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Hey there RotoBallers! Week 4 saw an epic shootout between the Rams and the Buccaneers while the Chiefs just edged past the Lions in an exciting finish. Meanwhile, the expected shootout between the Seahawks and Cardinals resulted in a disappointing 27-10 final score.
The goal of this weekly column will be to locate some of the best DFS stacks each week. Stacking, or pairing a quarterback with one of his pass-catchers, is a great way to maximize point scoring. This method is generally viewed as a strategy in tournaments, but I also have no problem using safe, high-floor stacks in cash games, as well.
The top Week 5 DFS stacks will be listed below, loosely sorted by my preference. This article will center on the main slate (1:00 PM and 4:00 PM Sunday) games across both DraftKings and FanDuel. Each stack will reference two pass-catchers along with their quarterback. The pass-catchers will be listed in preferential order but sometimes a three-man stack is in play as full-game stacks led to several wins in the Milly Maker in 2018. If you feel strongly about how an offense will perform in a given week then consider loading up on several offensive players from that offense. All references to team defense DVOA come from Football Outsiders while cornerback and wide receiver matchups and grade references come from Pro Football Focus. Data referring to a player's air yards comes from www.airyards.com.
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Week 5 DFS Stacks
Houston Texans vs. Atlanta Falcons
QB Deshaun Watson ($6,700 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel)
WR DeAndre Hopkins ($7,800 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel)
WR Will Fuller ($4,500 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel)
The Texans have underwhelmed through their first four games, including last week's 16-10 loss to the Panthers. Look for Houston to get right in a home game against a weak Atlanta defense in Week 5. Atlanta's pass defense ranks just 21st in DVOA while their run defense has been stout. That should funnel extra opportunities onto Watson's plate this weekend. We saw Atlanta cough up a huge game to the normally feeble Tennessee passing attack in Week 4, leading me to believe the Texans are in for a big afternoon.
Hopkins has been quiet since his two-touchdown performance in Week 1. The star wideout has drawn some tough matchups along the way, which hasn't helped. He should bounce back against Atlanta's Isaiah Oliver. Oliver has earned just a 61.5 grade from Pro Football Focus and is allowing a robust 0.48 fantasy points per route covered this season. Hopkins also ranks ninth in the league with 462 air yards. It is just a matter of time before he and Watson get back on the same page again.
Will Fuller appears to be a ticking timebomb just waiting to go off. The speedy deep threat is 12th in the NFL with 399 air yards, despite having yet to find the end zone this season. He and Watson just missed on a deep touchdown in Week 4, which would have changed Fuller's final stat line. I have played him in each of the past few weeks and plan to continue doing so until he pays off.
Atlanta Falcons @ Houston Texans
QB Matt Ryan ($5,900 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel)
WR Julio Jones ($7,700 DraftKings, $8,200 FanDuel)
WR Calvin Ridley ($4,900 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel)
Matt Ryan surprisingly failed to throw a touchdown in Week 4 against the Titans despite throwing for 397 yards. The Falcons have struggled to run the ball this season, with Devonta Freeman averaging just 3.3 yards per carry through four games. Look for another pass-heavy approach in Week 5 against a Texans offense that should put pressure on Atlanta's offense to score often. This game has the highest over/under on the slate, set at 49.0 points
Julio is almost always a strong play if you decide you want to pay up for the wide receiver position in your lineup constructions. This week could be another huge afternoon for Jones, who will run the majority of his routes against rookie corner Lonnie Johnson. The rookie corner is not off to a strong start in his NFL career, earning just a 32.5 grade from PFF. This is a smash spot for Jones.
Ridley had two big games to start the year but has caught just four passes for 38 yards over his past two contests. The second-year wideout is primed to bounce back against a diminished Johnathan Joseph in Week 5. According to Player Profiler, Joseph has allowed at least 71 receiving yards in each of his past three contests. While many may look to stack Ryan with red-hot tight end Austin Hooper, the Texans have been tough against tight ends so I am looking to pivot to Ridley in three-man stacks.
Arizona Cardinals @ Cincinnati Bengals
QB Kyler Murray ($6,300 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel)
RB David Johnson ($7,500 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel)
WR Larry Fitzgerald ($6,000 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)
Here we are again with the Cardinals, despite their poor showing in a 27-10 loss to the Seahawks in Week 4. On the plus side, rookie quarterback Kyler Murray has begun to unlock his elite rushing ability. After only rushing the ball for 17 yards in his first two games, Murray has 96 yards and a score over his past two contests. The Bengals Defense has been brutal against the run and the pass this season but we know the Cardinals aren't all that interested in passing anyway, which means Murray will get plenty of chances against the 2019's 31st-ranked pass defense according to the DVOA metric.
David Johnson's 27 targets rank third in the league among running backs. While he isn't doing a ton on the ground, DJ has more than made up for that with elite receiving production. That makes him an especially interesting play against a Cincinnati defense that has struggled to contain running backs in the passing game. They gave up a combined 16 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown to the James Conner/Jaylen Samuels combo in Week 4, five catches for 84 yards and a score to the 49ers running backs in Week 2, and 6-34-1 to Chris Carson in Week 1. The Bills are the only team that didn't throw a receiving touchdown to the running back position against the Bengals this season.
With Christian Kirk (ankle) looking extremely doubtful for Week 5, Larry Fitzgerald is primed for a big outing. Kirk's 38 targets lead the team (by one over Fitzgerald), which means the future Hall of Famer should see a nice uptick in target share against the Bengals. Cincinnati will attempt to counter Fitzgerald with slot corner B.W. Webb, who is allowing 0.75 fantasy points per route covered, second to only Pittsburgh's Mike Hilton amongst Week 5's projected starting corners.
Under-owned Week 5 Stack
Carolina Panthers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
QB Kyle Allen ($5,100 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel)
RB Christian McCaffrey ($8,700 DraftKings, $9,100 FanDuel)
WR D.J. Moore ($5,200 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel)
Carolina quarterback Kyle Allen came back to earth in Week 4 after a four-touchdown game against the Cardinals in Week 3. He is sure to go overlooked in Week 5 as he gets ready to take on the Jacksonville defense. Jacksonville's defense continues to live off of the sterling reputation they earned back in 2017 but this is no longer an elite defense. Lockdown corner Jalen Ramsey (back) is also extremely questionable to play, which would open up even more for the Carolina passing attack.
McCaffrey has been dominant in three of his four games this season, leading all NFL running backs in targets (32), completions (26), and placing third in receiving yards (217). The star running back remains a huge part of the Carolina passing attack, leading the team in receiving yardage in two of four games.
D.J. Moore will benefit the most from Jalen Ramsey's expected absence. Instead of running the majority of his routes against one of the best corners in the league, Moore will see primary coverage from second-year corner Tre Herndon. Herndon has been a full-time player in two games this season and has allowed 18 catches for 187 yards in those games according to Player Profiler. Moore should go overlooked by fantasy gamers who see he is facing Jacksonville, meaning he will be a huge advantage in lineups if he goes off for a big game.
Thanks for reading, go win some money this weekend!
