Every Friday, this article provides several FanDuel stacks. Most of these positively correlated combinations are best suited for tournament play. But some of the safer duos with high floors can be used in cash games. We'll discuss highly-owned stacks, dig deeper to find less common stacks, identify potential shootouts, and create strong lineup anchors with defensive stacks.
Highly-Owned Stacks
Ben Roethlisberger ($8,300) + Antonio Brown ($9,300) = $17,600
Bengals cornerback Adam Jones is listed as doubtful, which gives Brown's value an uptick. Some people aren't buying Vegas' prediction of a 50-point game after the Bengals defeated the Steelers 16-10 back in Week 8. But since then, the Steelers top connection has scored at least 59 FanDuel points in three out of four games. It's tough to pay up on a week with tight pricing. But armed with a couple of low-cost sleepers, and you can afford the top stack of the week.
Twist: Cost makes a Steelers triple-stack virtually impossible. But swapping out Brown for Martavis Bryant ($7,400) could save you a little dough. Bryant will be less-owned than Brown. But if you're looking for differentiation in a top-heavy GPP, neither of these Steelers stacks are for you.
Shootout: This game has one of the highest shootout potentials of the weekend. If you can somehow find room for A.J. Green ($8,500) in your lineup. You could lean even more heavily into this high-scoring gamescript.
Jameis Winston ($7,800) + Austin Seferian-Jenkins ($5,500) = $13,300
Always stack Saints opponents. On a snap count in his first week back from injury, Austin Seferian-Jenkins got six targets on only 21 snaps. He's almost a lock to find the end zone this week and this is likely to be his lowest price for the rest of the season.
Twist: If you don't want to play Seferian-Jenkins or you're looking for a triple stack, Mike Evans ($8,000) is the play. If you can't afford him, you could use Vincent Jackson ($6,800) instead. But Evans has more upside and is the better bet to score.
Shootout: This game has the highest Vegas total of the week. Brandin Cooks ($7,100) missed practice mid-week with what was thought to be a concussion. But he's listed as probable after returning to practice Friday. Pairing Cooks or tight end Ben Watson ($5,300) with Buccaneers is a strong correlative play.
Less Common Stacks
Andy Dalton ($8,200) + A.J. Green ($8,500) = $16,700
These Bengals aren't completely off of people's radar, but Dalton was outside the top five and Green was outside the top 10 in terms of ownership at their positions in Thursday contests. More DFS players are stacking Steelers, Jaguars, Jets, Giants, Bills, and Bucs this week, which creates an opportunity to buy into this mid-owned Bengals stack and separate yourself from the pack.
Shootout: As I mentioned earlier with the Steelers stack, taking both sides of this likely shootout is a strong correlation play. Add Antonio Brown ($9,300) or Martavis Bryant ($7,400) to complete your Bengals super-stack.
Johnny Manziel ($6,400) + Travis Benjamin ($5,700) = $12,100
I'm surprised so few people took a chance on Johnny Manziel in GPPs on Thursday. He's not a cash game play, but the upside and differentiation opportunity are too great to ignore. Manziel has only started three games for the Browns this season, and he's already connected with Benjamin for four passes of 50 or more yards. Three of those were touchdowns. It wouldn't surprise me if this pair hit paydirt again when they host the 49ers on Sunday.
Twist: Keep an eye on Gary Barnidge's ($6,200) injury status. If he plays, this will be an under-owned triple-stack.
Defensive Stacks
Seattle Seahawks ($5,300) + Thomas Rawls ($7,400) = $12,700
Pairing the highest-owned defense and running back is the biggest no-brainer stack of the week. It's looking likely that Jimmy Clausen will be the Ravens' quarterback this Sunday as Matt Schaub recovers from a nasty case of pick-six-itis. In Clausen's last start, he led the Bears to an abysmal 68 passing yards in Week 3 against the Seahawks. Lock and load this defensive stack in both cash games and tournaments.
Kansas City Chiefs ($4,800) + Cairo Santos ($4,700) = $9,500
The Chiefs host an imploding Chargers team on Sunday. Philip Rivers' oldest targets, Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd, are his only healthy pass-catchers. Both Steve Johnson and Dontrelle Inman will sit this one out. If you're feeling bold, take a chance on the upside of Charcandrick West ($5,800). Spencer Ware ($5,800) is the safer play, but if you're going to jump into Kansas City's split backfield waters, you might as well bank on West breaking a long one for a touchdown.
Austin Lee hang-glided in Rio, climbed The Great Wall, and spent much of his childhood mixing cherry slushies with vanilla milkshakes. For more of his DFS insights, watch The Footballguys Daily Fantasy Hour presented by Rotogrinders on Wednesdays at 9:30pm ET or listen to The Audible's FanDuel podcast on Friday mornings. Also check out his Normalized Strength of Schedule tool or hit him up for advice on Twitter.
