👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Divisional Round - Daily Fantasy Football Tournament Stacks

I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is this Saturday and Sunday mark the final weekend with more than two NFL games until September. And the good news? You get one last chance to soak up a DFS slate with more than two games!

The goal of this weekly column is to help find the most profitable DFS stacks, while avoiding the duds. Stacking, or pairing multiple players from the same NFL team, is an ideal way to maximize your point production, which is crucial in larger GPP (guaranteed prize pool) tournaments.

With only four games to choose from, pricing becomes less of a concern. You'll want to find a low-owned gem or two, especially for tournaments, but it'll still be important to hit a high-scoring stack to build the foundation of your lineup. With that mind, instead of ranking the stacks from most expensive to least expensive as in the regular season, we've ranked them in order of appeal.

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

Divisional Round - Strong DFS Stacks

New England QB Tom Brady and TE Rob Gronkowski vs. Tennessee

Surprised? Of course not. It's January, and that means Brady's time to shine. New England enters its divisional round game against Tennessee as a staggering 13.5-point favorite. Vegas expects the Patriots to dominate; why shouldn't we?

The Titans surrendered 264 yards and two touchdowns to Alex Smith last weekend, and much of that production came in conjunction with star tight end Travis Kelce. Expect the Patriots to replicate that approach, resulting in Brady and Gronkowski connecting on at least one touchdown.

New Orleans QB Drew Brees and WR Michael Thomas at Minnesota

To no one's surprise, Thomas was heavily featured in the Saints' wild-card win against Carolina last weekend. The star second-year wideout finished with eight receptions for 131 yards on nine targets.

Thomas will certainly face a stiffer test against the Vikings' second-ranked pass defense, but if Minnesota focuses on stopping the backfield duo of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, Thomas will benefit. There's enough upside in a Brees-Thomas stack to give it a serious look.

Minnesota QB Case Keenum and WR Adam Thielen vs. New Orleans

How will Keenum perform in his postseason debut? That's the key question, both for Vikings fans and DFS players. Keenum's breakout 2017 season has been nothing short of brilliant, but he'll face a tough test against the Saints, who excelled at forcing turnovers this season.

Wide receivers don't get more consistent than Thielen, who hauled in at least five passes in 13 of 16 regular-season games. Expect him to be heavily involved in the Vikings' passing attack Sunday afternoon. Tight end Kyle Rudolph is also an interesting touchdown-dependent option.

 

Divisional Round - Riskier DFS Stacks

Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Antonio Brown vs. Jacksonville 

Roethlisberger was downright dreadful in the Week 5 meeting between these two teams, finishing with a career-worst five interceptions in a lopsided 30-9 loss. The Jaguars' defense has turned heads this season, but it's highly unlikely Big Ben plays as poorly the second time around. One or two INTs is possible; not five.

A healthy Brown certainly helps. The star wide receiver missed the final two games of the regular season with a calf injury, but he's expected to return to the lineup Sunday. The Jaguars' secondary is impressive, but Brown is matchup-proof. Running back Le'Veon Bell is also a solid stack with Roethlisberger.

Atlanta QB Matt Ryan and WR Julio Jones at Philadelphia

Ryan was solid in leading the Falcons' offense last weekend against the Los Angeles Rams, but his football savvy didn't translate to fantasy production. That's nothing new this season. In fact, Ryan has thrown for two-plus touchdowns in a game since Week 11.

Could it happen Saturday against the top-seeded Eagles? Sure, but recent trends suggest it isn't likely. Jones, who had nine receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown last weekend, remains an elite play, but stacking him with Ryan is risky.

Tennessee QB Marcus Mariota and TE Delanie Walker at New England

As far as playoff debuts go, it's hard to top what Mariota did last weekend. The third-year quarterback passed for 205 yards and two touchdowns, including one to himself on one of the wildest plays you'll ever see, and rushed for 46 yards to rally the Titans for a 22-21 win over Kansas City.

It's safe to say Mariota won't throw another touchdown to himself this Saturday, but he'll absolutely have to throw the ball against the Patriots. Tennessee's game plan will likely involve a heavy dose of Derrick Henry, but if Henry struggles and the Titans fall behind, Mariota will have to air it out. It's a risky play.

 

Wild Card Round - DFS Stacks to Avoid

Philadelphia QB Nick Foles and TE Zach Ertz vs. Atlanta

Foles' four-touchdown outing against the New York Giants in Week 15 seems like a long, long time ago. Since then, he's completed less than 50 percent of his passes with one touchdown against two interceptions and two fumbles. That's not ideal.

The Eagles should benefit from the wild-card bye week, but the Falcons' defense has been sneaky solid lately. Foles dropping back to throw 40 or 50 times isn't Philadelphia's optimized game plan, so his upside is limited. Start him at your own risk.

Jacksonville QB Blake Bortles and WR Dede Westbrook vs. Pittsburgh

Speaking of risk, can anyone prove "Blake Bortles" doesn't stand for "risky fantasy play?" Bortles and the Jaguars won last weekend against the Buffalo Bills, but the fourth-year quarterback posted one of the strangest stat lines in recent memory: 87 passing yards, one touchdown; 88 rushing yards.

Expect the Steelers to limit Bortles' running lanes and force him to beat them through the air. That's a recipe for disaster, not only for the Jaguars, but for any DFS player brazen enough to start Bortles and a Jaguars pass-catcher.

 

More Weekly DFS Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Sebastian Walcott

to Have Elbow Surgery, Could Miss Entire Season
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Will Likely Miss the Rest of the Season
Andrew Painter

No Restrictions for Andrew Painter in Spring Training
Luis Gil

Throwing Live Batting Practice on Thursday
Coby Mayo

Headed Back to the Hot Corner?
Grant Holmes

has No Restrictions, Could Claim Rotation Role
CFB

BYU's Parker Kingston Charged with Felony Rape
DJ Herz

Place on 60-Day Injured List
Julian Merryweather

Joining Twins on Minor-League Deal
Joel Embiid

to Be Re-Evaluated After All-Star Break
Caleb Martin

Iffy for Thursday's Game
Naji Marshall

Uncertain to Face Lakers
Klay Thompson

Available Thursday
Trey Murphy III

Makes Early Exit Wednesday
Jalen Williams

Exits Early With Hamstring Issue
Cooper Flagg

Out Through All-Star Break
Liam Hendriks

Signs Minors Deal With Twins
Deandre Ayton

Listed as Questionable for Thursday
Cooper Flagg

Likely to Skip Meeting With Lakers
Stephon Castle

Cleared to Play Wednesday
Austin Reaves

Set to Return Thursday
Chris Bassitt

Orioles Agree on One-Year Deal
LeBron James

Available Thursday Night
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Won't Face Mavericks Thursday
Jake McCarthy

Could Start in Right Field for Rockies
Will Richard

Out Wednesday
De'Anthony Melton

Available Wednesday Night
Spencer Jones

Remains Sidelined Wednesday
Christian Braun

Active Wednesday Night
Jared Jones

Placed on 60-Day Injured List
Walter Clayton Jr.

Cedric Coward, Walter Clayton Jr. Ruled Out Wednesday
Jamal Murray

Good to Go Against Grizzlies
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Ready to Rock Wednesday
Kris Bubic

Wins Arbitration Case Against Royals
Eric Lauer

Loses Arbitration Hearing Against Toronto
Bailey Falter

Throws a Bullpen on Wednesday
Zack Gelof

"Feeling Ready to Go"
Hunter Strickland

Throws a Bullpen on Wednesday
Casey Schmitt

Could be Cleared for Full Baseball Activities Soon
Jacob Stallings

Retires, Joins Pirates' Front Office
Orion Kerkering

Suffers a Grade 1 Hamstring Strain
Trey Yesavage

Blue Jays Will Monitor Trey Yesavage's Workload
Tanner Houck

to Throw Next Week, Hopes to Contribute in September
Cameron Young

Looking for Pebble Beach Success
J.J. Spaun

Looks to Turn Things Around at Pebble Beach
Collin Morikawa

Eyes Turnaround at Pebble Beach
Jake Knapp

Brings Hot Form to Pebble Beach
Nick Taylor

in Good Form Going into Pebble Beach Event
Viktor Hovland

Carrying Momentum Into Pebble Beach
Tommy Fleetwood

Set for 2026 PGA Tour Debut at Pebble Beach
Harris English

Looks to Build on Steady Form at Pebble Beach
Justin Rose

Tuned in for AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Keegan Bradley

a Boom-or-Bust Play at Pebble Beach
Maverick McNealy

Playing Well with Pebble Beach Looming
Russell Henley

Carries Momentum to Pebble Beach
Shane Lowry

Makes 2026 PGA Tour Debut at Pebble Beach
Michael Kim

Putting Well with Pebble Beach on the Horizon
Billy Horschel

a Little Rattled After Consecutive Missed Cuts
Ben Griffin

Solid But Not Spectacular Early in 2026
Wyndham Clark

Has Question Marks Heading to Pebble Beach
Daniel Berger

Heating Up at the Right Time for Pebble Beach
Jordan Spieth

Looking For a Return to Form at Pebble Beach
Juuse Saros

Starting Wednesday
William Nylander

Iffy for Olympic Opener
Martin Necas

Ready for Thursday
Drake Maye

Says his Shoulder Injury was Significant
Xander Schauffele

Trying to Get the Motor Going at Pebble Beach
Hideki Matsuyama

Trying to Overcome Sunday Collapse
Kenneth Walker III

Runs Away With Super Bowl MVP Honors
Vinicius Oliveira

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Mario Bautista

Gets Back In The Win Column
Kyoji Horiguchi

Dominates At UFC Vegas 113
Amir Albazi

Gets Dominated At UFC Vegas 113
Rizvan Kuniev

Earns His First UFC Win
Jailton Almeida

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 113
Marc-Andre Barriault

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Michal Oleksiejczuk

Gets His Third Win In A Row
Las Vegas Raiders

Klint Kubiak Confirms he Will be Next Raiders Head Coach
Jonas Rondbjerg

Out for Olympics
Brad Marchand

Good to Go for Olympic Opener
Gabriel Landeskog

Healthy for Olympics
Jack Hughes

Cleared for Olympics
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Returns to Super Bowl After Injury Scare
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Being Evaluated for Concussion, Questionable to Return
James Pearce Jr.

Arrested Following Police Chase
Quinn Hughes

Enters Olympics in Red-Hot Form
NHL

Juho Lammikko Returns to Switzerland
Pavel Zacha

Misses Olympics
Travis Kelce

Undecided on Playing Future, Leaning Towards Returning in 2026?
CFB

Rutgers Hiring South Dakota Head Coach Travis Johansen as Defensive Coordinator
Vinicius Oliveira

Looks For His Seventh Consecutive Win
Mario Bautista

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 113
Kyoji Horiguchi

Set For UFC Vegas 113 Co-Main Event
Amir Albazi

Looks To Bounce Back
Rizvan Kuniev

Looks For His First UFC Win
Jailton Almeida

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Marc-Andre Barriault

In Dire Need Of Victory
Michal Oleksiejczuk

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Michael Penix Jr.

Says he's Ahead of Schedule After Knee Surgery
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF