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Hey there RotoBallers! Week 6 saw a surprising Houston win over the Chiefs, despite them playing in Kansas City. The Vikings had a huge game and finally got quality performances out of Kirk Cousins and Stefon Diggs, who hooked up for three touchdowns. The Falcons and Cardinals also did not disappoint, combining for 67 points in a game that came down to the wire.
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 7 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 7 DFS Stacks
Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
QB Deshaun Watson ($7,000 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel)
WR DeAndre Hopkins ($7,800 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel)
WR Will Fuller ($6,200 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel)
Watson provided three touchdowns, including two rushing scores, in his team's Week 6 road win over the Chiefs. He draws yet another excellent matchup as he will suit up against a leaky Colts pass defense in Week 7. Indy's pass defense ranks just 22nd in DVOA while their run defense sits at 28th in the league. Watson's rushing upside keeps him on the radar as a quality DFS option most weeks.
Hopkins continues to underwhelm, going for just 55 yards despite hauling in nine catches in Week 6. He hasn't had a big game since Week 1 but Hopkins continues to see plenty of targets, which is encouraging. Nuk remains one of the top receivers in the game and it is just a matter of time before he turns in a big game. He will see primary coverage from rookie corner Rock Ya-Sin, who has earned just a 57.9 grade from Pro Football Focus as he acclimates to the NFL. This should be a pretty big mismatch in favor of Hopkins on Sunday.
Fuller disappointed last week after his massive Week 5 performance. That being said, he remains one of the most dangerous deep threats in the league and his track record of scoring touchdowns with Watson can't be ignored. Fuller will see primary coverage from Indy corner Pierre Desir, who has a 50.3 grade this season. Fuller has a massive ceiling and should be considered in tournament lineups on a weekly basis.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Baltimore Ravens
QB Russell Wilson ($6,600 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel)
WR Tyler Lockett ($6,600 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel)
WR D.K. Metcalf ($4,800 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel)
Russell Wilson is the QB1 through the first six games of the season. Despite them wanting to be a run-first offense, Seattle is throwing the ball a bit more frequently in 2019 which has helped Wilson's production. In Week 7, Seattle will take on the Ravens at home in a game with excellent shootout potential. Neither defense has been great this season, while both offenses are plenty capable of putting up points.
Lockett remains Russell Wilson's favorite target and the most dangerous pass-catcher on the team. He should draw coverage from Marlon Humphrey following the Ravens' trade for Marcus Peters during the week. That isn't considered a plus for Lockett as Humphrey has been tough this season. Either way, Lockett's connection with Wilson is too good to overlook.
Metcalf is still raw as an NFL receiver but he has multiple-touchdown upside whenever he's on the field. He should see plenty of chances to do damage against newly-acquired cornerback Marcus Peters, who just came over from the Rams in a mid-week trade. Peters is a solid defender but he is known for taking risks, which can lead to broken plays and long touchdowns. That plays right into Metcalf's wheelhouse.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Los Angeles Rams
QB Jared Goff ($6,200 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel)
WR Cooper Kupp ($7,400 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel)
WR Robert Woods ($5,900 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel)
In Week 6, the Rams struggled badly against a 49ers Defense that we are quickly finding out might be one of the top defenses in the league. Don't let those issues scare you as Atlanta is struggling to stop opposing passing attacks in 2019. The Falcons' pass defense ranks just 31st in DVOA, while their run defense has been stout, coming in at seventh in the league. The Rams have struggled to run the ball this season, which will give them even more incentive to air it out in what should be a shootout in Atlanta. Goff has the potential to be the top quarterback on the slate.
Of the three Los Angeles receivers, I give preference to Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, although one could make an argument for a four-man stack including Brandin Cooks considering how poorly the Falcons pass defense is playing. The Rams appear to have concentrated their targets more this season than in years past, with Kupp averaging 11.5 targets per game, a full three more than Woods is seeing and almost twice that of Cooks. All three receivers have excellent matchups with none of the three starting Atlanta corners grading out above a 57.7 according to PFF. Most gamers will gravitate toward Kupp, which will make Cooks an interesting contrarian play in tournaments if you want to differentiate.
Under-owned Week 7 Stack
Atlanta Falcons vs. Los Angeles Rams
QB Matt Ryan ($6,300 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel)
TE Austin Hooper ($5,300 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel)
WR Calvin Ridley ($5,300 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel)
With the Ravens, Seahawks, Cardinals, Bills, and Rams looking like popular Week 7 stacks, the Atlanta offense should fly a bit under the radar. It would be a mistake to ignore Matt Ryan's team as they have been extremely productive and will take on a Rams pass defense that has struggled this season. Ryan's Falcons head into the weekend with a solid 25.5-point implied team total as they take on a Rams pass defense that funnels work to the passing game, ranking fifth in run defense DVOA and 20th against the pass. Newly-acquired Jalen Ramsey should help but let's give him at least a week to acclimate himself to his new team before making it a concern in fantasy.
Austin Hooper is breaking out big time this season, ranking first among all tight ends in fantasy points and catches and second in receiving yardage. He shouldn't have much trouble against a Rams Defense that is allowing the 12th-most fantasy points per game to the tight end position. Hooper should also see additional work as Jalen Ramsey has the talent to shut down Julio Jones on Sunday, which would force Ryan to lean on his secondary receivers.
Calvin Ridley is in a situation similar to that of Hooper. Based on his projected matchup, Julio Jones could be suppressed on Sunday, which would open up more work for the second-year wideout. Ridley should run the majority of his routes against Rams left corner Troy Hill, who has earned just a 59.7 grade from PFF in 2019.
Thanks for reading, go win some money this weekend!
