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The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the largest fan bases in all of professional sports, but it's likely they now have one additional life-long supporter after this weekend.
Draftkings user "1DontTryThisAtHome" used the popular DFS strategy of stacking to finish first in the weekly Millionaire Maker guaranteed prize pool tournament. In fact, this was stacking to the extreme, as they paired Ben Roethlisberger with wide receivers Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant, running back DeAngelo Williams and the Steelers' defense/special teams.
Of course, Pittsburgh routed Indianapolis 45-10, and the various stacks all correlated perfectly -- Roethlisberger threw TDs to Brown and Bryant; the defense excelled, giving Williams additional opportunities; Brown returned a punt for a touchdown, giving the D/ST another boost.
Featured Promo: For this week only, take 50% off any full-season or yearly Premium Pass on the site! Just enter discount code THANKS when checking out. Thanks for being a reader, and Happy Holidays! Sign Up Now!It was a perfect storm. Generally speaking, stacking that many players from one team is dangerous, but it can obviously pay off in a major way. These are some of the top stacks to weigh for Week 14, sorted roughly from most expensive to least expensive.
High-Priced Stacks
Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Antonio Brown at Cincinnati
This duo is matchup-proof at this point, so don't fret over the seemingly difficult road game against the division-rival Bengals. In fact, this game boasts one of the week's highest over/unders (48.5), so even Las Vegas expects a shootout.
Brown put on a show in Sunday night's rout of Indianpolis, finishing with 118 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches, while adding a third score on a punt return. Brown found the end zone in the first meeting with Cincinnati back in Week 8 and seems poised to do so again with Roethlisberger playing at the top of his game. As with any marquee stack, the only downsides here are the price and expected high ownership.
Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J. Green vs. Pittsburgh
Dalton had one of his only subpar games this season in Week 8 at Pittsburgh, but he was locked onto Green, who finished with 11 receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown. The Steelers are allowing 275.5 passing yards per game, which ranks 29th in the league. That's not good. Dalton should be able to exploit the matchup with Green once again.
Tight end Tyler Eifert could also make for a reasonable stack with Dalton, if he returns after missing a game with a neck injury. Eifert (NFL-best 12 receiving TDs) is always a threat to score, and should be a heavy part of a high-scoring game.
Moderate Stacks
Jacksonville QB Blake Bortles and WR Allen Robinson vs. Indianapolis
Goodness gracious. Hopefully you stacked these two in a few lineups this past weekend. In the best "bad" shootout of the day on Sunday, Bortles connected with Robinson 10 times for 153 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-39 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Bortles finished with 322 yards and a whopping five touchdowns.
Sure, the Jaguars are still a year or two away from truly becoming a contender, but Bortles and Robinson look like legitimate studs at their respective positions. Allen Hurns is expected to play this week after missing last weekend's game with a concussion, but that shouldn't hurt Robinson's value. After all, Roethlisberger just carved up the Colts' defense with Brown and Bryant. Ownership percentages could be high for both Bortles and Robinson, but they're simply too promising to ignore.
Seattle QB Russell Wilson and WR Doug Baldwin at Baltimore
Raise your hand if you thought Baldwin's 145-yard, three-touchdown explosion two weeks ago against the Steelers was a fluke. Fair enough, but that hand better not still be up after this past weekend's performance. Baldwin hauled in five passes for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns, firmly entrenching himself as a must-start moving forward.
The Seahawks have unleashed Wilson in a way we've never seen before, and it's working. Wilson has at least three touchdowns and 290 total yards in three straight games, all Seattle wins. This is a momentum train to keep riding, especially in a tasty matchup against the beatable Ravens secondary.
Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston and WR Mike Evans vs. New Orleans
Ah, here it is, our weekly stack against the Saints' defense. This time around it's the young Buccaneers duo of Winston and Evans. Both have had ups and downs this season -- Winston's had typical rookie moments, while Evans has battled drops -- but there's no denying the talent here. Plus, New Orleans' defense is just so, so bad, it's impossible to ignore.
The Saints have allowed 34 or more points in four of their last five games, along with a staggering 21 passing touchdowns over that same stretch. It's hard to see how Winston doesn't toss at least a pair of touchdowns, with major upside for more. Evans figures to be the main target, but Vincent Jackson could make for an interesting contrarian stack.
Bargin Stacks
Denver QB Brock Osweiler and WR Demaryius Thomas vs. Oakland
Osweiler has yet to lose since taking over as the Broncos' starter for an injured Peyton Manning. He's also yet to truly bust out as a fantasy commodity, but there's a chance that happens this Sunday. The Raiders are allowing an average of 271.1 yards through the air, the fifth-most in the league. Denver has taken pressure off of Osweilier with a more consistent rushing attack of late, but C.J. Anderson is nursing a sore ankle this week.
Both Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, who makes for a riskier stack with Osweiler, should be able to produce against Oakland. Thomas has two of Osweiler's four touchdowns since taking over as starter, a fact that gives him the nod over Sanders.
San Francisco QB Blaine Gabbert and WR Anquan Boldin vs. Cleveland
If you're looking to save money for other positions but still stack two players with high upside, this might be your best bet this week. No one is going to confuse Gabbert and Boldin with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, but sometimes the matchups are simply too good to pass up. The Browns are giving up just under 400 yards of offense per game, a mark that ranks 29th in the league.
Gabbert was a sneaky fantasy play this past weekend against the Chicago Bears, as he piled up 271 total yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 44-yard touchdown run. Yes, Gabbert now boasts the third-longest run by a quarterback this season, trailing only Marcus Mariota (87) and Alex Smith (49). Boldin was targeted 13 times against the Bears and has caught at least five passes in three straight games, so he offers a decent floor. This is a boom-or-bust option, no doubt, but it will certainly save salary to spend elsewhere.
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