Stacking has long been a staple in the daily fantasy community, particularly in tournament play. With MFL10s rapidly gaining in popularity it comes as no surprise that savvy players are applying some of the winning strategies of daily fantasy to this new and exciting format. I’ll be going over my favorite MFL10 stacks for 2017 but first I’d like to go over the basic concept of stacking and how it applies here.

Stacking is drafting two or more players from the same team who have correlated results. The most common and effective stack is pairing a quarterback with a wide receiver, though there are many other combinations that you can reap rewards from. These could include running back and defense or even quarterback and running back depending on the players involved.

The goal of stacking is to increase your weekly upside by doubling up on your scoring plays for each player, such as when your quarterback throws a touchdown to your wide receiver. By combining the positive outcomes of multiple players you substantially increase your weekly point potential.

The only downside to stacking is that you are giving yourself more exposure to poor performances. Fortunately, the “best ball” format of MFL10s helps you absorb those weeks with minimal point loss. Stability is severely devalued in this format, with weekly upside being the only way to end up in first place at season’s end.

I am a big proponent of drafting quarterbacks late and you will see that reflected in my stack choices with one or two exceptions. By getting an elite wide receiver early and then picking up his quarterback late you will get the most value from your stack without committing excessive resources to a particular team or situation. With that said, here are my favorite stacks based on current draft position.

Win cash playing fantasy at Draft. Get a 100% deposit bonus up to $600!

Tom Brady (QB – NE) and Rob Gronkowski (TE – NE)

This stack could be an exception to my late quarterback rule if I can get each of them at a good draft position. In Rob Gronkowski‘s last 19 games with Tom Brady (this encompasses the 2015 and 2016 season) he has at least one receiving touchdown in 12 of them, as well as 100 yards or more in eight of those games.

Brady’s success correlates strongly with that of his tight end through that time span. In those twelve games with a Gronkowski touchdown, Brady threw three or more touchdowns in seven of them and never tallies less than two scores of his own.  The New England offense only looks to have improved heading into the 2017 season which will increase the scoring potential for both players.

Jameis Winston (QB – TB) and Mike Evans (WR – TB)

If you’re able to pick up Mike Evans in the first round I would strongly consider targeting Jameis Winston, who is currently the ninth quarterback off the board at pick 103.

Mike Evans produced seven top 12 performances last year, meaning he is a weekly difference maker in your MFL10 lineup. We may not have seen the best that Evans has to offer as he has steadily increased his reception and yardage totals each of his three years in the NFL. With another year of chemistry with Winston and more experience, I’m expecting a massive season.

Jameis Winston has done everything right through his first two seasons. Last year he threw for over 4,000 yards and increasing his passing touchdown total to 28. In weeks where Evans was a top twelve receiver last year, Winston managed a top 10 quarterback performance in all but two of those. The addition of DeSean Jackson will add an additional dynamic weapon to his arsenal without detracting significantly from Evans’ target share.

Andy Dalton (QB – CIN), Tyler Eifert (TE – CIN) and A.J. Green (WR – CIN)

I’m approaching Dalton, Eifert and Green as a potential three player stack but you can take your pick of either receiver and come away happy. You would have to invest some relatively high draft picks to land Green and Eifert (8th and 65th overall respectively). Dalton coming in at 133rd overall makes that much easier to swallow, particularly when you consider the potential upside.

To understand why this trio makes sense I’m looking back to 2015, where they played ten full games together. In five of those ten games, Dalton and at least one of Green or Eifert put up starter level numbers (top 12 quarterback, top 12 tight end or top 36 wide receiver). In weeks four, five and 11 all three of them managed to eclipse that threshold. I don’t like to fixate on floor, but it’s worth noting that at least one player managed a starter-level performance in each of the ten weeks.

Kirk Cousins (QB – WAS) and Jordan Reed (TE – WAS)

Call me crazy, but I believe that Kirk Cousins and Jordan Reed will produce at a similar level to Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski this year. Reed has become the go-to option in both possession and red zone scenarios which makes him an elite PPR play as long as he can stay on the field. Cousins also lost a couple of familiar faces in Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson which means he could rely on his tight end even more.

In 2016 Jordan Reed produced eight top 12 performances (and three top two performances), despite only playing 12 games. Reed is always a threat to find the end zone but even in scoreless games, he can put up elite numbers due to his large target share. If he stays healthy for the entire season he has the potential to be the number one tight end.

Kirk Cousins has shown that he has elite quarterback potential and Jordan Reed is a huge factor in that. Last year in games where Reed had at least five receptions Cousins averaged 338 yards and two touchdowns, with two 450 yard multi-touchdown games.

Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT) and Antonio Brown (WR – PIT)

This pick almost seems too obvious, but it bears mentioning with Roethlisberger falling to the 13th quarterback off the board in MFL10 drafts.

There isn’t much to say about Antonio Brown that you don’t already know. He’s the best fantasy wide receiver in football right now and will give you multiple WR1 weeks throughout the season. The fantasy community has swung back towards running backs this year resulting in Brown “falling” to the fourth overall pick this year.

Unlike Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger is somewhat of a polarizing player in fantasy circles. Much of this comes down to his splits at home and on the road. Fortunately for you, the best ball format makes this point borderline irrelevant. While at home last year he averaged 3.33 touchdowns per game with one of those going to Antonio Brown each week. Even if you have to absorb a poor road performance here and there you will still come out ahead on the season by picking a second reliable quarterback to stabilize your floor.

Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | SoundCloud | Google Play | TuneIn | RSS

This piece is part of our article program that features quality content from experts exclusively at FantasyPros. You can find more of Aaron’s football work at FantasyTruth. To read more from Aaron, follow him @Fantasy_Truth.