FanDuel Stacks: Week One

Editor’s Note: We’re going to be bringing you an unprecedented amount of content this year during the season, mostly dynasty related. However, seeing the explosion of DFS games, we’ll also be ramping up our Daily coverage, similar to last season. Even if you don’t play in DFS games, these articles can help you in making lineup decisions or judging current value of your dynasty assets.

Week one of the NFL season is finally upon us and it’s time for each and every one of us to get Oprah rich on my favorite DFS site, FanDuel. Each week of the season, I will break down some of my favorite stacks for the week and at least one that I am fading.

Our own Dan Meylor already discussed some great value plays in his FanDuel Bargains piece where he mentioned some great players to add to these stacks.

Each week I will discuss four different categories of stacks: “highest upside,” “best value,” “stack of the weak” and “fool’s gold.” I’ll explain what each mean below, but keep in mind these are mainly suggested for GPP (Guaranteed Prize Pool) contests with over 50 entries.

Highest Upside

The highest upside stack is exactly how it sounds – these players have the possibility of a tremendous amount of points. Usually, this will also be the highest priced stack. Stacking these players will make or break your lineup. If they pan out, you will have a large sum of points from just two or three players on your roster. The downside is there will be a very large portion of your salary cap used on these same two or three players. If they don’t perform well, you will likely be out of the money.

Andrew Luck, QB IND
TY Hilton, WR IND

Somehow superstar quarterback Andrew Luck ($9,200) is $500 cheaper than Aaron Rodgers ($9,700), but that doesn’t mean his price comes cheap. If you’re looking to stack an elite quarterback with his elite wide receiver, look no further than Luck and TY Hilton ($7,800). While $17,000 isn’t going to even approach the most expensive stack that will be suggested here this season, it is still nearly one third of the cap available.

There should at least be some mention of Andre Johnson ($6,900) if you want to go all in on the Colts offense. However, I don’t expect the Bills offense to be able to keep the game competitive. Due to that, I don’t know that there will be enough wide receiver production in the second half of the game to pay up for both Colts receivers. I would rather stick with the Colts receiver with the highest probability of production. In fact, stacking Luck, Hilton and Frank Gore ($7,500) is a viable option this week. Gore should end up with a large amount of volume in clean up duty this week. He probably won’t have a high efficiency rating, but his volume should eclipse 20 touches. If he can turn that into a handful of catches, 100 total yards and a touchdown or two, he will meet value along with Luck and Hilton.

Honorable Mention: Aaron Rodgers ($9,700), Randall Cobb ($8,400) and Davante Adams ($5,500) 

Best Value

What happens when you combine a low price point with a good potential for high points? You end up with this week’s best value stack. Sometimes it’s hard to swallow the higher priced stacks and comparable upside can be found with a bit more digging.

Matt Stafford, QB DET
Golden Tate, WR DET

There are 16 quarterbacks priced higher than Matt Stafford ($7,800) this week, which I could not believe when I started working on my lineups. The odds makers have pegged the Detroit and San Diego game as only the eighth highest scoring in week one, but it should prove to be a very close, high scoring match up. Stafford and Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers ($8,100) should both end the week in the top 10 quarterbacks.

Golden Tate ($7,100) is priced like a low end WR2, but has the upside to finish the week as one of the highest scoring receivers. Fellow Lions receiver Calvin Johnson ($8,500) should receive some strong consideration in a stack with Stafford, but I don’t believe he will finish with enough added production to constitute spending the additional $1,400. That $1,400 could be the difference between having Jeremy Hill ($8,600) or Giovani Bernard ($7,200) in your lineup. I don’t normally target a team’s second receiver over the top option, but Tate finished 2014 in the top 10 in targets, receptions and catch rate among receivers. He is just as likely to finish a week as a top receiver as nearly every other option available.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Tannehill ($8,000), Jarvis Landry ($6,900) and Jordan Cameron ($5,500)

Stack of the Weak 

This is where you will find the bargain basement of stacks. This is where backup quarterbacks thrust into starting roles will be found. However, this week is absolutely loaded with low priced quarterback grenades I refuse to fall on. Instead, there is a low priced receiver who is a DFS steal.

Philip Rivers, QB SD
Steve Johnson, WR SD

Sometimes the cosmos decides to price quality players below some many fans have never even heard of. That has happened to San Diego receiver Steve Johnson ($4,700) this week. He’s priced lower than Rannell Hall ($5,100), Isaac Blakeney ($4,900), Zach D’Orazio ($4,900) and Kaelin Clay ($4,800). I didn’t even make those names up. Johnson is a huge value this week in what should be a high scoring contest against the Lions.

While quarterback Philip Rivers ($8,100) isn’t quite as cheap, the combined stack is only $12,800. That leaves plenty of available funds for top receivers, running backs or even Rob Gronkowski ($8,100), if you want to pay up for a tight end. If you truly believe this game ends up one of the highest scoring of the week, adding Keenan Allen ($7,900) only brings the price of the three player stack up to $20,700. My issue with Allen is that he is priced as a WR1. That doesn’t leave much room for upside. I feel much more confident in Johnson putting together a 20 point week than Allen meeting value.

Honorable Mention: Teddy Bridgewater ($7200) and Kyle Rudolph ($5300) 

Fool’s Gold

Some stacks look appealing due to being so cheap that you can afford a ton of studs without paying for production from a few positions. It’s hard to steer clear of these, and many times they are good, but sometimes they are terrible. Other times there are expensive stacks that look like a sure thing but just can’t return value. Leave these options to the fools.

Tyrod Taylor, QB BUF
Sammy Watkins, WR BUF
Charles Clay, TE BUF

Tyrod Taylor ($5,000) is the cheapest starting quarterback this week. There is a reason. He just isn’t that great and has a really lackluster offense around him. Sammy Watkins ($7,600) is a fantastic talent at receiver, but he can’t score points if he doesn’t get the opportunity. Charles Clay ($5,000) is barely priced below a dozen tight ends who I have much more confidence in achieving fantasy relevance this week.

This whole offense has become a popular stack this week, but none of them are worthy of stacking together. Watkins is the safest, as he will be a target hog, but he is priced as a mid-level WR2. There are cheaper, safer, higher upside options at receiver this week.

Honorable Mention: Kirk Cousins ($6000), DeSean Jackson ($7100), Pierre Garcon ($5500)

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