Week 6 DraftKings.com DFS NFL Stacks and Lineup Plays
Week 6 of DFS NFL is upon us, and everyone is looking to cash in on the big money daily fantasy football contests at DraftKings. Every week, we’ll take a look at the top stacks for players over at DraftKings, finding optimal combinations based on matchup, usage, and recent performance, among other noteworthy metrics. And to keep up with all things PlayPicks, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
As with any DFS sport, the advice below is relevant for fantasy purposes. A player, stack, or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than in real life due to matchup, price, game flow, and more. This is important when constructing a roster. And if you’re looking for a new way to play DFS, be sure and give DRAFT a try.
Now, let’s dive into our Week 6 stacks.
Week 6 DraftKings.com DFS NFL Top Stacks
Matt Ryan ($7.0K), Tevin Coleman ($5.0K), Julio Jones ($8.3K) vs. MIA – Cash/GPP
I mentioned in my main DraftKings plays article I was concerned about the blowout potential in this game. And I still am, as the Falcons have a spread of -11 against the weak Dolphins. While there certainly is risk, Ryan, Coleman, and Jones all get really great matchups for as long as their services are required.
Against the pass, the Dolphins are currently ranked 29th in the league (DVOA). They’re also 29th against WR1, so Jones and Ryan have absolutely terrific matchups. Coleman, however, has a more interesting task.
Giving up the 8th fewest DK ppg against opposing backs, the Miami defense may drive most DFS owners toward Jones and Ryan and away from the backfield. But the Dolphins are 10th worst against running backs catching passes out of the backfield (also DVOA).
While Devonta Freeman may forever limit Coleman’s upside as long as they’re both on the Falcons, he’s third on the team in targets, and he’s averaging a full two yards more, on average, per rush than Freeman. Coleman has also scored 9.8 DK points or more in each of the Falcons’ first four games.
Toss Coleman in to complement Ryan and Jones, and you’ll have plenty of the correct exposure to this game, even if all three players have shaky floors due to the blowout potential. That’s specifically true for Jones, who currently carries a questionable designation.
Lamar Miller ($5.4K) and Houston D/ST (3.9K) vs. CLE – Cash/GPP
While I love Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins in this spot, a blowout seems highly probable for the Texans. Still, I think ownership of those two will be extremely high. That makes a Lamar Miller/Houston defense stack an interesting contrarian play for a few reasons.
First of all, Miller is seeing carries consistently in the mid- to high-teens every game. And in the Texans blowout win over the Titans, he saw a season-high 19 carries and scored a whopping 29.1 DK points.
Second, the Texans are expected to win handily (-9.5), which locks in a nice floor for Miller in terms of carries. Throw in a few targets for additional upside.
Against a Cleveland defense that ranks third against the rush in DVOA, Miller could have his hands full. But the Browns’ skill in stopping the run will scare almost everyone off Miller in what could be a very fruitful spot. Cleveland has given up four rushing scores already this year. Miller, with the potential for over 20 touches, won’t be short of chances on Sunday.
Oh, and the Texans, for all their injuries, have just the matchup they need, as the Browns are 0-5 with no real hope for recovery. Lock Houston’s defense in with Miller for a dark horse stack, but stick to GPP. I really do expect the Texans to control the clock in this game and just get in and out with a win — especially after that devastating Chiefs loss. That means more Lamar Miller and less time of possession for Cleveland’s struggling offense.
Kirk Cousins ($6.8K), Chris Thompson (5.0K), Jordan Reed (5.0K) vs. SF – GPP
As of right now, this is my favorite stack. Washington is at home against a bad 49ers team, one projected to lose by 9. While Kirk Cousins has a slightly unstable connection with receivers Jamison Crowder (one target last week) and Terrelle Pryor Sr. (seven receptions in the past three weeks), his best options at this point in the season are (a healthy) Jordan Reed and Chris Thompson.
Reed was not on Wednesday’s injury report, and even though the 49ers are strong against opposing tight ends so far this season, he’s an elite option when not hampered by a plethora of injuries. I’m firing him up in Cash and GPP this week.
Thompson, meanwhile, has been a revelation this season but came back down to earth with 2.7 DK points two weeks ago against the Chiefs. That should depress his ownership somewhat, but San Francisco has allowed opposing running backs to rack up 300 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns this season. Thompson is a great GPP play considering his potentially heavy usage, especially in the passing game. (Washington doesn’t really have a rushing attack.)
Cousins will be the one throwing to the two aforementioned playmakers. The fact that the 49ers are 26th in DVOA against the pass, coupled with the implied total of 28 points for Washington, makes Cousins a strong, high-upside play.
Combine the three, and unlock some terrific upside at reasonable prices. I also would consider running it back with Pierre Garcon if you think the Niners are able to get anything going on offense. Josh Norman is out, after all.
Tom Brady ($8.3K), Rob Gronkowski ($6.8K), and Danny Amendola ($5.6K) @ NYJ – GPP
Like with the Falcons, there is some concern about a blowout hurting fantasy production in this game. But the Patriots have never been a team to shy away from running up the score, and playing their fierce rivals doesn’t hurt either.
Playing Tom Brady here is obvious. He should be strongly considered in Cash and GPP lineups, as the Jets haven’t played anyone near the level of Brady, yet they’re 21st in DVOA against the pass. Rob Gronkowski is a tougher sell, as the Jets are second in DVOA against the TE position. But just as Brady is Brady, Gronk is Gronk. This Jets D won’t be able to contain either.
The riskiest part of this stack comes with Danny Amendola, but if you think the Pats can put up 30+, it probably won’t just be Brady and Gronk getting it done. While part of me thinks this makes sense for grabbing Mike Gillislee, he has an optimal game flow that very much conflicts with Brady and Gronk. If you think this will be over early and the Pats will just run the ball, then this stack isn’t the play for you. In fact, I’d stay away from Brady and Gronk if I thought that. But Amendola has 15 targets and has scored 31.9 DK points the past two weeks, and the Pats should be out for blood, facing their biggest rivals and coming off a lackluster 19-point outing against Tampa Bay.
Potential game flow issues do make this a less-than-optimal Cash stack. But it’s a GPP stack all day. These three could very realistically combine for more than six touchdowns total if they keep their feet on the gas pedal.
Drew Brees (8.1K) and Alvin Kamara ($4.5K) vs. DET – Cash
I think I’m the only DFS player who isn’t completely sold on Alvin Kamara this week, but maybe it’s just the years of frustration I’ve had trying to extract value from Saints running backs. In all seriousness, Kamara does not have an ideal matchup against Detroit, who is third in DVOA against RBs catching passes out of the backfield. And they’re fifth against RBs on the ground. Also, the Saints have an implied total of 27.8 heading into this home game, which I don’t think they’ll hit. After all, New Orleans put up 20 against both New England and Miami. The Detroit defense is much better than both those defenses.
So the Saints aren’t a GPP target for me (if they are for you, add Michael Thomas to this stack). I just don’t think Brees, nor Kamara, has enough upside against a worthy defense like Detroit. But I really do love them as Cash options.
Kamara will immediately benefit from this week’s Adrian Peterson trade. I think he’ll get enough receptions and yards to safely hit value, though I don’t think Detroit will let him in the end zone. They’re allowing the 10th fewest points per game to opposing offenses and have allowed one receiving touchdown to opposing backs. Mark Ingram, in my opinion, is much more likely to score, as Detroit has allowed three rushing touchdowns.
Still, Kamara will get his touches, and Vegas thinks Brees will get points on the board. He’s at home, too, so I’m on board. Pair these Saints together in your cash lineups for some safe points.
Kareem Hunt ($8.2K) and KC D/ST ($3.2K) vs. PIT – Cash
Kareem Hunt is priced really generously this week, and he faces a team with a pretty decent running back of its own. But the Steelers’ offense is in shambles right now, and Ben Roethlisberger almost certainly isn’t going to get back on track in a road game.
The Steelers are good at one thing though, and that’s stopping opposing quarterbacks (third in DVOA versus the pass). But they’re just average against the run. Hunt, a legit MVP/ROTY contender, has been unstoppable thus far, scoring at least 17.6 DK points every week and racking up four 100-yard rushing efforts. He’ll be the Chiefs’ best means to a victory, and I expect Alex Smith really to just play the game-manager role here against a tough secondary.
Lastly, back to the Steelers struggling offense: Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown are obviously two of the best players in the NFL. And I expect one or both to get into the end zone. That limits the upside here, as I think the Steelers will score a few times. But Roethlisberger threw five interceptions last week against another really strong secondary, and he looked absolutely deflated in the post-game presser. I don’t think this Steelers offense is right at all.
Other Stacks to Consider:
C.J. Anderson, Broncos D/ST
Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Martellus Bennett
Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Ted Ginn/Michael Thomas
Jameis Winston, DeSean Jackson
