DraftKings.com NFL DFS Week 17 Stack Picks for Cash and GPP Lineups
Week 17 of NFL DFS is upon us, and everyone is looking score in one of the big-money daily fantasy football contests at DraftKings one last time during the regular season. Every week, we 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 to keep in mind when constructing a roster at any daily fantasy sports site.
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Week 17 DraftKings NFL DFS Top Stacks
Kirk Cousins ($6.2K), Josh Doctson ($4.4K) @ NYG – GPP
These two made yesterday’s top plays for Week 17, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I love them in a stack. I feel like I’ve talked extensively in recent weeks about Kirk Cousins and the stakes surrounding his late-season performance. He needs a big game at New York to better cement his leverage in contract negotiations. And Josh Doctson saw 13 targets last week. While I wouldn’t expect that workload again in Week 17, there’s reason to believe the high volume should still be there. Across the way, the Giants rank 25th in passing DVOA. Their secondary has been weighed down with injuries. Cousins is Cash and tournament viable, but I’m limiting this stack to GPPs.
Philip Rivers ($6.6K), Keenan Allen ($7.8K) vs. OAK – Cash
This is a pretty obvious Cash stack, as the Chargers absolutely need Philip Rivers and Keenan Allen to come get it this week. The Chargers need a win to have a chance at making the playoffs, which is impressive considering their 0-4 start. In order to get there, Rivers needs a big game against the eliminated Oakland Raiders. While the veteran has struggled in the past two weeks on the road, he returns home to Los Angeles, where he’s had more success as of late. In his last two home games, Rivers put up 20.56 and 23.56 DK points against Cleveland and Washington, respectively.
Meanwhile, Allen saw his target total rise to 10 last week, the Chargers’ first full week without Hunter Henry. While Antonio Gates filled in nicely, Allen still figures to benefit from Henry’s absence. While he has struggled in terms of fantasy scoring in the last few weeks, Allen tends to go as Rivers goes. In a must-win home matchup against Oakland, in a game with a 43-point O/U (not to mention the Chargers sitting at eight-point favorites), Rivers should has a high enough floor to lock him into Cash alongside Allen.
Alex Collins ($5.6k), Baltimore D/ST ($3.8K) vs. CIN – CASH
Alex Collins has seen 18 carries in three of his last six games, and the Ravens will need him in this one. It’s a plus-matchup against the Bengals, which the Ravens will want to win as a playoff spot is on the line. At -9.5 at home, Baltimore is expected to handle their business with relative ease. Collins should see a carry total in the high-teens. After 12 targets in the past two weeks, he’s also adds a bit of upside with his work in the passing game. Still, I prefer him in Cash given his volume-driven floor.
As for the Baltimore D/ST, their offense is expected to finish this game with a multi-score lead. The defense will be a big part in that. Joe Flacco and company carry an implied total of just 25 (a low figure considering the spread). This gives the Ravens D/ST a great floor and definitive upside. Just recall the 25-point (DK) performance from Week 1. Not much has changed, as the Bengals are still a much worse team than Baltimore.
Tom Brady ($6.8K), Brandin Cooks ($6.3K) vs. NYJ – GPP
This is simple: I expect Tom Brady to recover for a big game ahead of the postseason. He can turn it on whenever he wants, it seems, and the Pats want home field advantage throughout the playoffs. And I expect Brandin Cooks to reap the benefits. The Jets rank 29th in WR1 DVOA, and Cooks snagged six catches for 93 yards when these two teams met earlier this year. Brady only scored 17.8, but I’m going with the gut call and stacking these two in some GPP lineups.
Derrick Henry ($5.5K), Tennessee Titans D/ST ($2.8K) vs. JAX – GPP
As of this writing, DeMarco Murray, torn MCL and all, has not been ruled out for the Titans’ must-win Week 17 matchup against Jacksonville. But regardless of whether the veteran suits up, Derrick Henry should take on more of a lead role in this one. First of all, Murray tore his MCL. He tore it. With the Titans in freefall, I can’t see how forcing him onto the field is the right move for either party. Second, Henry racked up 15.2 DK points the last time these two teams met.
Still, with Murray’s availability cloudy, it’s hard to trust Henry too much, which limits him to GPPs. But the Jags do rank 29th in rushing DVOA. If you’re going with Henry, I think a Titans D/ST stack also makes sense. The Jaguars are +3.5 on the road, and the last time they played, the Titans allowed 16 real-life points. As the Jaguars are already in the playoffs, I expect them to be a bit flat in the season finale. Look for the Titans to limit the Jags to less than 20 points while providing upside via turnovers.
Ben Roethlisberger, Juju Smith-Schuster vs. CLE – Cash
Alternate Play: Ben Roethlisberger, Martavis Bryant vs. CLE – GPP
With Antonio Brown out, JuJu Smith-Schuster is the safe option in Pittsburgh (as I discussed yesterday). But the Steelers’ roster allows DFS players to go a few ways. If you want more risk and potential leverage, I think Martavis Bryant is a very interesting GPP option, if only because we know what he’s capable of in the deep game. Smith-Schuster doesn’t participate much in said deep game, but he still has plenty of upside in Cash, even at his elevated salary. Last week, Smith-Schuster converted seven targets into six receptions, finding the end zone. Bryant, meanwhile, just saw four targets but still converted three catches into 60 yards. There’s reward to be had with Bryant if he hits, but there’s also considerable risk compared to Smith-Schuster.
Meanwhile, Ben Roethlisberger is at home against a Cleveland team ranking 29th in passing DVOA. The last time they met this season, Big Ben dropped just 16.2 DK points, but we all know how Roethlisberger is on the road. And he just torched a Baltimore Ravens defense in Pittsburgh a few games ago to the tune of 31.74 DK points. This matchup is good, and many will fade Roethlisberger given the Brown injury. But the fact of the matter is this offense still has plenty of weapons, and Roethlisberger should be able to get the right guys involved.
Matt Ryan ($5.9K), Julio Jones ($8.2K) @ CAR – GPP
The Carolina Panthers’ vaunted Cover 2 defense won’t be able to contain Julio Jones this week. If there’s any area where the Panthers have struggled this season, it’s stopping wide receivers with their zone coverage. Jones eclipsed 20 DraftKings points against the Panthers earlier this season without finding the end zone. He’s obviously an elite talent, even if he’s only notched three touchdowns this season. In a must-win game (much like last year’s Super Bowl), Jones should be targeted early and often.
Regarding Matt Ryan, he is such an unexciting fantasy option, but I’m betting on the stakes this week being enough for him to conjure up a big game. And remember, last season Ryan came alive with a 32.4-point performance on New Year’s Day, followed by a dominant playoff run before collapsing against New England. Ryan hasn’t looked this appealing for the entirety of the 2017 NFL season. This week, I’m pairing him and Jones in what will almost certainly be a game requiring both of them to excel.
Other Stacks to Consider:
Drew Brees, Michael Thomas
Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara
Matthew Stafford, Marvin Jones Jr.
Tyrod Taylor, Charles Clay
Russell Wilson, Jimmy Graham
