In this weekly article, we will provide you with some popular "chalk" stacks and some "under the radar" stacks to use in your DraftKings GPP tournaments. (GPPs)
CHALK STACKS
Oakland Raiders at Detroit Lions, Team Total 24.75 points
QB Derek Carr $6,300-WR Michael Crabtree $6,000 Total Stack $12,300 (24.6% of salary)
QB Derek Carr $6,300-WR Amari Cooper $6,800 Total Stack $13,100 (26.2% of salary)
The Oakland Raiders are a 1.5 point road favorite at Detroit. The game total is a high 48 points. Derek Carr will be a very popular quarterback this week due to recent performances and salary. Carr has been the model of consistency with multiple touchdowns in 4 consecutive weeks and in 7 out of 9 games this season. Carr is a bargain at $6,300 as the 9th most expensive QB on DraftKings. The Raiders are ranked sixth best in passing offense this season. The Lions have allowed the second most points per game this season (29) and a league leading 70% completion percentage to opponents. Both Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper offer attractive DraftKings salaries and are solid options to stack with Carr in GPP tournaments.
Carolina Panthers vs. Washington Redskins, Team Total 26.25 points
QB Cam Newton $6,900-TE Greg Olsen $6,200 Total Stack $13,100 (26.2% of salary)
The Carolina Panthers are 7.5 point home favorites vs. the Washington Redskins. Vegas has the game total moderately set at 45 points. Cam Newton is healthy and back to his rushing ways with 6 rushing touchdowns on the season. He is a threat to score anytime the Panthers near the goal line. Newton is still underpriced on DraftKings at $6,900 as compared to the high-end quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers who are $8,500 and $7,500. The Redskins have an average pass defense but have struggled with rush defense allowing 135.3/rushing yards per game. Newton should be able to get loose and run for at least 50 yards and a touchdown. The only reliable option to stack with Newton is Greg Olsen. While Olsen is expensive at $6,200, he is consistent and offers elite upside. Olsen is averaging 16.4/DraftKings fantasy points per game this season.
New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills, Team Total 27.5 points
QB Tom Brady $8,500-WR Rob Gronkowski $7,700 Total Stack $16,200 (32.4% of salary)
QB Tom Brady $8,500-WR Danny Amendola $4,000 Total Stack $12,500 (25.0% of salary)
QB Tom Brady $8,500-WR Brandon LaFell $4,300 Total Stack $12,800 (25.6% of salary)
The New England Patriots are 7 point home favorites vs. the Buffalo Bills. The game total is a high 48 points and the Patriots have the highest team total of the week at 27.5 points. Tom Brady has multiple touchdowns in every game this season. Brady always seems to raise the bar for division matchups. In three division games this season, Brady has 33.34, 32.7, and 32.24 DraftKings fantasy points. With Julian Edelman's injury, many will look to stack Brady with Danny Amendola. Amendola has a very good chance to be the highest owned DraftKings player this week due to his role in the Patriots offense and his cheap $4,000 DraftKings salary. Rob Gronkowski will be much lower owned as compared to Amendola and offers higher touchdown upside. In his last game vs. the Bills, Gronkowski caught 7 receptions for 113 yards and 1 touchdown, good for 27.3 DraftKings fantasy points. Brandon LaFell is a solid differentiation option.
UNDER THE RADAR STACKS
Detroit Lions vs. Oakland Raiders, Team Total 23.25 points
QB Matt Stafford $5,400-WR Calvin Johnson $7,200 Total Stack $12,600 (25.2% of salary)
The Detroit Lions are 1.5 point home underdogs vs. the Oakland Raiders. Vegas has the game total at a high 48 points. This game has shoot-out potential and both offenses are attractive to stack in GPP tournaments. Matt Stafford will be lower owned than Derek Carr and has similar upside with a much cheaper DraftKings salary of only $5,400. The Raiders are the second worst pass defense in the league allowing 293.2/passing yards per game. Calvin Johnson has the highest ceiling of any receiver in this game and carries an attractive DraftKings salary of $7,200. Johnson is listed as questionable so check his injury status prior to Sunday. The questionable designation should keep his ownership levels down.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Team Total 25.5 points
QB Mark Sanchez $5,000-WR Jordan Matthews $6,000 Total Stack $11,000 (22.0% of salary)
QB Mark Sanchez $5,000-TE Zach Ertz $3,100 Total Stack 8,100 (16.2% of salary)
The Philadelphia Eagles are a 5.5 point home favorite vs. the Tampa Bay Bucs. The game total is a modest 45.5 points. Mark Sanchez will start his first game of the season for the injured Sam Bradford. Sanchez carries a minimum DraftKings salary and has good fantasy history playing in Chip Kelly's offense. Sanchez threw multiple touchdowns in 6 of his 9 games played in this offense in 2014. He showed a chemistry with Jordan Matthews who benefited with three 100+ yard receiving games and six touchdowns. Zach Ertz is a cheap option to stack with at least four receptions over his past five games. The Bucs defense is allowing 26.3 points per game this season and has shown lapses in defensive coverage this season.
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots, Team Total 20.5 points
QB Tyrod Taylor $5,200-WR Sammy Watkins $4,800 Total Stack 10,000 (20.0% of salary)
QB Tyrod Taylor $5,200-TE Charles Clay $4,000 Total Stack $9,200 (18.4% of salary)
The Buffalo Bills are 7 point road underdogs at New England. The game total is a high 48 points but the Bills have a low team total of 20.5 points. For this reason, a Bills stack will be low-owned in DraftKings GPP tournaments. The Bills passing game should benefit from a positive game script if they are playing from behind during the second half. Tyrod Taylor had his best game of the season during Week 2 when he last played the Patriots. In that game, Taylor had three touchdowns and rushed for another while posting a DraftKings fantasy score of 28.98 points. Sammy Watkins has boom/bust potential which is perfect for GPP tournaments. A Bills stack is cheap and allows you to fit multiple high-priced players on your roster.
