarterback hits.
Since entering the league, Watson has performed well in similar situations. In the eight games Watson has played as a home favorite of fewer than nine points, he’s outperformed his expectation by an average of 8.33 points per our trends tool. Watson is the safest play on Sunday’s main slate.
The stack with Hopkins is based on two factors: Positive regression and the absence of Will Fuller. Despite cresting 100 receiving yards only twice, Hopkins still ranks third among all wide receivers with 49 receptions and fifth with 68 targets. Fuller vacates seven targets and 4.9 receptions per game, opening the door for Hopkins to finally have his breakout game at home against a poor Oakland secondary.
The ownership projection (21-25%) is high on both players, but this is a unique high floor/high upside play that has a strong probability of returning 3X in an ideal matchup.
Running Back + DEF/Special Teams
- Todd Gurley ($7400 DraftKings, $7400 FanDuel)
- Rams D/ST ($3800 DraftKings, $5000 FanDuel)
In a week featuring many of the top running backs vs. tricky road defenses — Christian McCaffrey at San Francisco, Saquon Barkley at Detroit — sometimes the obvious play is the correct one.
The Cincinnati defense has been a sieve to opposing running backs, allowing a league-worst 26.8 fantasy points per game to opposing backfields. For some perspective, the Redskins are second-worst allowing only 21.3 fantasy points per game. Cincinnati has allowed an astounding 4.91 yards per carry and 58.7 receiving yards to running backs per game.
The Rams defense has underachieved for most of the season but looked completely different with the addition of cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Albeit against the Falcons, the Rams totaled five sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception in Ramsey’s first game.
There’s just enough public skepticism on Gurley to keep projected ownership (9-12%) at a reasonable level. With Los Angeles welcoming its bye in Week 9, look for Gurley to gather the high-value red-zone touches, and stack him with a rejuvenated Rams defense over in London.
Quarterback + Wide Receiver + Opposing Pass-Catcher
- Ryan Tannehill ($5100 DraftKings, $6900 FanDuel)
- A.J. Brown ($4100 DraftKings, $5500 FanDuel)
- Mike Evans ($6600 DraftKings, $7400 FanDuel)
This affordable stack takes advantage of a mobile quarterback with an undervalued rookie and pairs them with a big-play threat in an explosive offense.
Tannehill produced a QB1 performance last week with 312 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 23-20 home win over the Chargers. He’s a true dual-threat quarterback having exceeded 22 or more rushing yards in three of his 11 games last season. To have a Konami code quarterback with diverse offensive weapons in a favored home game at only $5,100 on DraftKings and $6,900 on FanDuel is a gift worth accepting.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: A.J. Brown
Brown has flashed big-play ability all season and produced a tidy six receptions and 64 receiving yards on eight targets against primary Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward. Brown provides the same upside as teammate Corey Davis at a lower price. Brown is a live play against Tampa Bay’s brutal pass defense. The Buccaneers have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this season.
Coming off their bye, Evans sees a decent price on both sites, and should find success against the Tennessee secondary. He’s significantly bigger than Tennessee’s outside cornerbacks (Malcolm Butler and Adoree’ Jackson). And with slot cornerback Logan Ryan limiting overall WR1 Chris Godwin, Evans should break free for some big gains. He posted nine receptions and 96 receiving yards against top Carolina cornerback James Bradberry in the Buccaneers’ last game.
This is an affordable but high-upside stack that provides sneaky GPP value in only a moderately projected high-scoring game.
Quarterback + Wide Receiver + Opposing Pass-Catcher
- Josh Allen ($6500 DraftKings, $7700 FanDuel)
- John Brown ($5900 DraftKings, $5900 FanDuel)
- Dallas Goedert ($2800 DraftKings, $4800 FanDuel)
If you want to pay up at running back for some combination of McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette and Barkley, I present a cheap three-player stack with very high upside.
The Bills will likely need to skew pass-heavy against a Philadelphia defense that’s allowed only 68.7 rushing yards per game. The Eagles secondary continues to be in disarray, allowing the most touchdowns (11), receiving yards (1383) and fantasy points per game (31.8) to opposing wideouts. Brown is a safe DFS pick with 69 or more receiving yards in five of Buffalo’s six games.
Goedert is a high-risk, high-reward tight end play who allows for more expensive wide receivers (Hopkins, Tyler Lockett) in favorable matchups. Goedert has drawn 12 targets over the past two games with consecutive TE1 results. He’s seen a 60% or higher snap share in the Eagles last three games (PlayerProfiler).
The Bills have been the third-best defense against opposing tight ends, but will likely focus on containing All-Pro Zach Ertz. They’re second-best to New England at limiting wide receiver production, which is certainly concerning to Philadelphia’s limited and handicapped (DeSean Jackson) group of wideouts. Look for the Eagles to feature the ground game and pepper the low priced Goedert with enough volume to provide a solid return on investment.
If you’re struggling for low-priced, high-upside stacks to help provide latitude for other more expensive players, consider this QB + WR + Opposing WR stack as an under the radar play.
