RADIO
Hey there RotoBallers! The majority of fantasy leagues conclude in Week 16, meaning there should be plenty of fantasy gamers out there with no skin in the game for the first time all season. That makes this a great weekend to fill out some DFS lineups and enjoy the games. The Week 17 main slate is loaded as there is not a Thursday or a Monday night game this week. With several teams expected to rest their starters, this is also a slate that is projected to be pretty low-scoring. The Cardinals/Rams game has the highest over/under, set at 49.0 points while Atlanta/Tampa Bay comes in second at 47.5 points.
The goal of this weekly column will be to locate some of the best DFS stacks each week. Stacking, or pairing a quarterback with one of his pass-catchers, is a great way to maximize the number of points scored. This method is generally viewed as a strategy in tournaments, but I also have no problem using safe, high-floor stacks in cash games, as well.
The top Week 17 DFS stacks will be listed below, loosely sorted by my preference. This article will center on the main slate (1:00 PM and 4:00 PM Sunday) games across both DraftKings and FanDuel. Each stack will reference two pass-catchers along with their quarterback. The pass-catchers will be listed in preferential order but sometimes a three-man stack is in play as full-game stacks led to several wins in the Milly Maker in 2018. If you feel strongly about how an offense will perform in a given week then consider loading up on several offensive players from that offense. All references to team defense DVOA come from Football Outsiders while cornerback and wide receiver matchups and grade references come from Pro Football Focus.
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Week 17 DFS Tournament Stacks
Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- QB Matt Ryan ($6,500 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel)
- WR Julio Jones ($8,500 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel)
- TE Austin Hooper ($5,800 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel)
I generally prefer to target teams that are motivated to win in Week 17 but a matchup against the Buccaneers is too good to pass up, even for a Falcons team that is going nowhere this season. Atlanta will look to take advantage of a Tampa Bay secondary that is allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to the quarterback position this year. Ryan wasn't great against Tampa Bay in Week 12 but he has too much upside to pass up this weekend.
Julio Jones has been on fire over the past two weeks, going for 23 catches, 300 yards, and two scores over that span. He is surely licking his chops in a plus matchup against the Tampa secondary on Sunday. Jones is averaging 6.75 catches for 100.75 yards and has one touchdown in his previous four games against the Buccaneers. This is a smash spot for the star receiver.
Consider rounding out the three-man stack with Austin Hooper. Hooper broke a quiet two-game stretch last week with seven catches for 82 yards against Jacksonville. He didn't play against the Buccaneers back in Week 12 due to injury but he has at least five catches and 67 yards in each of his past two encounters with Tampa Bay.
New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers
- QB Drew Brees ($7,000 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel)
- WR Michael Thomas ($9,900 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel)
- TE Jared Cook ($5,200 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel)
The Saints have plenty on the line in Week 17 as they are currently the third seed in the NFC but can move all the way up to the No. 1 seed if they win and get some help elsewhere. Expect New Orleans to go all out in attempts to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs. Drew Brees is in the midst of an impressive stretch of football, having thrown 12 touchdowns over his past three games. He will take his shots against a Carolina team that he lit up for 311 yards and three scores back in Week 12.
Michael Thomas set the NFL record for single-season catches last week and will look to add to that total in Week 17. Firmly established as the most reliable wide receiver in fantasy, Thomas should have another huge game against a Carolina secondary that he hung 10 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown on back in Week 12. He's expensive but has rarely failed to live up to his high pricing in DFS this year. In addition to Thomas, also consider tight end Jared Cook as a stacking partner for Drew Brees. Cook has really come on in recent weeks, having gone for at least 54 receiving yards in each of his past five games. He also has two two-touchdown games to his name over that span.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington
- QB Dak Prescott ($6,300 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel)
- WR Amari Cooper ($6,500 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel)
- WR Michael Gallup ($5,400 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel)
The Cowboys are another team that has plenty on the line in Week 17. Dallas has to win and hope that the Eagles lose to the Giants if they want to sneak into the playoffs this season. Dak Prescott is still playing through a shoulder injury but he has a high ceiling in his Week 17 matchup against Washington. Washington's secondary has struggled this season, ranking 23rd in DVOA against the pass and allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to the quarterback position. They are also coming off a game where they allowing rookie quarterback Daniel Jones to torch them with five touchdown passes. Injured shoulder or now, Prescott is an excellent play on Sunday.
Amari Cooper's knee injury hasn't caused him to miss practice time of late, but it appears to be affecting his play as he has just five catches for 43 yards over his past two games. That being said, he draws a fantastic matchup against left corner Aaron Colvin in the regular-season finale. Colvin is allowing 0.43 fantasy points per route covered and has just a 45.7 grade from Pro Football Focus. To be clear, Cooper is a risky play and should only be deployed in tournaments this weekend but we all know his massive upside if he gets going. Second-year wide receiver Michael Gallup has a huge ceiling and could be considered a safer play than his teammate for Week 17. He's also significantly cheaper than Cooper. Gallup should draw primary coverage from right corner Danny Johnson, the owner of a 50.8 grade at PFF.
Under-Owned Week 17 DFS Stack
Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans
- QB Ryan Tannehill ($6,800 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel)
- WR A.J. Brown ($7,000 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel)
- TE Jonnu Smith ($4,200 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)
The Ryan Tannehill-led Titans continue to get the job done through the air, despite many still not believing in the sustainability of this experiment. Either way, Tennessee's passing attack is a strong DFS play in Week 17 as they get set to take on a leaky Houston pass defense. The Titans are currently the sixth seed in the AFC and control their own destiny in a "win-and-in" situation. Houston's secondary ranks 25th in DVOA and is allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to enemy signal-callers this season.
A.J. Brown has arrived as a true stud receiver who has been unlocked by the solid play of Tannehill. Brown will see coverage mostly from Oakland castoff Gareon Conley on Sunday. Conley is allowing 0.38 fantasy points per route covered and has a 64.7 grade from PFF. I also like Jonnu Smith as a dart-throw in tournaments. Houston's defense is allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to the tight end position and allowed Smith to go for 60 yards a few weeks back when these two teams met.
Thanks for reading, go win some money this weekend RotoBallers!
