In this weekly DraftKings article, we will discuss a cash game stack that should provide a high floor for your 50-50 and H2H cash game contests. This stack is safe to use in your GPP tournaments as well, but it will most likely carry a high ownership percentage. In the second half of this article, we will review some GPP stacks along with one defensive stack.
*This article focuses on stacks from DraftKings main slate and does not include Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, or Monday Night Football. With four teams on a bye this week, DraftKings main slate is reduced to only 11 NFL games. LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown are also unavailable due to the Steelers playing on Thursday Night Football. This will create more overlap with your most popular players as compared to most main slates. *
$$ Cash GAME STACKS $$
Kansas City Chiefs Stack at New York Giants
QB Alex Smith $6,700 with TE Travis Kelce $7,300 (Cash/GPP)
Alternative/Super Stacks: RB Kareem Hunt $8,000 (Cash/GPP) and/or WR Tyreek Hill $7,100 (Cash/GPP)
The Giants defense appears to have given up on their head coach, Ben McAdoo, after allowing 82 points over their past two games. A team meeting was held on Wednesday to address the lack of effort. The Chiefs come into town fresh off their bye week and this will spell more problems for the Giants defense. Chiefs head coach, Andy Reid, has an impressive 16-2 career record the week following a bye. The only losses were to the Falcons in 2012 and to the Broncos in 2013, two teams that were a combined 16-1 when he faced them. Chiefs playmakers will be the uber-chalk this week and it makes sense to have a piece of their offense in your cash games. The Giants have been abysmal to opposing tight ends allowing ten touchdowns in nine games this season.
GPP STACKS
Here are some GPP stacks with multi-touchdown upside.
New England Patriots Stack at Oakland Raiders (In Mexico City)
QB Tom Brady $7,400 with WR Brandin Cooks $6,600 (GPP)
Alternate/Super Stacks: RB Rex Burkhead $3,600 (GPP) and/or TE Rob Gronkowski $7,200 (GPP)
Correlation Play: TE Jared Cook $4,800 (GPP) and/or WR Michael Crabtree $5,900 (GPP)
The Raiders defense has struggled allowing a league-leading 110.5 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks. That is not good news as they square off against Tom Brady, who has multiple touchdowns in three of his past four games. With Chris Hogan expected to miss another game, the bulk of the receiving targets will land on Brandin Cooks and Rob Gronkowski. Cooks quietly leads the Patriots with targets (65) and receiving yards (637) this season. Two of Cooks three touchdowns this season came in one game back in Week Three against the Texans. This is another spot for a ceiling game from Cooks.
New Orleans Saints Stack versus Washington Redskins
QB Drew Brees $6,800 with WR Michael Thomas $7,400 (GPP)
Alternative/Super Stacks: RB Mark Ingram $8,100 (GPP) or RB Alvin Kamara $7,500 (GPP)
Correlation Play: RB Chris Thompson $5,400 (GPP)
Deservingly so, all eyes have been on the Saints rushing attack after setting a franchise record with six rushing touchdowns against the Bills. With the attention on Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara, Drew Brees is also in a prime spot to bounce-back this week. The Redskins defense has regressed allowing an average of 29.75 points over their past four games. Carson Wentz and Case Keenum each passed for four touchdowns against this secondary. Many are disappointed with Michael Thomas’ lack of touchdowns (2) thus far. The wide receiver has been a “target-hog” averaging ten targets per game since Week Seven. Thomas also has five or more receptions in all but one game this season. Perhaps this is the week that we see some positive touchdown regression from Thomas.
New York Giants Stack versus Kansas City Chiefs
QB Eli Manning $5,700 with TE Evan Engram $6,000 (GPP)
Alternative/Super Stacks: RB Orleans Darkwa $4,800 (GPP)
Correlation Play: RB Kareem Hunt $8,000 (GPP) and/or TE Travis Kelce (GPP) $7,300 and/or WR Tyreek Hill $7,100 (GPP)
While the Giants defense appears to have “mailed it in” for the season, the offense is still grinding away. Eli Manning has multiple-touchdowns in each of his past two games and five of his past seven. Over the past two weeks, Sterling Shepard has emerged finishing with 22 targets, 16 receptions, and 212 yards. Expect that production to continue as the Chiefs have allowed 15 receiving touchdowns, most in the NFL, to opposing wide receivers. If building a game-stack, consider Evan Engram or Orleans Darkwa. Engram plays more like a wide receiver rather than a tight end and has touchdowns in each of his past four games. Darkwa is in-play as the Chiefs are ranked fourth-worst with rush defense.
*NOTE* STERLING SHEPARD is INACTIVE this week. Evan Engram will see the bulk of the receiving targets*
DEFENSIVE STACKS (CASH/GPP Tournaments)
There is one defensive stack that stands out and can be used in cash games or GPP tournaments.
Los Angeles Chargers Stack versus Buffalo Bills
RB Melvin Gordon $7,600 with D/ST Chargers $3,000 (Cash/GPP)
The Bills rush defense has been a sieve over the past two weeks. Since the trade of Pro Bowl tackle Marcell Dareus to Jacksonville, the Bills have allowed 498 rushing yards and nine rush touchdowns to the Saints and Jets. Expect that trend to continue this week as the Bills travel across the country to face the Chargers. Some are hesitant to pull the trigger on Melvin Gordon after Austin Ekeler outperformed him last week. Gordon is still receiving the bulk of the offensive snaps and will have little resistance against this defensive front. The Bills have announced they will be benching quarterback Tyrod Taylor for fifth-round pick Nathan Peterman. This is a difficult first test for the rookie quarterback as the Chargers aggressive defense has recorded 29 sacks, second-most in the NFL.
Thank you for reading! And as always, feel free to send any comments, suggestions, or nasty remarks to me on Twitter @shiposki75
