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That felt great, didn't it? Perhaps last Sunday's slate of NFL games wasn't the greatest every played, but it still allowed us to sit around and watch football all day. Football, we're happy to have you back! The same goes for you, fantasy football.
The goal of this weekly column is to help find the most profitable DFS stacks, while avoiding the duds. Stacking, or pairing multiple players from the same NFL team, is an ideal way to maximize your point production, which is crucial in larger GPP (guaranteed prize pool) tournaments.
Let's take a look at some of the top DFS stacks for Week 2, loosely sorted by salary.
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High Priced Week 2 DFS Stacks
New England QB Tom Brady and WR Brandin Cooks at New Orleans
It's highly unlikely Brady will lay an egg for a second consecutive week. After completing just 16 of his 36 attempts and failing to find the end zone in the season opener against Kansas City, expect a major bounce-back performance this Sunday against a leaky Saints defense.
For Cooks, the revenge narrative is obvious. But beyond that, New Orleans did just get gashed by Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen in Week 1. Rob Gronkowski is also a viable stacking option.
Atlanta QB Matt Ryan and WR Julio Jones vs. Green Bay
Outside of an 88-yard bomb touchdown to Austin Hooper, it was a quiet debut for the reigning NFL MVP. Expect more fireworks from Ryan and Jones Sunday night when the Falcons open their brand-new stadium.
The Falcons' star duo shredded Green Bay in last season's NFC Championship Game -- Ryan finished with 392 yards and four touchdowns; Jones with nine catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns -- so a similar performance could be in the cards this time around. This stack hasn't come cheap in years, but its routinely one of the highest-upside stacks.
Oakland QB Derek Carr and WR Amari Cooper vs. New York Jets
The Raiders were a trendy preseason Super Bowl pick, and for good reason. Carr and Cooper are already two of the NFL's elite despite being just 26 and 23 years old, respectively. The two connected on an 8-yard touchdown in the season opener, but that was mostly due to Cooper's unreal individual effort.
The Jets put up a valiant fight against the Bills in Week 1, but it's going to be a long, long season for Gang Green. Carr's a safe bet for two or three touchdown passes, so naturally Cooper makes a viable stacking option. The same goes for Michael Crabtree, who finished with more catches and yards than Cooper in the opener.
Moderately Priced Week 2 DFS Stacks
Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston and WR Mike Evans vs. Chicago
Hurricane Irma forced the postponement of the Buccaneers' opener against Miami, but Tampa Bay will host Chicago in Week 2. Even though the Bears' defense held up well against the high-powered Falcons, this matchup favors the Bucs.
Evans scored a touchdown in more than half of Tampa Bay's games last season en route to his second-career 12-touchdown season. With DeSean Jackson and O.J. Howard now in the mix, expect the Winston-Evans combination to be more potent than ever. Best of all, these two come at a reasonable DFS price.
Seattle QB Russell Wilson and WR Doug Baldwin vs. San Francisco
The Seahawks' offense did not look impressive in a season-opening loss to Green Bay. Don't let that scare you though. A home game against the rebuilding 49ers is just what the doctor ordered.
In an early-season matchup with San Francisco last season, Baldwin finished with eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown. That kind of production is within reach Sunday. For the relatively modest price tags attached to Wilson and Baldwin, they might represent the best overall value this week.
Arizona QB Carson Palmer and WR Larry Fitzgerald at Indianapolis
The Colts are bad. Really bad. When you end up on the losing end of a 46-9 rout at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams, it doesn't bode well for the weeks to follow. Expect Palmer and Fitzgerald to exploit the Colts' porous defense.
Palmer (268 yards, one TD, three INTs) didn't look great in the opener against Detroit, but again, Indy figures to be a far more forgiving opponent. Fitzgerald is still great at age 34, and he's a great bet to find the soft spots in the Colts' defense. This is an affordable stack with solid upside.
Bargain Week 2 DFS Stacks
Kansas City QB Alex Smith and WR Tyreek Hill vs. Philadelphia
Let's be clear: don't expect Smith to pass for 368 yards and four touchdowns again. That brilliant performance in Week 1 against New England feels like a major outlier. That being said, don't shy away from Smith in a favorable matchup against the Eagles.
At this point, Hill is matchup-proof. He has shown that, regardless of venue or opponent, he's capable of scoring a touchdown on any play. Smith only needs to hit Hill on a quick screen and let the shifty star do the rest.
Philadelphia QB Carson Wentz and WR Alshon Jeffery at Kansas City
Wentz was one of Week 1's biggest surprises, as he passed for 307 yards, two touchdowns and interception against Washington. Perhaps most surprising is that he did it without leaning heavily on prized free-agent addition Jeffery (three receptions, 38 yards).
The Chiefs' defense presents a more significant challenge than the Redskins' defense did, but Wentz's Week 1 performance should be a sign of things to come in Year No. 2. There is risk with a Wentz-Jeffery stack, but it could pay off nicely.
Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff and WR Cooper Kupp vs. Washington
We included Goff in this column space last week and it paid off in a major way. The 2016 No. 1 overall pick passed for 306 yards and a touchdown. We recommended pairing him with Sammy Watkins, but it was actually rookie Cooper Kupp (76 yards, touchdown) who impressed the most.
If Redskins cornerback Josh Norman spends most of his time covering Watkins, that should leave space for Kupp to operate. This is a risky, but potentially valuable stack.
