Every Friday, this article provides several FanDuel stacks. Most of these positively correlated combinations are best suited for tournament play. But some of the safer duos with high floors can be used in cash games. We'll discuss highly-owned stacks, dig deeper to find less common stacks, identify potential shootouts, and create strong lineup anchors with defensive stacks.
Highly-Owned Stacks
Russell Wilson ($8,800)+ Doug Baldwin ($7,400) = $16,200
This stack has been money for three weeks in a row. Positive recency bias will make this the highest-owned stack of the week. But a decimated backfield and the Browns coming to town still make this stack a worthwhile investment as long as you find differentiation elsewhere in your lineup.
Twist: Tyler Lockett ($6,000) is a great value with serious upside. He'll also be highly owned, but Lockett is your guy if you're looking for a triple stack.
Tom Brady ($9,500)+ Rob Gronkowski ($8,500) = $18,000
The Patriots are two-touchdown favorites as they host the Titans on Sunday. And New England is the only team this week with an implied team total over 30 points. It will cost a fortune to own the most expensive players at their positions. But with plenty of values available at other positions this week, it's feasible to load up on New England players.
Twist: Danny Amendola ($7,000) is reasonably priced and works well as a standalone piece in all formats. He could also offer some salary relief as a Gronkowski alternative or complete an expensive triple stack. Just keep an eye on Julian Edelman to be sure his doubtful designation leads to him being inactive.
Matthew Stafford ($7,800)+ Calvin Johnson ($8,000) = $15,800
This is more of a medium-owned stack. But as three-point underdogs in New Orleans in the highest-scoring game of the week, Detroit's top duo is sure to see lots of action.
Twist: Golden Tate ($6,900) has been coming on as of late. Swap him in for Johnson for salary relief or use him in a triple stack.
Shootout: I love the shootout potential in this game, but choosing the Saints' top pass-catcher can be dicey. If you really want to lean heavily into this game for a top-heavy prize pool, Brandin Cooks ($7,000) and Ben Watson ($5,600) would be my top picks. But it's risky as Drew Brees tends to spread the ball around.
Less Common Stacks
Aaron Rodgers ($9,000) + Randall Cobb ($7,200) = $16,200
It's been a disappointing season for the Packers' offense, but we were saying the same thing about the Seahawks offense before they blew up in Week 11. Playing at Oakland seems like the perfect bounce-back spot for Green Bay. The Raiders have a solid rush defense and pass rush, which should force some quick passes to Cobb out of the slot. Rodgers high price and negative recency bias should kill his ownership percentage.
Twist: Richard Rodgers ($5,500) will be more heavily owned than Cobb and his quarterback, but he still probably won't crack the top five at his position. He rounds out a nice triple stack.
Shootout: Amari Cooper ($6,900) and Michael Crabtree ($6,700) are solid correlation plays in case of a shootout. I prefer Cooper.
Ryan Tannehill ($6,900) + Jarvis Landry ($7,100) = $14,000
Vegas isn't projecting this game in San Diego as a super-high-scoring matchup at only 45.5 points. But I can see this one getting out of hand. Tannehill targeted Landry a career-high 18 times last week, and I expect Tannehill to lean on him heavily again this week. Landry only has four touchdowns on the season, so this is a risky play. But we saw the upside potential of this pair in Weeks 7 and 12. Tannehill will barely be owned, so this stack should offer the differentiation you're looking for to win a top-heavy GPP.
Shootout: Antonio Gates ($5,800) will be heavily owned, but he's the only Chargers pass-catcher I trust if you're looking for a shootout correlation play.
Defensive Stacks
Seattle Seahawks ($5,400) + Tyler Lockett ($6,000) = $11,400
The Seahawks defense is the chalk play of the week despite having the top price tag. As two-touchdown favorites against the Browns, we'd typically pair Seattle with a running back. But their backfield is a mess after Thomas Rawls sustained a season-ending injury last week. Bryce Brown will likely lead the team in carries, but he's unavailable on FanDuel this week. That leaves Lockett as the clear option for a defensive stack. Lockett is a great value on his own. And pairing him with his team creates the possibility of double points for a return touchdown.
Kansas City Chiefs ($5,200) + Charcandrick West ($5,900) = $11,100
I'm not usually quick to lean on a defense playing on the road. But the Ravens have been so inept as of late that this matchup is hard to ignore. The key to this stack hinges on the availability of Spencer Ware. He got in a limited practice on Friday, and he's listed as questionable with bruised ribs. If Ware sits, West joins David Johnson as the highest-owned players of the week. Even if Ware plays, he may not get his typical workload. Don't let Baltimore's defensive numbers against the run scare you off. They've been fading as of late.
Austin Lee hang-glided in Rio, climbed The Great Wall, and spent much of his childhood mixing cherry slushies with vanilla milkshakes. For more of his DFS insights, watch The Footballguys Daily Fantasy Hour presented by Rotogrinders on Wednesdays at 9:30pm ET or listen to The Audible's FanDuel podcast on Friday mornings. Also check out his Normalized Strength of Schedule tool or hit him up for advice on Twitter.