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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.
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.
