DraftKings.com NFL DFS Week 8 Stack Picks for Cash and GPP Lineups
Week 8 of NFL DFS 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.
As with any daily fantasy 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, gameflow, 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 8 stacks.
Week 8 DraftKings.com NFL DFS Top Stacks
Kirk Cousins ($6.4K), Jordan Reed ($4.7K) and/or Josh Doctson ($3.9K) vs. DAL – GPP
The over/under on the Washington-Dallas game this weekend is 50.5. As such, I’m looking for plenty of exposure to both sides of the ball; however, I am partial to Washington.
Yesterday, I wrote how much I love Josh Doctson and Jordan Reed this week. And I talked about this stack specifically. The game total is very high, and Washington’s running back situation is far from settled. I expect Dallas, the slight favorites, to put points on the board, whether through Dak Prescott or Ezekiel Elliott. I expect Washington to rely on the pass to keep this one competitive.
And they should be able to. The Cowboys are 31st in DVOA against TEs, 26th in DVOA against the pass, below average against wideouts, and expected to allow plenty of points to Washington. Doctson makes this a GPP-only stack, but I’ll also have a good deal of Kirk Cousins-Reed exposure in Cash Games and GPPs alike.
Carson Wentz ($7.3K), Zach Ertz ($7.0K) vs. SF – GPP
Another quarterback/tight end stack I love this week includes the two best players on the Philadelphia Eagles offense: Carson Wentz and Zach Ertz. The two have incredible on-field chemistry, and each has been very consistent this season.
I detailed why I liked both guys in the main picks article, but here goes again. The San Francisco 49ers just gave up 40 points to the Dallas Cowboys last week, and the Eagles have an implied total of 30.25. With no real success in the run game, and Carson Wentz’ ability to rush it on his own, I expect the offense to fully run through the second-year quarterback. I’m locking him into Cash and GPP lineups as he gets a defense ranked 29th in DVOA against the pass.
Ertz is a natural pairing with Wentz this week in GPPs. Yes, the Niners are first in DVOA against TEs, but Ertz has scored double digit DK points in every game this season. Plus, San Francisco just allowed Jason Witten to go for double digits last week. Also, Ertz’s $7.0K price tag is going to drive most players off him.
I like the Cousins/Reed stack better in Cash Games, but Wentz and Ertz have greater upside and are worth a look in GPP.
Mark Ingram ($7.2K), New Orleans D/ST ($K) vs. CHI – Cash
Well, Mark Ingram has grown into something of an elite fantasy option these days. For the first time in his career, he looks to be owning this NOLA backfield, even if Alvin Kamara is picking up some work. This really feels like Ingram’s backfield, and the 47 carries and 10 targets the past two weeks also suggest as much. He turned those touches into 58 DK points.
This week, the Saints host the Chicago Bears at the Superdome, favored by nine and with an implied total of just over 28. With the Saints unlikely to actually need to throw a lot, Ingram should have plenty of action in a workhorse role, while still running routes out of the backfield. While the Bears are perfectly average against RBs (16th DVOA), Ingram’s sheer workload trumps the lack of an ideal matchup. Plus, gameflow should work in his favor, while the Saints’ defense enjoys plenty of time on the sideline with a running clock.
About that defense … the big challenge this week will be stopping the run, something New Orleans hasn’t done well this year. While the Bears are absolutely a run-first team, that doesn’t mean their offense is good. Allowing the seventh-most DK ppg to opposing D/STs, the Bears and Mitch Trubisky should be overmatched this weekend. Lock onto Ingram and Saints D/ST for exposure to the Saints’ offense, while reaping the benefits of Chicago’s offensive incompetence.
Philip Rivers ($6.3K), Keenan Allen ($7.3K) vs. NE – GPP
The New England Patriots’ defense has looked better in recent weeks (specifically last week, when it held the Atlanta Falcons to just seven points). That makes a Philip Rivers and Keenan Allen stack a risky play for Cash, but I think they could be a strong pairing in GPPs.
Melvin Gordon is coming off a contest in which he disappeared in the passing game, and if you believe that will happen again this week, there’s merit in considering a pivot to Rivers and Allen. The Pats are 32nd in DVOA against the pass and 27th in DVOA vs. WR1, and Rivers has thrown seven touchdowns on the road this season. That’s compared to five at home, even though the Chargers have played one fewer away game. Furthermore, Allen is averaging nine targets per game on the season, 10 a game when playing on the road.
Now, the Los Angeles Chargers find themselves in a matchup that will likely require a lot of passing, as they’re projected to lose by more than a touchdown. Look for Rivers and Allen to see an uptick in usage this week. If the Chargers can keep it close, there is strong upside against the reigning champs.
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Devonta Freeman ($7.2K), Atlanta Falcons D/ST ($3.1K) @ NYJ – GPP
The Atlanta Falcons are coming off a very disappointing blowout loss to the Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch (which, if you recall, was way more heartbreaking for the Falcons). This week, they get a bad New York Jets team, but they’re on the road again.
I just can’t get too excited about Matt Ryan (ever) and Julio Jones (just this week), as I expect the Falcons to look to keep this game on the ground and get out with a reasonably effortless win as they work through the second of a three-game road stint. That obviously points to a Devonta Freeman play, but I also think the New York Jets are incompetent enough on offense to pair Freeman with Atlanta D/ST.
The Falcons have not looked great lately on defense, which will potentially drive down ownership, making them GPP-viable. I also think the Jets’ offense is really bad. It’s shown signs of life (like last week against the Miami Dolphins) but has struggled more often than not, and against worse defenses than the Falcons (e.g. Pats, Browns). Expect the Falcons D/ST to perform much better than in other recent outings, while Freeman has the potential to tear apart this defense, which ranks 22nd in DVOA against RBs and 26th in DVOA vs. RBs catching passes out of the backfield.
Andy Dalton ($5.7K), A.J. Green ($8.6K) @ NYJ – GPP/Cash
These two should be very popular this week, and rightfully so. I detailed how much I like A.J. Green in our DraftKings top plays piece, thanks mostly to the fact that the Indianapolis Colts rank 30th in DVOA. And since I think Green is going to have a big game against a defense that allowed Allen Hurns to go for 101 yards against them last week, I also think Andy Dalton is a fine play.
Again, the Colts defense is terrible, and Dalton, for all his faults, can tear apart bad defenses (like Cleveland’s in Week 4 when Dalton dropped 29.34 DK points). His schedule this year has not been an easy one. As such, I expect a big game in this extremely advantageous matchup. Green will be the most likely benefactor of that big game, so I’ll likely have a fair amount of lineups with Dalton-Green stacks.
If you want to get even edgier in GPPs, I think Tyler Kroft is a very appealing addition to this stack. He has three touchdowns in the last three weeks as well as a floor of four targets, with upside for more as he continues to serve as Tyler Eifert’s replacement.
Other Stacks to Consider:
Tyrod Taylor, LeSean McCoy
Tom Brady, Brandin Cooks
Joe Mixon, Cincinnati D/ST
Dak Prescott, Jason Witten
LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills D/ST
Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey
Ezekiel Elliott, Jason Witten
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