Stacks are usually the backbone of the best FanDuel lineups, especially in tournaments. Brandon Gdula's piece examining hit rates and correlation for stacks is a must-read article whether you're already familiar with stacking or new to the concept.
This piece will lay out my favorite weekly stacks. So, read on to see the stacks I'm firing up this week.
Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert ($8,100), Mike Williams ($7,800), and Keenan Allen ($7,300) or Gerald Everett ($6,300)
Bring-back Options: Kenneth Walker III ($7,300) or D.K. Metcalf ($6,900)
This week, the Los Angeles Chargers have the highest implied total (27.75) on FanDuel's main slate. Obviously, that's a spectacular starting point for a stack. The matchup is mouthwatering, too. According to our team power rankings, the Seattle Seahawks are the second-worst pass defense.
Seattle's shortcomings against the pass are perfect for the pass-happy Chargers to exploit. In neutral game scripts since Week 4, the Chargers have rushed just 54 times with non-quarterbacks and passed a whopping 92 times. Herbert is slinging the pigskin around the gridiron.
Herbert is chucking it effectively, too. According to Pro Football Reference, he's tied for fifth in passing yards per game (286.0) and tied for sixth in passing touchdowns (10). On a slate that's missing Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen and Kyler Murray, Herbert is an excellent option.
Meanwhile, Williams is the top stacking partner. Sure, he struggled last week against the Denver Broncos, but they're a top-shelf pass defense, and Patrick Surtain II is a nightmare for opposing wideouts. We should cut him slack.
Fxating on Williams' highs this year is a better move. He's had three big games in 2022, posting eight receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown in Week 2, seven receptions for 120 yards in Week 4, and ripping off 10 receptions for 134 yards in Week 5.
Williams' vertical usage is an excellent fit for this matchup. According to Sports Info Solutions (SIS), Williams has an 11.8-yard average depth of target (aDOT) this year. The Seahawks have allowed 24 completions for 611 yards and five touchdowns on 53 pass attempts of at least 15 air yards. In short, Williams should burn them deep this week.
The second stacking options are Allen and Everett. Josh Palmer and Donald Parham Jr. are out. Thus, the passing attack is more concentrated. Allen's status for playing is a game-time decision, though.
Chargers WR Keenan Allen (hamstring) game-time decision vs. Seahawkshttps://t.co/QLKF4ZRet2 pic.twitter.com/lPyRuvzL5a
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 21, 2022
The Chargers are on their bye in Week 8, so they might opt to hold Allen out one more week. If Allen suits up, I'm not concerned about a setback or limited usage, because they'll presumably hold him out if there are any questions about his hamstring. Allen was in lockstep with Herbert in Week 1 before he hurt his hamstring. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Allen had four receptions for 66 yards on four targets and just 13 routes.
Allen has a cushy matchup if he's back this week.
The most PPR points per target allowed to WRs lined up in the slot (per @football_sis)
DET - 2.19
BAL - 2.15
GB - 2.08
SEA, KC - 2.06
Beneficiaries:
CeeDee
Amari/DPJ
Curtis Samuel
Keenan Allen
Deebo/Aiyuk
— TJ Hernandez (@TJHernandez) October 20, 2022
Everett also has a dreamy matchup. According to Football Outsiders, the Seahawks have ceded the second-most receiving yards per game (78.9) to tight ends this year. The 28-year-old tight end has had a few stellar showings in his first year with the Chargers, amassing three receptions, 54 yards, and one touchdown in Week 1, six receptions for 71 yards in Week 2, and five receptions for 61 yards and one touchdown in Week 4.
The numberFire projection algorithm digs the Chargers. It projects Herbert as the QB2 with the second-highest value score -- the measure of points per $1,000 of salary -- at the position, Williams as the WR4 with the third-highest value score for a wideout, and Everett as the TE3 with the second-best value score among his peers.
Las Vegas Raiders-Houston Texans
Josh Jacobs ($8,600) and Nico Collins ($5,600)
I already gushed about Collins in my values plays piece earlier this week. Check out that piece out for my thoughts on Collins as a game-stacking partner with the main attraction, Jacobs. The fourth-year running back has brilliantly blended volume with effectiveness.
Jacobs has played 78.45 percent of the Las Vegas Raiders' offensive snaps over their last three games. During that stretch, he's rushed for 364 yards and three touchdowns on 62 carries. However, Jacobs' usage in the passing game might have been even more encouraging, cementing his status as a game-script-proof back. He's had precisely five receptions in the last three games for 101 yards. Moreover, according to PFF, Jacobs has been fourth on the Raiders in routes (67), third in targets (16) and receiving yards (101), and second in receptions (15) since Week 3.
After a week off, Jacobs' fresh legs should be prepared to steamroll the Houston Texans in a drool-inducing layout. First, the Raiders are the second-largest favorites (7.0 points) on FanDuel's main slate, setting the stage for an excellent game script for Jacobs. Second, the Texans are a lousy run defense, ranking as the fifth-worst rush defense by our metrics.
Fortunately, Jacobs should also eat through the air. The Texans have allowed the eighth-most receiving yards per game (44.7) to running backs.
All in all, the sky is the limit for Jacobs this week, and we project him as the RB4 with the sixth-best value score at the position.
Denver Broncos-New York Jets
Greg Dulcich ($4,000) and Breece Hall ($7,600)
Like Collins, Dulcich was included in my aforementioned value piece. Even though Russell Wilson is a game-time decision, I remain interested in Dulcich at the minimum salary.
Status updates:
-- #Broncos QB Russell Wilson (hamstring) is questionable, a game-time decision.
-- #Ravens rule out RB JK Dobbins, removed Calais Campbell & Lamar Jackson from the report.
-- #Packers ruled out WR Christian Watson.
-- #Commanders WR Jahan Dotson is questionable.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2022
So, let's move on to Hall. The rookie running back has been on fire. He's had 197 and 121 scrimmage yards in the past two games, scoring a touchdown and catching two passes in each contest. In addition, Hall has had a 67.05 percent snap share across his last three games. Since Week 4, Hall has also run 44 routes versus just 31 for Michael Carter. Therefore, Hall is a game-script-proof stud.
The matchup is decent, too. The Denver Broncos have the 13th-worst rush defense. The New York Jets should be able to deploy their run-heavy approach. In neutral game scripts since Zach Wilson made his season debut in Week 4, Gang Green has attempted 69 passes and attempted 64 rushes with non-quarterbacks. Hall handled 43 of the carries in neutral game scripts in that split. The Jets are only 1.0-point underdogs, so Hall can tote the rock from start to finish.
Tennessee Titans-Indianapolis Colts
Derrick Henry ($9,200) and Alec Pierce ($6,100)
Henry is projected to pace running backs in scoring on this week's main slate. He should be rejuvenated off the Tennessee Titans' bye and squares off with a foe he steamrolled in Week 4. The Indianapolis Colts surrendered 114 rushing yards, one touchdown, three receptions, and 33 receiving yards to Henry at home in the first meeting between these two. Indy has struggled against the run since that game.
Namely, the Jacksonville Jaguars torched them last week. Travis Etienne, James Robinson, and JaMycal Hasty combined for 25 rush attempts, 197 rushing yards, and one touchdown in Week 6. Further, those three teamed up for three receptions for 21 yards on three targets. Henry should feast for the favored (2.5 points) Titans.
If the game script is good for the Titans, it's bad for the Colts. Therefore, Matt Ryan might be forced to take to the air often again this week. Ryan completed 27 of 37 passes for 356 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception against the Titans in Week 4. However, that game was indoors at Lucas Oil Stadium. Ryan has struggled mightily outdoors this year. Still, that's with the caveat of a two-game sample, facing Denver's lockdown passing defense on a short week in one contest and opposing the Jags sans his top-two pass-catchers in the other.
Ryan had his best game of 2022 last week, hanging 389 yards and three touchdowns on the Jaguars. Pierce has earned the trust of Ryan in Indy's passing attack. He was out in Week 2 while recovering from a concussion and has strung together stellar performances since returning. Since Week 3, he's had at least three receptions and 61 receiving yards three times and recorded three receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown in the lone outlier.
In the past four games, he's been targeted on 23.7 percent of his routes, parlaying the usage into 18 receptions, 274 yards, and one touchdown. The athletically gifted wideout has a plus matchup this week, too. We rank the Titans as the fifth-worst pass D. Number-two wideouts have destroyed them, ripping Tennessee for the most receiving yards per game (83.8), making Pierce an attractive bargain selection.
Joshua Shepardson is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Joshua Shepardson also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username bchad50. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.