Stack Em Up DraftKings Week 12 2018

By Armando Marsal

If you look at most winning lineups at the end of each slate, many if not most of them will have a stack. For those who are not familiar with what stacking means, let’s define what we are calling a stack. Stacking is pairing multiple players from one team. In this instance I will be referring to a quarterback and one of his receivers, tight ends, or running backs. When you pair up a quarterback with one of his pass catchers, you are increasing upside. Generally you want to pair up a signal caller with his primary receiver, but at times, you can change that approach depending on matchups, potential game script, or any other variable that can have an impact on your decision making. Each week I’ll go over some of my favorite stacks and provide you with multiple ways to approach the stack, as well as give you my favorite option. That said, let’s jump right into it and go over my top stacks on the main slate this week.

San Francisco 49ers

Game Over/Under: 53.5
Team Implied Points: 25.25
Nick Mullens $5,400 has done a solid job under center for the 49ers, completing 70.5 percent of his passes, while throwing for 512 yards and four touchdowns in two games. Coming off of a bye, he draws a nice matchup against the Bucs who rank 30th in DVOA against the pass. Tampa Bay has allowed 2,986 passing yards (8th most) and 25 passing touchdowns (tied for most in the NFL) to opposing signal callers, while surrendering this third most DKFP per game to the position. I trust in the Kyle Shanahan system and Mullens has shown the ability to be able to execute it. This sets up to be a great situation and a favorable game environment for him, making him a very appealing option at this fair price tag.

Regardless of who the quarterback has been this season for San Francisco, George Kittle $6,200 has remained efficient. In two games with Mullens under center, Kittle has caught 13-of-14 passes for 191 yards and a touchdowns, scoring over 17 DKFP in each game. The matchup against the Bucs is one of the better matchups a tight end can ask for, as they rank 31st in DVOA against the position. Tampa Bay has surrendered 55 receptions for 779 yards (2nd most) and five touchdowns (tied 4th most) to opposing tight ends, while yielding the second most DKFP per game. According to PFF, Kittle has the third highest advantage rating this week at his position (23 percent). Without a doubt, this is a smash spot for him this week and despite being pricey, he warrants strong consideration and makes for a great stacking option with Mullens.

Secondary Options: Marquise Goodwin is very intriguing in a 49ers stack for tournaments, as he offers immense upside and can do a lot with little volume. I do not have him as a primary option simply because the usage is not consistently high, making him a bit risky for my likings. That said, this is a great matchup for him against a weak Bucs secondary and his one-on-one matchup against Carlton Davis is a favorable one, so he is definitely in play.

My favorite option: Mullens/Kittle

Los Angeles Chargers

Game Over/Under: 43.5
Team Implied Points: 28.25
The Chargers could be without Melvin Gordon this weekend, which could lead for Philip Rivers $5,800 to throw more. The Cardinals have been solid against the pass this season, but Rivers is playing really well at home this year, averaging 344 passing yards and 25.6 DKFP per game in Los Angeles. In addition, he has tossed two or more touchdown passes in all games this season and has thrown for over 300 yards in 40 percent of his games. The Chargers have one of the higher implied team totals of the slate and I expect Rivers will be part of that scoring. He offers a nice ceiling at a fair price and could go under the radar this week because of the matchup. In tournaments, I think he makes for a strong play.

Kennan Allen $7,100 has scored a touchdown in back-to-back games and looks to continue that streak in a solid matchup this week. He has one of the more favorable one-on-one matchups according to PFF, with a 28 percent advantage against Bene' Benwikere who grades out as an average corner. Allen continues to be a target monster, averaging double-digit targets in his last three contests and accounts for 28 percent of the Chargers market share this season, while also receiving 19.6 percent of the red zone targets. He is the perfect combination of a nice floor with plenty of upside, but is no priced up as some of the other receivers in that same category. He and Rivers should connect often on Sunday, and it would not be shocking to see him find the pay dirt for the third consecutive game.

Secondary Options: Tyrell Williams and Mike Williams can be considered secondary options in a Chargers stacks. Tyrell is expected to see Patrick Peterson, so I would be less likely to roster him this week. Austin Ekeler could also see a larger role if Melvin Gordon sits, and Ekeler has shown the ability to catch passes out of the backfield, making him an option as well. I will not be chasing Antonio Gates’ last week’s performance.

My favorite option: Rivers/Allen

Additional Notes

Being that there was a three game Thanksgiving slate with the Saints in it and two of the best offenses on by, this main slate is not as saturated with as many primary stack options as we normally have, hence why I only wrote up two this week. With that said, I still have some thoughts on some situations that stand out to me.

Andrew Luck has been playing really well and gets a nice matchup against Miami. The Colts have one of the higher implied team totals of the week, so I expect this offense to score a ton of points. Luck will certainly have something to do with that, but I ultimately think that the Colts will run at will against the Dolphins who struggle immensely to stop the run. However, Luck remains an option this week due to his ceiling and ability to toss for 3+ touchdowns any given week. If I roll with him, I would pair him up with T.Y. Hilton.

Jameis Winston will get the start for the Bucs this week and should be able to rack up some fantasy points against a below average 49ers pass defense. There are numerous ways to stack him up, but ultimately his go-to guy is Mike Evans. Adam Humphries, Chris Godwin, and Cameron Brate would be secondary options in this stack.

I really like Baker Mayfield this week, but I am having trouble deciding whether I stack him with one of his pass catchers or roll him out on his own. The Bengals have been generous to opposing quarterbacks this season and Mayfield has been solid under the new coaching staff. Duke Johnson, David Njoku, or Jarvis Landry would be the stacking options and I would lean on Johnson from that bunch.

The Eagles and Giants game is an interesting one to stack, but I am more likely to just roster players from this game instead of stacking any of the quarterbacks here.

Good luck to all this week. If you have any questions, you can always find me on the Twitter machine @Armando_Marsal