Here are my top five NFL QB-WR stacks for the main DraftKings fantasy football slate this week. Let’s get to it.
For the uninitiated, 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 DraftKings fantasy football lineup. With the significance of stacking in mind, this article aims to highlight the best stacking options for Sunday’s main DraftKings DFS slate.
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5. Baker Mayfield ($6,200)/Odell Beckham Jr. ($5,800), Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings
Both teams would like to run the ball and play defense and it’s within the range of outcomes that this game is a slug-it-out affair. There is also the chance that this game goes back-and-forth and becomes a shootout. The 51.5 implied total is the fourth-highest on the slate and the Vikings will likely be passing a lot due to the excellent run defense of the Browns (fourth-best run DVOA).
If the Vikings put up points (Spoiler alert: I like Kirk Cousins), then the Browns will have to respond in-kind. Last year, Mayfield had three huge games: 297 yards with five touchdowns, 343 yards with two touchdowns and 334 yards with four touchdowns. Those games finished with scores of 37-34, 41-35 and 42-47.
Beckham Jr. returned to action last week after suffering an injury last season and caught five of nine targets for 77 yards. Jarvis Landry is still out, so Beckham should be the target hog in this one.
The Vikings are 24th in pass DVOA and both Breshad Breeland and Patrick Peterson are rated low by PFF.
There are juicier options to stack on the slate and there is a hint of uncertainty as to the game flow and environment for this one. As a result, the ownership level should be very low for this stack.
4. Matt Ryan ($5,400)/Calvin Ridley ($7,000), Atlanta Falcons vs. Washington Football Team
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I’ve recommended the Ryan/Ridley stack every week so far, and I will keep banging my head against the wall. Am I insane? Am I stupid? Probably a combination of the two.
Atlanta is 10th in passing attempts per game at 39.7. Ridley is 13th in targets with 29 and 9.7 per game — volume, volume, volume. Oh, the Falcons are also dead-last in rush DVOA.
Now, there are some things to think about. Washington is fourth in pass rush, and while they are 28th in pass DVOA, they were second last season. Has the sample size been too small? On the flip side, is the Falcons offense going to be bad all season or are they still adjusting to a new coordinator?
Regardless, the concentrated target tree, volume and lack of a running game has me doing the same thing for the fourth week in a row expecting a different result.
3. Teddy Bridgewater ($5,700)/Courtland Sutton ($5,700), Denver Broncos vs. Baltimore Ravens
This game will likely be a grind-it-out, defensive affair. DraftKings Sportsbook has the O/U at 44.5, the third-lowest on the slate.
Here’s the thing, though. The Ravens are very good against the run as they are 10th in rush DVOA and 13th according to PFF. So, the Broncos are going to have to throw at some point.
Last week, Bridgewater only attempted 25 passes because of the ineptitude of the Jets offense. In the first two games of the season, he attempted 36 and 34 passes and threw two touchdowns in each game. The Broncos won those games handily, but those two defenses were 20th and 30th in pass DVOA — the Ravens are 21st.
Bridgewater should attempt around 35 passes in this one as that is the path of least resistance. If Lamar Jackson ($7,500) can work his magic, then that number could rise towards 40.
Sutton is the alpha receiver on the Broncos and leads the team with 20 targets. With Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler out, the target tree is condensed. Marlon Humphrey does grade out decently according to PFF, but he primarily lines up on the left side of the formation. Sutton is utilized all over the field, so he should get plenty of matchups against Anthony Averett and Tavon Young.
2. Kirk Cousins ($6,400)/Justin Jefferson ($7,300)/Adam Thielen ($6,800), Minnesota Vikings vs. Cleveland Browns
There’s a reason why I like the Mayfield/Beckham stack this weekend and it’s because I loooooooove the Vikings stack. The O/U is a healthy 51.5 with the Browns favored by two points. Cousins has been a home dog in three games as a Viking and he’s averaged 23.74 DKFP in those contests.
The Browns have one of the best run defenses in the league, so although the Vikings would prefer to run and play defense, they will likely have to attack via the air this week. As mentioned in the Mayfield section, the Vikings have struggled a bit in pass defense and with the great rush game that the Browns have, they should be able to put up points in this one.
To open the season, Cousins has thrown for 351, 244 and 323 yards with two, three and three touchdowns. The target tree is concentrated between Jefferson and Thielen for the Vikings which makes this stack that much more enticing. Jefferson has 30 targets on the season while Thielen has 26. No other receiver has more than 17.
1. Aaron Rodgers ($6,800)/Davante Adams ($7,900), Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
This stack is expensive and early projected ownership numbers have Adams as one of the highest-rostered receivers on the slate. That said, Rodgers is showing as one of the lowest-rostered quarterbacks. Pairing the two could be very unique this weekend.
The Steelers have one of the best rush defenses in the league, as they are sixth in DVOA. Against the pass, they are 23rd. Now they are third in pass rush, but Rodgers has only taken five sacks this season, tied for 22nd in the league.
The Packers are implied for a healthy 26.25 points and most of that should come through the air. Adams has a whopping 34 targets on the season, tops in the league. Only two other Packers have at least 10 with Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($4,300) garnering 15.
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