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Can you guys feel it? The fall season is upon us, and so is the first main slate of the NFL season. This article highlights some key QB and WR stacks for Sunday's games. The concept behind stacking a QB with his WR is simple: Both players benefit from each completion, doubling the benefit of that play for your fantasy lineup. Seventy-nine percent of the lineups that won DraftKings' Fantasy Football Millionaire contests used a QB stack in their lineup. With the significance of stacking in mind, this article will provide some of the best stacking options for Sunday's main slate.
Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions
Jalen Hurts ($6,800) / A.J. Brown ($6,400)
The Philadelphia Eagles have been active this offseason, and their major acquisition was getting an alpha WR in A.J. Brown. Hurts scampered for just under 800 yards last season and put up 10 scores in just 15 games. His ability on the ground gives him the ability to hit his ceiling projections more times than not, and the Lions have some question marks in their secondary. Jeff Okudah has allowed a career 121.8 passer rating to his coverage and needs to play better for this unit to be better than where I have them, which is a bottom-third unit in the NFL coming into the season.
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers
Joe Burrow ($6,400) / Tee Higgins ($6,100)
My hot take for the 2022 season: Tee Higgins will outscore Ja'Marr Chase ($7,100) in all fantasy formats, including Week 1. This take will undoubtedly get a lot of heat, but hear me out.
Last season, Higgins averaged 14.7 yards per reception and just under 10 yards per target. He also outscored Chase in four out of the season's final six games. Opposing defenses will shift coverage and put their best cornerback on Chase, leaving Higgins with the No. 2 for most of the season. The Steelers have one of the older secondaries in the league, which is not great when you're going up against one of the youngest and most talented.
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa ($5,700) / Tyreek Hill ($6,800)
It’s a new era in New England, and this could be a unit to potentially attack week-after-week, which is weird with how New England’s secondary has historically played under Bill Belichick. Still, Tua has the best weapons around him since he’s been in the league and Hill is still one of the most explosive players in the NFL. J.C. Jackson is no longer on the Patriots, and no one matches Hill’s speed profile. He averaged 9.4 yards per target, and it could be a massive day against a division rival. Tagovailoa won’t get anything on the ground, but he’ll be massively under-rostered, especially with all the options at QB in Week 1.
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans
Davis Mills ($5,300) / Brandin Cooks ($6,300)
Let’s get weird in Week 1! If you’re looking for a cheap stack, Mills and Co. should be passing quite a bit in this contest as seven-point dogs against the Colts. They're one of 10 home dogs this week, and we saw flashes of Mills and Cooks being able to produce last season, especially in their last handful of games. Cooks’ target share was 11-10-11 in Weeks 15-to-17 and he averaged 24.3 DKFP. Cooks has played with a carousel of QBs in his career and has finished with over 1,000 yards in six of his eight years in the league. The Colts’ secondary brought in Stephon Gilmore, which tempers expectations a touch if he shadows Cooks. However, it looks like Gilmore will be on Nico Collins ($4,200), and Kenny Moore II will be defending Cooks most of the time, which is a much better matchup. Last season, Moore gave up 9.7 yards per reception and a 90.9 passer rating when targeted.
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