In this weekly DraftKings article, we will discuss some FAT STACKS (Cash Game Stacks) that should provide a high floor for your 50-50 and H2H cash game contests. These stacks are safe to use in your GPP tournaments as well, but they may carry a high ownership percentage. In the second half of this article, it’s all about A Dollar and a Dream! DraftKings is rolling out a number of special championship GPP tournaments this week, highlighted by the $4 Million Guarantee. For a $20 entry, somebody will start the new year as a new millionaire!
***The key to Week 17 is to determine which teams are still playing for something and which teams have packed it in for the season. Some teams are competing with the playoffs in mind and other teams are simply going through the motions. Motivation is everything at this point of the season! Let your opponent’s make the mistake of rostering players in meaningless games. ***
FAT STACK$ ($$ Cash GAME STACKS $$)
Green Bay Packers Stack at Detroit Lions
QB Aaron Rodgers $7,700 with WR Jordy Nelson $8,100 (Cash Games or GPP)
Get your popcorn ready! The Packers will visit Detroit in a Sunday Night Football matchup that will determine the NFC North Champion. The game total opened at 48 points and has increased as the week has worn on and should hit 50 points by kickoff. Aaron Rodgers has put the team on his back as the Packers have won five consecutive games. After recommending a Rodgers/Jordy Nelson stack last week, we are going right back to the well this week! With the lack of a running game, Rodgers has played an outstanding season with 36 Touchdowns and 7 Interceptions. Rodgers has multiple-TDs in 12 games with at least 3 TDs in 7 of those games. When the Packers last played Detroit back in Week 3, Rodgers had 4 passing TDs. Nelson has been the go-to target in the passing game with 91 receptions on 146 targets for 1,191 and 14 TDs. Randall Cobb missed last week’s game against the Vikings with an ankle injury. Nelson was the main beneficiary with 9 receptions on 11 targets for 154 yards and 2 TDs in that game. Cobb is questionable to play this week. Even if Cobb “gives it a go” most likely he will be playing at well less than 100%. Lions CB Darius Slay missed last week with a hamstring injury. Slay has been a limited participant in practice thus far this week and it is currently unclear whether he will play on Sunday Night. Whether Slay plays or not, expect the Packers to continue the recipe for what has led to 5 consecutive victories. Rodgers will be passing early and often and Nelson will be in his crosshairs.
Atlanta Falcons Stack vs. New Orleans Saints
QB Matt Ryan $7,400 with RB DeVonta Freeman $7,000 (Cash Games or GPP)
The Falcons/Saints matchup has the highest game total by far at a whopping 56 points! The Falcons are 6.5 point home favorites and are projected with the highest team total on the slate at 31.25 points. Atlanta controls their own playoff destiny as they will clinch the Number 2 seed and a first-round bye with a victory this Sunday. Matt Ryan is having a career season and has been the model of consistency at the QB position. He has passed for 4,613 yards with 34 Touchdowns and 7 Interceptions. Ryan has a legitimate opportunity to eclipse 5,000 passing yards for the first time in his nine seasons in the NFL. The Saints defense is ranked the third-worst against the pass this season. Rather than stacking Ryan with one of his receiving weapons, the safest option is to stack him with RB DeVonta Freeman, who has 9 of his 10 rushing TDs at home this season. When the Falcons last played the Saints back in Week 3, Freeman ran wild for 207 total yards and 1 TD. In that same game, Tevin Coleman had 89 total yards and 3 TDs. By stacking Ryan with Freeman, you are putting your roster in a position to capture the bulk of the Falcons TDs. Make sure you have some exposure to the Falcons offense this Sunday!
A DOLLAR AND A DREAM (GPP STACKS)
Here are some GPP stacks that should carry a low ownership percentage but provide multi-touchdown upside.
New Orleans Saints Stack at Atlanta Falcons
QB Drew Brees $7,600 with WR Brandin Cooks $6,900 (GPP)
Correlation Play: RB DeVonta Freeman $7,000
After reviewing the Falcons side of this matchup, now let’s take a look at the Saints offense as we simply can’t ignore this 56-point game total. The 7-8 Saints are playing spoiler in this division matchup. All signs over the past couple of weeks show that the Saints are still playing hard and competing for a .500 record. The Saints have won consecutive games vs. Tampa Bay and at Arizona. While Drew Brees has a history of drastic home/road splits, he has put up some big games on the road this season. In Week 15 in Arizona, Brees passed for 389 yards and 4 TDs. In Week 9 at San Francisco, Brees passed for 323 yards and 3 TDs. In Week 7 at Kansas City, Brees passed for 367 yards and 3 TDs. And the last time the Saints played the Falcons back in Week 3, Brees quietly passed for 376 yards and 3 TDs in a losing effort. The Falcons defense has struggled against the pass ranking as the 7th-worst in the NFL. Saints WR Brandin Cooks has shown to play up to his elite potential in fast-paced indoor games. This matchup has shootout written all over it.
Detroit Lions Stack vs. Green Bay Packers
QB Matthew Stafford $6,000 with WR Golden Tate $6,600 (GPP)
Correlation Play: WR Jordy Nelson $8,100
While most will prefer to roster the Packers side of this matchup, consider building some Lions stacks in your GPP tournaments. Expect the Lions to play with intensity because they have an opportunity to win the NFC North Division for the first time since 1991. After winning 8 out of 9 games, the Lions have dropped the past two games to the Giants and Cowboys. Matthew Stafford has been inconsistent this season but brought some of his top performances against the Saints, Colts, and Packers, three teams known for their offensive scoring. For the Lions to conquer the Packers and claim the division title, they will need to outscore them in a shootout. The Lions offense has a plus matchup as the Packers are ranked the fourth-worst in the NFL against opposing passing offenses. Last time these teams met back in Week 3, the Packers won 34-27 and Stafford had 385 passing yards and 3 TDs. Marvin Jones Jr exploded in that game for 6 receptions on 8 targets for 205 yards and 2 TDS, good for 41.5 DraftKings points. Consider that Jones hasn’t scored a COMBINED 41 DraftKings points over his past 7 games! Jones has been plagued with several injuries over the course of this season. Golden Tate has been the most consistent Lions receiver with at least 5 receptions over the past 5 games. Tate is more of a GPP option as he only has 3 TDs on the season.
Kansas City Stack at San Diego Chargers
QB Alex Smith $5,000 with TE Travis Kelce $5,000 (GPP)
Kansas City has an opportunity to win the AFC West Title and a first-round bye with a win at San Diego and an Oakland loss to Denver. Both games kickoff at 4:25 PM EST so the Chiefs will be motivated to compete hard this week. Vegas has the Chiefs listed as a 6-point road favorite with a projected team total of 25.5 points. If you are looking to save at QB this week consider Alex Smith, who is listed at the DraftKings minimum QB salary of $5,000. When the Chiefs last played the Chargers way back in Week 1, Smith led a comeback passing for 363 yards with 2 passing TDs and 1 rushing TD. Don’t expect those type of lofty totals this week but Smith should still be able to return a minimum of 3x on his salary. By rostering Smith, you can save at the QB position allowing you to pay up for high-priced superstars such as David Johnson or Jordy Nelson. Third-year TE, Travis Kelce, is having a breakout season with 84 receptions on 115 targets for 1,117 yards and 4 TDs. Kelce has been on fire the 2nd half of the season with (5) 100+ yard performances over his last six games. Kelce is the top option at TE this week.
DEFENSIVE STACK (GPP Tournaments)
There is a defensive stack that stands out this weekend can be used in GPP tournaments.
Seattle Seahawks Stack at San Francisco 49ers
RB Thomas Rawls $5,800 with Seahawks DST $3,700 (GPP)
Seattle is a 10-point road favorite with the 3rd highest projected team total of the weekend at 26.75 points. The Seahawks can clinch a first-round bye with a win against the 49ers and a Falcons loss or tie with the Saints. While many will gravitate to a Russell Wilson stack, he has been very inconsistent on the road this season. The recipe for dominating the 49ers is on the ground as they have allowed a league leading 171.1 rushing yards/per game with 24 TDs this season. Thomas Rawls exited last week’s game against the Cardinals early with a shoulder injury. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said, “What bothered him is very slight and he should be fine.” Rawls fully practiced on Wednesday and is on pace to play this week. As a 10-point favorite, the Seahawks defense is in a prime spot to benefit from game flow. If the 49ers find themselves playing from behind, the Seahawks defense should be able to pressure them into some turnovers.
Thank you for reading! And as always, feel free to send any comments, suggestions, or nasty remarks to me on Twitter @shiposki75
