🖥 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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.

Holiday Special! Save 50% on any Premium Pass using discount code THANKS. Win more with our DFS, Betting and Season-Long Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! GAIN ACCESS

 

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

Matthew Stafford

Racks Up Highest Yardage Total in Over a Decade
Puka Nacua

Delivers Career-Best Performance on Thursday Night Football
Michael King

Padres Bring Michael King Back on Three-Year Deal
Anthony Edwards

on the Injury Report Again for Friday Night
Joel Embiid

on the Injury Report for Friday Due to an Illness
Logan Webb

Will Pitch for Team USA in World Baseball Classic
Tarik Skubal

Joins Team USA for World Baseball Classic
Anthony Davis

Cleared to Play Versus Detroit
Jakobi Meyers

Jaguars Agree to Three-Year Extension With Jakobi Meyers
Davante Adams

Officially Out on Thursday Night
LaMelo Ball

Available Against Atlanta
Trae Young

on a Minutes Restriction on Thursday
Michael Kesselring

Available After 14-Game Absence
Tyrese Maxey

Off the Injury Report for Friday Night
Peyton Krebs

Good to Go Thursday
Norman Powell

Good to Go Against Brooklyn
Jake Bean

Set for Surgery, Out Indefinitely
Mike Matheson

Misses Second Straight Game Thursday
Mitchell Robinson

Won't Suit Up Against Indiana
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Back for Lightning Thursday
Josh Hart

Sidelined on Thursday Evening
Ryan McDonagh

Available Thursday
OG Anunoby

Available Against Indiana
Karl-Anthony Towns

Out on Thursday Night
Artemi Panarin

a Game-Time Call Thursday
Devin Neal

Placed on Injured Reserve, Will Not Return in 2025
CFB

Will Muschamp Becoming Next Texas Defensive Coordinator
Norman Powell

Upgraded to Probable
Lauri Markkanen

Ruled Out Thursday
LaMelo Ball

Upgraded to Probable for Thursday
Trae Young

Will Play Thursday Against the Hornets
Christian Watson

Questionable for Week 16
Gabe Vincent

Will Miss at Least a Week
Josh Jacobs

Listed as Questionable for Saturday Night
T.J. Watt

Unlikely to Play in Week 16
D'Andre Swift

Questionable to Face the Packers
Rome Odunze

Ruled Out for Week 16
Jawhar Jordan

Could be in for Significant Workload Against Raiders
Rome Odunze

Expected to Miss Third Straight Game
CFB

Beau Pribula Set to Enter Transfer Portal
Josh Jacobs

Expected to Play in Week 16
Sebastian Aho

Leads Hurricanes to Victory With Three-Point Period
Joel Hofer

Notches Third Shutout of the Season
Jordan Martinook

Sustains Lower-Body Injury
Puka Nacua

Brother Charged With Stealing NBA Player's SUV
Jonathan Marchessault

Exits Early Wednesday
Evan Rodrigues

Suffers Lower-Body Injury Wednesday
Lars Eller

to Miss at Least Three More Weeks
Thomas Chabot

Remains Out Thursday
Jrue Holiday

Remains Out Thursday
Khris Middleton

Unavailable Against Spurs
Bilal Coulibaly

Back From Four-Game Absence Thursday
Collin Sexton

Out on Thursday
Tari Eason

Remains Questionable on Injury Report
Bo Bichette

Willing to Make the Move to Second Base
Davante Adams

Doubtful to Play Thursday Night
Matthew Tkachuk

Status Uncertain for Winter Classic
Tyson Foerster

Ruled Out for Five Months
Quinton Byfield

Back From One-Game Absence Wednesday
Gustav Forsling

Available Against Kings
Pavel Dorofeyev

Good to Go Wednesday
Shea Theodore

Out Against Devils
Jack Eichel

Misses First Game of the Season Wednesday
Devin Neal

Ruled Out for Sunday
Christian Watson

"Should be Good" to Face the Bears on Saturday
Geno Smith

has "a Good Chance" to Return in Week 16
Saquon Barkley

Back at Practice on Wednesday
Brady Cook

Will Start Again in Week 16
Patrick Mahomes

Rehabbing ACL, LCL Tears
CFB

Jeremiyah Love Officially Heading to NFL Draft
CFB

Jake Merklinger Leaving Tennessee for Transfer Portal
Mike Trout

Angels Open to Mike Trout Playing Center Field in 2026
CFB

Kansas State's Jayce Brown Intends to Transfer
CFB

Nation's Leading Passer Drew Mestemaker to Enter Transfer Portal
Justin Crawford

Phillies Planning to Start Justin Crawford in Center Field
CFB

Jayden Maiava Signs New Deal to Return to USC
CFB

Aidan Mizell Won't Return to Florida, Entering Transfer Portal
CFB

East Carolina Targeting Jordan Davis as Next Offensive Coordinator
CFB

Michigan QB Jadyn Davis Set to Enter Transfer Portal
CFB

Travis Williams Joining Texas A&M Defensive Staff
CFB

Dylan Raiola Entering His Name into Transfer Portal
CFB

Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby Plans to Transfer When Portal Opens
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia, Phillies Finalizing One-Year Deal on Monday
Brandon Royval

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
CFB

Baylor, LSU, Miami Among Potential Suitors for DJ Lagway
CFB

Aidan Chiles Will Enter Transfer Portal
Manel Kape

Shines At UFC Vegas 112
Kevin Vallejos

Gets Second-Round Knockout Win
Giga Chikadze

Suffers His First Career Knockout Loss
CFB

Quarterback DJ Lagway Entering Transfer Portal
Cesar Almeida

Gets Dominated
Cezary Oleksiejczuk

Wins Sixth Fight In A Row
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Melquizael Costa

Gets First-Round Knockout Win
Marcus Buchecha

Still Winless In The UFC
Kennedy Nzechukwu

And Marcus Buchecha Fight To Draw
Lance Gibson jr

Lance Gibson Jr. Drops Decision In His UFC Debut
King Green

Gets Back In The Win Column
Kenley Jansen

Agrees to One-Year Deal With Tigers
Merrill Kelly

Returns to Diamondbacks on Two-Year Deal
Jorge Polanco

Agrees to Two-Year Deal With Mets
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Return to South Carolina in 2026

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP