Week 14 began with a miracle comeback from Baker Mayfield, leading the Los Angeles Rams to victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Now we head into the Sunday slate knowing this week could follow the mayhem narrative due to multiple teams being on bye this late into the season. With these numerous byes, we have a smaller slate to play with, which means stacking the right players is of the utmost importance to building your lineup. Let’s break down the best stacks for you below.
Kirk Cousins + T.J. Hockenson (QB+TE Min)
The Minnesota Vikings play the Detroit Lions with shootout potential. This game’s total points currently sit at 51.5 within most betting books. Now, up until this week, Kirk Cousins hasn’t had the MVP-level season we were expecting with Kevin O’Connell coming into town, so you may be asking why we have confidence in Kirk Cousins.
Week 14 began with a miracle comeback from Baker Mayfield, leading the Los Angeles Rams to victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Now we head into the Sunday slate knowing this week could follow the mayhem narrative due to multiple teams being on bye this late into the season. With these numerous byes, we have a smaller slate to play with, which means stacking the right players is of the utmost importance to building your lineup. Let’s break down the best stacks for you below.
Kirk Cousins + T.J. Hockenson (QB+TE Min)
The Minnesota Vikings play the Detroit Lions with shootout potential. This game’s total points currently sit at 51.5 within most betting books. Now, up until this week, Kirk Cousins hasn’t had the MVP-level season we were expecting with Kevin O’Connell coming into town, so you may be asking why we have confidence in Kirk Cousins.
Cousins is getting a chance to face a defense in the Lions that, although they have had stronger performances in the run game, still struggles with the passing attack. They allow the eighth-most passing yards this season, they are tied for sixth in passing touchdowns, and they allow the most fantasy points (FPPG) per game.
We want to pair him with T.J. Hockenson or choose Hockenson as a bring-back option to a Lions stack. The Detroit Lions’ defense is 17th in DVOA against the pass and struggles in the middle of the field. This weakness is evident regarding their coverage of the tight end position, as the Lions’ defense allows:
- The seventh most receptions
- 11th most yards
- Second-most touchdowns
The Lions’ defense is also second with FPPG to the tight end position. It’s rare to find this combination of FPPG and the high probability of the tight end falling into the endzone. Once we attach those stats with a revenge game narrative, this stack of players becomes one of the favorites to target on the slate.
Jared Goff + Amon-Ra St. Brown + DJ Chark (QB+WR Det)
We sit in the same game but now visit the other side of the ball with a red-hot Lions offense. Jared Goff is coming off a 340-yard passing game and gets an opponent struggling in all facets of their defensive game plan. Minnesota is the 24th-passing DVOA defense in the NFL right now. They allow the most passing yards in the NFL and the eighth-highest FPPG this season. With both defenses in this game struggling, we have a potential shootout that could provide dividends regardless of which side we lean on within the game.
Now when it comes to the wide receivers, the Vikings’ defense is no better. They are allowing the most receiving yards, the second most targets, and completions to the wide receiver position while also having the fifth-highest FPPG to wide receivers.
When it comes to the Lions’ offense, Amon-Ra St. Brown is the main component of their game plan. He has seen ten or more targets in three of his last four games while also breaking the 100-yard mark in three of the previous four games. He has finally started scoring again, as he has three touchdowns in his last two games. You can start him with the safe floor confidence knowing he won’t fail you.
D.J. Chark is an excellent pivot this week if you want to take a lower rostership player. He has seen his highest snap percentage of the year, his highest total of receiving yards, and his highest yards per target and catch.
Zach Pascal + Eagles Def (WR + Def)
This stack is exceptionally high-risk and high-reward for your Sunday Slate. Quez Watkins is dealing with an injury, and since Dallas Goedert‘s injury, the Eagles have moved into 11 personnel more often with three wide receivers on the field. Did you know that in 2020, when Zach Pascal and Nick Sirianni were in the Colts organization, the Colts’ offense gave Pascal 14 targets inside the Redzone, the most on the team? It’s a long-shot dart throw, but the rostership will be so low that in a GPP, it could be beautiful.
Stack this long shot with the Philadelphia Eagles defense, which is already one of the best in the NFL but faces a New York Giants teams void of talent at the wide receiver position and could be without Saquon Barkley this weekend.
Remember, if you need help with your DFS construction, don’t hesitate to reach out on Twitter at @jpep20.
