When it comes to best ball, we’re nearly all in agreement that stacking is an essential way to maximize your roster’s ceiling. Not all stacks are easily achievable, and some can be priced at such a level that it makes it hard to swallow, while others are available late in drafts to boost the backend of our rosters.
Best Ball Stacks to Target
Stacking Theory
If you’re yet to be convinced of the idea of stacking in best ball, Mike Leone of Establish The Run’s work from 2024 is very compelling, which showed that having zero stacks in Underdog Best Ball Mania finals led to an expected win rate of -30%, while having between six and nine stacked players in total led to a positive win-rate expectation of 32%.
When it comes to best ball, we’re nearly all in agreement that stacking is an essential way to maximize your roster’s ceiling. Not all stacks are easily achievable, and some can be priced at such a level that it makes it hard to swallow, while others are available late in drafts to boost the backend of our rosters.
Best Ball Stacks to Target
Stacking Theory
If you’re yet to be convinced of the idea of stacking in best ball, Mike Leone of Establish The Run’s work from 2024 is very compelling, which showed that having zero stacks in Underdog Best Ball Mania finals led to an expected win rate of -30%, while having between six and nine stacked players in total led to a positive win-rate expectation of 32%.
Using Underdog’s Best Ball Mania average draft position (ADP) data, we can see the costs of drafting the top five players for each team, with the teams at the top more expensive and the teams at the bottom more affordable. Let’s dive into some high-priced and low-priced stacks to target.
High-Priced Stacks to Target
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are the highest-cost stack currently, with five going players in the first six rounds, and then almost entirely dropping off after that point. This shouldn’t be surprising given the Lions ranked fourth in offensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) last year and led the league in total points scored, with 39 more than the next nearest team. They also punted the fewest times in the league.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and Jared Goff all finished in the top eight at their positions last year, which could make Goff the best-priced option of the lot of them in 2025.
Philadelphia Eagles
The second-most expensive team to stack is the Eagles, who find their top four players in the first five rounds. Dallas Goedert is available at a significant discount compared to recent years, but it’s fair to be wary of him, given he has missed 15 games over the last three seasons and averages 2.98 more half-PPR points when A.J. Brown misses than when they’re both on the field.
Stacking Jalen Hurts with Brown and DeVonta Smith is doable, but it’s much more common to see him with only one of the pair. A contrarian stack would involve Saquon Barkley to guarantee the Eagles’ touchdown production from week to week.
Cincinnati Bengals
One of the most desirable stacks over the last few years has been the Bengals, who land on this list as the third-most expensive stack. Four of their players fall into the first five rounds, with three in each of the first three.
The question largely becomes, how do you want to stack Joe Burrow? Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are both lined up almost perfectly to stack, but Burrow requires a slight reach ahead of his ADP. The Bengals ranked fifth in passing offense DVOA last year, but 27th in pass defense — a perfect recipe of pass-happy game scripts for maximum fantasy points.
San Francisco 49ers
It’s perhaps a little surprising to see the 49ers appear this highly in the list of high-priced stacks, considering they only have one player inside the top 50 selections. But the overall average of their top five selections makes them one of the higher-priced teams, even if there is much ambiguity at the wide receiver position.
If Brandon Aiyuk were healthy, there is no doubt we’d see him taken several rounds earlier, but coming off a major knee injury on the back of scoring double-digit points only once in seven games last season makes his 7.09 ADP pricier than it should be. One thing is for sure: Drafters are happy to take a swing on the team that finished fourth in passing yards per game last year, despite their turmoil.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Despite the Buccaneers changing offensive coordinators for the second year running and Chris Godwin dealing with a serious knee injury, there is still a lot of interest around drafting them. The Bucs have an exciting core of young players on top of their veterans, highlighted by the addition of Emeka Egbuka, who pushed one of last year’s favorite sleepers, Jalen McMillan, to 148th overall and well out of the top stacking positions.
If you worry about 29-year-old Godwin’s health, the alternate stack would be to take the other Bucs receivers and fade his sixth-round ADP. The Bucs ranked sixth in passing offense DVOA in 2024, along with scoring the fourth-most points. If they can overcome the change in coordinator, they should have plenty of fun once again.
Baltimore Ravens
The sixth-most expensive offense to stack is one that sometimes causes headaches for drafters but is no doubt one of the very best, as the Ravens finished first in both passing and rushing offensive DVOA last year, along with scoring the third-most points.
Lamar Jackson was the QB1 in all formats last year, scoring 35 more fantasy points than Josh Allen. Drafting Jackson is a no-brainer, but decisions elsewhere are trickier. Can Zay Flowers take the leap? Last year, he wasn’t consistent, and while Rashod Bateman had career-highs with 756 yards and nine touchdowns, he also had eight games below eight PPR points.
The battle for top-tier relevancy between Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews is also well worth considering, with Andrews looking slower in 2024 and failing to earn volume like he used to, but he did still lead all tight ends with 11 touchdowns. That ambiguity leads the Ravens to be potential values in drafts.
Low-Priced Stacks to Target
New Orleans Saints
The cheapest of all teams to stack is the New Orleans Saints, who only have two players in the first 110 players drafted. With ambiguity over the quarterback position, an aging roster and an offensive line that looks set to be one of the worst in the league, it’s fair to have low expectations for the Saints this year.
That is, unless they pull a rabbit out of the proverbial hat now that they are flush with cap space (by their standards, at least).
Tennessee Titans
One of the sneakier late-round stacks available is the Titans, who firmly understood the need to upgrade upon Will Levis. It’s fair not to expect too much from Cam Ward, given his weapons and that it’s his first year in the NFL, but he looked like a prospect ready for the NFL, and the AFC South isn’t the most imposing.
This coaching staff has its roots with the Bengals, and it shouldn’t be surprising to see them lean pass-heavy if Ward can cope with it. Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett have their downsides, but veteran receivers might just be what this offense needs.
Cleveland Browns
Joe Flacco is the only Browns quarterback currently anywhere close to being drafted consistently. Even then, it seems like a pull in case of an emergency option only.
Nobody expects 17 games from a signal-caller in Cleveland this year, and the muddled-up situation with Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders makes it difficult to take shots on a quarterback in the hope they start by the end of the season. For this reason, along with poor depth at the skill positions, they are the third-cheapest team to stack.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Another team with quarterback issues is the Steelers, who find themselves the fourth-cheapest team to stack with only one player inside the top 75 picks. Assuming Aaron Rodgers may still end up in Pittsburgh, his price will likely rise and Pat Freiermuth‘s will almost certainly as well, but Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson are no sure thing with neither having made a dint for fantasy as yet, and we all know how much Aaron Rodgers can be picky about who he throws to.
The Steelers are on the precipice; without Rodgers, they could be completely irrelevant, and with Rodgers… it could be equally as bad.
Carolina Panthers
The fifth-cheapest team to stack is the Carolina Panthers. After paying up for Tetairoa McMillan, you can wait 10 more rounds before a glut of Panthers players are easily tagged on. The Panthers trended up nicely over the back half of last season and added a legitimate receiving threat for Bryce Young to throw to.
If you’re looking for a late-round stack, you’d be hard-pressed to find an easier option than the Panthers.
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