DFS Stacks: Week 1 Winners
Every NFL DFS main slate for the remainder of the season is going to be absolutely loaded with strong plays across the salary spectrum. If you are building lineups for tournaments, GPPs, or large contests, it is absolutely imperative that you practice the art of stacking. Whether it’s a game stack or pure team stack, having multiple pieces of the most fantasy-friendly games on the slate is the way to separate you from the pack and push your roster to the top. Here are my favorite stacks to target this week in DFS Stacks: Week 1 Winners.
With that in mind, here are some of the top stacks for the Week 1 main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. I will also throw in a contrarian option for each stack in case these plays prove to be too chalky. So fire up your Soulja Boy, because we’re about to dive into some stacks on stacks on stacks.
Dalvin Cook + MIN Defense + Tee Higgins
Cook against a leaky Bengals’ defensive line is going to lead him to be a chalky play this week despite the high salary ($9,100 on DraftKings/$9,400 on FanDuel). Cook has a path to 25+ touches and a significant role in a potential Vikings victory. Cook was number one in the NFL last year in goal line carries, so if the Vikings get within the five-yard line, you can be sure Cook will have a shot at the end zone to go along with his mammoth opportunity share (79.9% last year).
But if there is one unit that is worse on the Bengals than the defensive line, it’s the offensive line. And instead of addressing that in the early stages of the draft, Cincinnati selected another wide receiver – Ja’Marr Chase – who has made headlines for being inconsistent in camp. This does not bode well for the protection of Joe Burrow, coming off major knee surgery less than 10 months ago. If he is shaky and the Vikings can provide some pressure, it should help the Minnesota defense pile up the points.
With Chase’s role and level of production an unknown, and Tyler Boyd catching all the short stuff underneath, Higgins is the Bengals receiver you want for a mid-range salary ($4,700/$6,000). Burrow threw the 10th-most deep balls last year despite missing six games, and if Cincinnati is in catch-up mode, it could be all Higgins, all the time.
Contrarian Stack: Kirk Cousins + Adam Thielen + Ja’Marr Chase
Jalen Hurts + Calvin Ridley + Kyle Pitts
When I recommend you play a “naked” Jalen Hurts, it’s certainly nothing inappropriate. No one wants to see Jalen Hurts naked out there, much less see you naked while you roster him. This simply means there are too many questions about his potential pass-catchers to trust any of them as a stack with Hurts. But by rostering the Eagles’ quarterback, you have access to all of Hurts’ passing production as well as whatever he can do for you on the ground.
This Eagles-Falcons game features two of the worst cumulative defenses in the NFL, which is why it boasts an over/under of 48.5, which has been bought up from 46.5 points when lines were released. Specifically, the Eagles’ secondary is projected to be one of the worst in the league and now has to deal with two elite pass catchers in Ridley and Pitts. At salaries of only $4,400 and $6,000 Sunday, Pitts is likely to be the tight end play du jour, never mind the fact that he has never played an NFL snap. But if you are looking for two in the best of the game in a soft landing spot to open the season, it’s hard to go wrong with Ridley and Pitts.
Contrarian Stack: Matt Ryan + Calvin Ridley + Devonta Smith (Falcons’ secondary should be the worst in the NFL)
Sign up here for FanDuel Sportsbook, place a $10 bet, and get a FREE $50 bet!
Russell Wilson + DK Metcalf + Michael Pittman
This is likely to be a low-rostered stack, but one that can provide plenty of fireworks. The plan in Seattle after bringing in offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is to rebrand the offense as an up-tempo, more plays per game unit, with coaches looking to pass more and pass faster. That should pay dividends for both Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, whose fast starts were brought to a halt after midseason in 2020 when Seattle recommitted to the run game.
Metcalf, of course, is almost not guardable. Even with poor separation and cushion metrics, Metcalf simply out-muscles defenders for the ball down the field and in the red zone. Metcalf ranked third in 2020 with 31 deep targets and ranked tenth with 16 red zone targets.
He will be put to the test against a defense that had the best coverage play rate in the league last season, but this should only serve to keep his roster percentage completely in check. This is a player who ranked second in the NFL in air yards last year, so the volume should continue to be overwhelming.
Pittman plummeted down draft boards and then shot back up again once the news came out that Carson Wentz would likely be ready to start in Week 1. He is the best pass-catching option for the Colts with TY Hilton sidelined with a neck injury and whether you believe in the elite college metrics, the Bible narrative, or the high draft capital, this is now Pittman’s time to shine. Seattle’s secondary finished last in coverage grade last season and ranked only 24th as a unit.
Contrarian Stack: Chris Carson + SEA Defense + Michael Pittman (are Wentz’s mental issues fixed? We’ll see)
Ryan Tannehill + Derrick Henry + AJ Brown + DeAndre Hopkins/Rondale Moore
At first glance, a stack of a team’s quarterback, running back, and wide receiver seems counter-productive. Typically, we want a running back if we expect one team to build a comfortable lead as they grind out the clock, and the quarterback/receivers if it’s a projected blowout.
But the Titans are a DFS unicorn in that they frequently have enough pace and offensive production to support Henry’s massive workload and a big receiver game. We know that DeAndre Hopkins is far and away the primary target among pass catchers for the Cardinals. He demanded a 29.4% target share including the seventh-most red zone targets last season and now faces Pro Football Focus’ 21st ranked secondary. Even though it will be Rondale Moore’s first NFL game, it was clear the Cardinals have a plan for the dynamic receivers based on what we saw in the preseason. AJ Green is dusty and Christian Kirk is a bust, so don’t be surprised if Moore steps up to fill those shoes.
Contrarian Stack: Kyler Murray + Chase Edmonds + Julio Jones
Not on DraftKings Sportsbook yet? Sign up today and get in on the DFS action.
Other Interesting Stacks
Josh Allen + Stefon Diggs + Chase Claypool – Buffalo passed on almost 62% of their offensive plays last year, 11th-most in the NFL. I see no reason why that won’t go up considering Zach Moss and Devin Singletary still occupy the backfield. The Bills are almost touchdown favorites in this one, so if they get out to a big lead, give me the Steelers’ player who had the third most deep targets among wide receivers last season. Claypool is an elite bring-back option who will likely have a lot roster percentage.
Alvin Kamara + Marquez Callaway + Davante Adams – Callaway is going to be mega-popular this week because of his strong value ($3,400/$5,200), but with he and Kamara you roster the entire Saints’ game-plan. Bringing it back with Adams in a game with a 50.5 implied total gets you access to the player guaranteed to have the highest target share for Green Bay.
James Robinson + Marvin Jones + JAX Defense – I don’t really trust anyone from Houston in their side of this game. But JAX stacks make sense considering the Texans allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs and seventh-most to wide receivers last season.
Nick Chubb + Patrick Mahomes + Tyreek Hill – This might be the only week you can conceivably fit a combo like this because of their combined salaries ($23,500/$25,000) because there is so much value in other places this week. This game has the highest implied total on the main slate in Week 1 (54.5 points) so it’s imperative you get at least some exposure to Chiefs-Browns.
Sign up for BetUS today with the promo code FACEOFF and get a 125% match on your first deposit! Join here.
