NFL Week 15: Stacking To Win It

Each week we will be covering two top stacks, a value stack, and a contrarian stack. Playing two or more players from the same team can add to your ceiling, especially if that team goes off. Stacking is a great way to get an advantage in tournaments, and even cash games. We will narrow down projected fantasy points, ownership, and info for their matchups.

Top Stack 1

Steelers vs Patriots - Team Total 25

This one certainly won't sneak up on anyone, and despite my severe distaste for this team and franchise, and to quote the old adage: "Game recognize game". Personal opinions on a team are completely irrelevant, just like last week's results are as well. That's the greatest thing about DFS. I imagine if a Steelers stack (or whatever team you hate) won you a ton of cash, that team may just become a little more likable, but I digress. This is actually a prime spot for the Steelers, and some of that is based of their (lack of) success against the Patriots in the past. Roethlisberger-led teams are just 2-7 against the Pats all-time, but that means just one thing: the Steelers will be looking to put up points until the bitter end. Here are the total points scored in the last few Pats/Steelers matchups: 53, 43, 49, 86, 42, 65. While there are some wildly inconsistent numbers there, this may just be the game of the season, not just for these two teams, but for the entire NFL. I'm expecting a shootout, and having the best RB/WR duo on the planet (it isn't close) gives you a massive floor and ceiling. You'll have to pay a pretty penny here, but New England still ranks 24th against the pass and 32nd against the run, per Football Outsiders (FO). Uh-oh. Get yourself some Steelers this week. It really is that simple.

Value Stack

Eagles at Giants - Team Total 23.5

It must be nice to have such an abundance of talent that your star (and MVP-caliber) QB goes down for the season...and you're STILL favored by a TD the following week. The whole sentiment is certainly helped by facing the Giants, who have been quite possibly the worst non-Browns team in the NFL this season, but the point remains. Mr. Napoleon Dynamite himself (look up the comparisons, they are uncanny) will take the helm for the Eagles, and is dirt-cheap across the industry. He made two starts for the Rams last season, and was actually quite successful, passing for 410 yards and three scores across a pair of wins against the Colts and Jaguars. With that said, he has WAY more weapons in Philly this year than he did with the Rams last season, and I'm rolling with a few cheap ones in this stack (hence the "value"). Jay Ajayi finally looked like the lead back last week with a 15-78 line against the Rams, and now will draw a Giants defense that FO ranks 25th against the run (they are also 25th against the pass). An odd stat about the Giants is that they have actually allowed five more points per game at home this season, and this stack is a cheap way to take advantage of a defense that has allowed nearly 25 PPG on the season and over 27 at home.

Packers at Panthers - Team Total 22.5

After last week's Packer stack went ham (mostly late) against the Brownies...enter one of the best QBs of our generation in Aaron Rodgers. With his return, we will also see the (theoretical) return of Jordy Nelson, who has been essentially invisible since Rodgers' injury early in Week 6. Nelson has failed to top 35 yards in a single contest since Rodgers went down, despite posting five touchdowns in four full game with Rodgers prior to the injury. I'm not going to sit here and expect Rodgers to chuck the ball 40+ times in this one in his first game back, so I'll continue to roll with Williams, who has been nothing short of fantastic of late, with two-multi score games amidst three consecutive games with at least 118 total yards. The Panthers actually rank 7th and 5th against the pass and run, respectively, per FO, but have struggled of late, allowing over 27 PPG over their last three games to the Jets, Saints and Vikings. A healthy Packers offense with Rodgers at the helm is among the best in the NFL, and I have zero qualms about diving right back in this week, despite the tough matchup.

Patriots at Steelers - Team Total 28

While many are panicking (the media mostly) about Brady having struggled over the last two weeks, we can parlay that nonsense that we've heard a million times into some cash this weekend. Over his last six contests against the Steelers, Brady has a 19/0 TD/INT (yes, zero), and has at least 350 yards passing in three of those games. Rob Gronkowski has faced the Steelers five times. You ready for the numbers? Of course you are. Here you go: 5-72-3, 7-94, 9-143-1, 5-94-3, 4-93-1. That seems pretty, pretty good. While the RB situation is in flux with Dion Lewis seemingly dominating the carries, but Rex Burkhead finding the end zone more often, selecting the right RB is key here. Burkhead has more Red Zone touches over the last three weeks 8-6 (per Lineups.com), but Lewis has more total snaps (80-69). I side with Burkhead on this one, as his ability to find the end zone (7-4) is much more key in this stack. Throwing in the likes of Brandin Cooks or even Danny Amendola could provide you with even more potential here, but I'll stay away from Amendola with Gronk back in the mix this week (although he shouldn't be).