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There are six teams on a bye week in Week 7 and teams like the Miami Dolphins, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Minnesota Vikings, and the San Francisco 49ers are all playing in primetime games. We are left with a 10-game main slate in NFL DFS and only four of the games have projected totals of 44 points or higher (all of them are in the afternoon).
In this weekly article, we'll be taking a look at stacks and bring-back options that are ideal plays in GPPs (guaranteed prize pools) on DraftKings and FanDuel. Salaries and scoring formats can differ on both sites, making some players much better options on one site compared to the other.
When looking at stacks and bring-back players each week, you have to take into account potential game scripts and correlation. Before the seventh week of the season, here are my favorite stacks and bring-back options in NFL DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.
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Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals
- Geno Smith ($6,000 DK, $7,000 FD)
- D.K. Metcalf ($6,800 DK, $7,700 FD)
- Tyler Lockett ($6,000 DK, $6,800 FD) or Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($3,900 DK, $4,900 FD)
Kenneth Walker is understandably going to be one of the highest-rostered players in Week 7 versus the Arizona Cardinals. To gain leverage over those who roster Walker, we can play the aerial attack of the Seattle Seahawks by stacking Geno Smith. The Cardinals are 31st in pass defense DVOA and are giving up the fifth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Smith has only one notable performance this season, but this week is a perfect get-right spot with the Seahawks boasting the second-highest projected team total (26) on the main slate.
Consistency hasn't been there for D.K. Metcalf this season, but he still possesses a lofty ceiling after registering a season-high 10 targets in Week 6. Metcalf leads all pass catchers on the Seahawks with four targets inside the 10-yard line and both of his catches in that area have resulted in touchdowns. The Cardinals have also allowed a receiver to have at least six receptions and at least 148 receiving yards in three consecutive weeks.
Even though Metcalf is viewed as the true No. 1 on the Seahawks, Tyler Lockett leads the team with a 22.1% target share. After scoring two touchdowns in Week 2 versus the Detroit Lions, Lockett had his best game of the season in Week 6 against the Cincinnati Bengals as he tallied six catches for 94 yards on eight targets. The Seahawks ran 11 personnel on 71% of their plays in Week 6 after playing in 11 personnel only 53% of the time from Weeks 1 through 4. If the Seahawks continue to run more three-receiver sets, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is due for a breakout game soon, and he's extremely cheap on both sites.
Bring-back options:
- Marquise Brown ($5,300 DK, $6,700 FD)
- Michael Wilson ($3,800 DK, $5,400 FD), Rondale Moore ($3,500 DK, $5,000 FD), or Zach Ertz ($3,200 DK, $5,000 FD)
Following a five-target output in Week 1, Marquise Brown has logged at least seven targets in five straight games and has three touchdowns on the season. The Seahawks are allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers and the Cardinals are expected to be playing from behind in Sunday's divisional showdown.
Michael Wilson is recording a solid 3.43 PPR points per target and Rondale Moore is seeing more gadget-play usage with James Conner sidelined for the Cardinals. Moore has five-plus targets in back-to-back games and three-plus rushing attempts in three of his last four games. Zach Ertz doesn't have much of a ceiling, but he is still second on the team (only behind Brown) with a 22.5% target share.
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Los Angeles Rams vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Matthew Stafford ($6,500 DK, $6,700 FD)
- Cooper Kupp ($9,500 DK, $9,700 FD)
- Puka Nacua ($7,600 DK, $7,300 FD), Tutu Atwell ($4,300 DK, $5,200 FD), or Zach Evans ($4,000 DK, $4,800 FD)
With the numbers Matthew Stafford is producing, he'll begin to reel off more multi-touchdown games sooner rather than later. Stafford has the third-most passing yards (1,677) in the NFL, while he's thrown for only six touchdowns. Kyren Williams is sidelined for the Los Angeles Rams, so Stafford could be asked to air it out more until he returns. On the other side, the Pittsburgh Steelers are allowing the ninth-most passing yards per game to quarterbacks, giving Stafford an opportunity to shine at home.
Cooper Kupp is back like he never left, totaling 15 receptions, 266 yards, and a touchdown on 21 targets in his first two games following a four-game stint on injured reserve. We've seen Kupp take over as the alpha for the Rams despite Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell excelling in his absence. The Steelers are surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points per game to receivers and Sean McVay will do his best to get Kupp matched up on linebackers and safeties.
If Nacua hadn't dropped a touchdown in Week 6 versus the Cardinals, people would have been talking differently about his performance. Tutu Atwell is now a boom-bust play in DFS with Kupp back, but the Steelers are allowing 12.29 yards per completion against (third-most in the NFL). With Williams out, rookie Zach Evans could be the starting back for the Rams in Week 7 as backup Ronnie Rivers is also injured. Williams has run the most routes (149) among running backs this season, so stacking Evans with Stafford is one way to be different from the field.
Bring-back options:
- George Pickens ($5,500 DK, $7,100 FD)
- Diontae Johnson ($5,000 DK, $6,000 FD), Jaylen Warren ($5,000 DK, $5,700 FD), or Pat Freiermuth ($3,900 DK, $5,500 FD)
The Steelers are coming off of their bye week and George Pickens has operated as the team's go-to target in the passing game with Diontae Johnson on injured reserve. Pickens has notched at least six targets in each game this season and he always has a chance to make ridiculous catches that result in touchdowns.
All signs point toward Johnson returning in Week 7 against the Rams. But if he's inactive, then the other skill players receive a boost. Following their bye week, we could see the Steelers lean even more into giving Jaylen Warren more work over Najee Harris. Warren has the second-most targets (25) among running backs and he owns a 0.215 WOPR (weighted opportunity rating), putting him at 10th at the position. Pat Freiermuth is also expected to return on Sunday, making him worth considering due to his red-zone usage and the fact Kenny Pickett tends to look for him on dump-off plays.
Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos
- Jordan Love ($5,800 DK, $7,800 FD)
- Christian Watson ($5,600 DK, $6,600 FD)
- Romeo Doubs ($4,900 DK, $6,200 FD) or Luke Musgrave ($3,300 DK, $5,000 FD)
I'll certainly get exposure to Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert in the impending matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers. But while he's sputtered in recent weeks, Jordan Love will face a historically abysmal defense of the Denver Broncos in Week 7. The Green Bay Packers are coming off a bye week and Love has shown upside with two three-passing-touchdown games and two rushing rushing touchdowns this season. Love will likely be popular, but the Broncos are 32nd in pass defense DVOA and are giving up the third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
We all know the ceiling that Christian Watson has and Love is averaging 12 yards per completion in his first five starts. Watson received seven targets in his second game back from an injury in Week 5 and he should operate as the No. 1 target for the Packers moving forward. It also helps that the defense of the Broncos has permitted a league-worst 14 passing touchdowns.
Romeo Doubs has remained involved with Watson returning, while rookie Jayden Reed is becoming more of a rotational player. Even though Doubs' team-best 23.4% target share won't stick due to Watson's presence, he's provided flashes of being an explosive player. The tight-end landscape is dire and you can do much worse than Luke Musgrave. Musgrave has two games with seven-plus targets and a formidable 8.8 yards per reception.
Bring-back options:
- Jerry Jeudy ($5,800 DK, $6,000 FD)
- Courtland Sutton ($5,200 DK, $6,600 FD) or Jaleel McLaughlin ($5,000 DK, $5,100 FD)
Using pieces from the Broncos is never going to feel good. At the same time, the Packers/Broncos matchup is the only game on the main slate with a projected game total of 44-plus points and the spread being within a field goal. Jerry Jeudy has been a major disappointment thus far, but he still has a 21% target share and Courtland Sutton isn't a player who is a definitive alpha in an offense.
Sutton has four touchdowns on the season as he's emerged as Russell Wilson's favorite target in the red zone. At the same time, he has seen only 14 targets in the last three weeks after combining for 23 targets in the first three weeks. Similar to the Steelers, I prefer the backup running back in Jaleel McLaughlin over Javonte Williams in this contest. McLaughlin has looked like the much more explosive player and the Packers are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to running backs.
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