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Justin Pottinger takes a look at four fantasy football QB-WR stacks to avoid in 2024. Which of these QB-WR stacks should you be avoiding for your team?
In fantasy football, stacking a quarterback with one of his top wide receivers can be a winning strategy, especially when both players have high upside. However, not all QB/WR stacks are created equal. Some are overpriced due to last year's production, preseason hype, or inflated expectations tied to a team's offensive potential. Investing heavily in these stacks can lead to disappointment, especially if the players fail to meet their projected outputs. Understanding which QB/WR duos are being overvalued can help you avoid costly mistakes on draft day.
However, let's look at the QB-WR stacks to avoid heading into the fantasy season. These stacks are entering the year with high expectations, but will they live up to the hype?
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Anthony Richardson, Michael Pittman Jr. - Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson and Michael Pittman Jr. may appear to be an enticing QB/WR stack given Richardson's dynamic athleticism and Pittman’s role as the Colts' top wide receiver. However, this pairing comes with significant risks that fantasy managers should carefully consider.
Richardson is a young quarterback with such a small sample size as he played just four games before suffering a shoulder injury that held him out for the remainder of the 2023 season. Richardson has immense upside, but he’s also raw and unproven at the NFL level.
His inaccuracy and inconsistent decision-making in college raise concerns about his ability to elevate Pittman’s production, especially in a Colts offense likely to emphasize the run game. With a learning curve ahead, Richardson’s potential struggles could cap Pittman’s ceiling, making this stack far less reliable than others in a similar draft range.
Pittman’s fantasy value is tied to the quality of targets he receives, and with a second-year quarterback under center, those targets may be erratic. Last year, the duo played just a few games together, but Pittman averaged just 55 yards per game and caught just one touchdown.
Richardson’s tendency to scramble rather than check down could limit Pittman’s opportunities, particularly in PPR formats. Neither player is being drafted at a cheap price, as Richardson is being drafted as the QB5 and Pittman as the WR21.
Additionally, the Colts have a young and developing receiving corps, including standout rookie Adonai Mitchell, who was selected in the second round.
When investing in a QB/WR stack, stability and predictability are key qualities that this duo lacks heading into the season. As a result, relying on Richardson and Pittman as a core part of your fantasy roster could lead to inconsistent week-to-week performances and a frustrating fantasy experience.
Michael Pittman is catching passes from Anthony Richardson, a really bad passer
Even last year with a higher volume pass attack from Gardner Minshew, Pittman was still just the WR18 in fantasy points per game
Richardson also runs a lot which hurts passing volume
At the goal… https://t.co/ew41HtrOk3
— Josh Larky (@jlarkytweets) August 17, 2024
Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk - San Francisco 49ers
C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins - Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins may seem like an intriguing QB/WR stack given Stroud's pedigree as a top draft pick and Collins' expected role as one of the Texans' primary receivers. However, relying on this duo in fantasy football comes with significant risks.
This uncertainty extends to Collins, who has shown flashes of potential but remains unproven as a consistent fantasy asset. Collins was fantastic last year, as he ended with 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns, which is more yards and touchdowns than he had in his first two seasons in the NFL.
With Stroud, this is a quarterback that had an ADP of QB6, which is drafting him at his ceiling. Where Stroud is being drafted, he would have to surpass what he did last season to get the return value on using him as a fourth- to fifth-round draft pick.
7 Fantasy Football Busts to Avoids in Your Drafts:
Davante Adams
TJ Hockenson
Austin Ekeler
Jordan Love
Zay Flowers
Nick Chubb
CJ StroudWho should be added to this list?
— SAL VETRI (@SalVetriDFS) August 20, 2024
The Texans offense is stacked. With Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell, Joe Mixon, and Dalton Schultz, it's going to be difficult for Collins to provide consistent production every week.
Given the amount of wide receiver competition and the high draft price for Stroud, this QB/WR stack could lead to a volatile and frustrating experience, especially when more established and stable options are available in the same draft range.
Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers - Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers may be generating excitement as a potential high-upside QB/WR stack, but there are reasons to approach this duo with caution in fantasy football this season. While Jackson is a dynamic playmaker, the Ravens offense is built around the run, and Jackson’s primary strength is his ability to create plays with his legs.
The team added superstar running Derrick Henry as well, which would emphasize the run game even more in Baltimore. This limits the overall passing volume, which could cap Flowers’ target share and, in turn, his fantasy value.
As a rookie, Flowers had 77 receptions for 858 yards and five touchdowns in 2023 and has been crowned Jackson's second favorite target behind Mark Andrews.
Additionally, Jackson's history of relying on Andrews as his go-to target in critical situations means that Flowers may not see the volume necessary to become a reliable fantasy asset right away.
Flowers will see the target share and the yards per game, but I do expect the touchdown numbers to once again be low this season, as the team runs the ball nearly every time in the red zone.
The chemistry between Jackson and Flowers is still developing, and as with any second-year receiver, there’s a risk that Flowers could struggle or see a setback. Both players aren't cheap, as Jackson's ADP is QB3 and Flowers' ADP is WR29.
While Flowers has the talent to become a significant contributor in the future, the uncertainty surrounding his role and the Ravens' run-heavy scheme make this stack a risky investment that could result in unpredictable week-to-week performances in fantasy lineups.
Fantasy Football All-BUST Team:
QB: Jordan Love
RB: Kyren Williams
RB: Aaron Jones
WR: Stefon Diggs
WR: Zay Flowers
TE: Sam LaPortaI’m OUT on all of these players at ADP, and believe all of them will underperform based on their expectations.
Presented by @HPointSports
— Luke Sawhook 🪚🪝 (@lukesawhook) August 22, 2024
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