NFL DFS: Best Stacks for DraftKings Week 17 Main Slate

We only have a couple more main slates in NFL DFS as there are two weeks remaining in the regular season. At this time a week ago, I was writing up the Cincinnati Bengals as one of my favorite stacks on DraftKings for Week 16. A three-man stack of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins proceeded to combine for 110 points, likely putting you in the green for the day.

Bye weeks are no longer taking place and there wasn’t a Thursday night game, so there are 14 games to choose from on Sunday’s main slate this week. What team could be this week’s version of the Bengals or could Cincinnati be the best team to stack again? Ahead of an action-packed weekend with plenty of playoff implications in place, here are my favorite stacks and bring-backs for DraftKings’ Week 17 main slate.

Favorite Stacks

TB: Tom Brady ($7,600), Ronald Jones ($6,300), Rob Gronkowski ($6,200), Antonio Brown ($6,100), Breshad Perriman ($4,300)

Just play everyone against the New York Jets. Regardless of what the matchup has been, stacking the team facing the Jets has been a fruitful endeavor this season. It just so happens that the high-octane offense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is the next lucky team to square off with New York. The defense of the Jets owns the No. 32 ranked defense in pass DVOA and the No. 29 ranked defense in rush DVOA, so attacking them through the air and on the ground is viable this week. Tom Brady is the third-highest-priced quarterback, but it’s warranted this week. Ronald Jones saw a similar workload to Leonard Fournette in Week 16 as he handled the majority of the workload, so it’s not crazy to think about stacking him with Brady. Antonio Brown should be the No. 1 wideout again as long as Mike Evans is inactive on Sunday. Breshad Perriman was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list and could handle an expanded role with injuries to Evans and Chris Godwin. Rob Gronkowski has been quiet in recent weeks, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him find the end zone for the first time since Week 13 on Sunday.

Bring-back options: Michael Carter ($5,100), Braxton Berrios ($3,700), Keelan Cole Sr. ($3,600)

It’s not particularly easy to insert a player from the Jets into your lineups, but the good news is that they’re almost always in a positive game script. I expect New York to be playing from behind and they don’t have many guys to get the ball to right now, making it slightly easier to decipher who to bring it back with. Michael Carter may not have much success running the ball, but the Buccaneers do allow the third-most receptions per game to running backs. If Jamison Crowder and Elijah Moore are out again this week, then Braxton Berrios and Keelan Cole Sr. are the top two options at wideout for Zach Wilson. And if either of them are in, they would become the preferred wide receiver to use from the Jets.

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DAL: Dak Prescott ($6,700), CeeDee Lamb ($7,100), Amari Cooper ($6,600), Dalton Schultz ($5,000), Michael Gallup ($4,800)

The offense of the Dallas Cowboys looked rejuvenated in Week 16 versus the Washington Football Team en route to a 56-14 victory. Dak Prescott was nearly flawless as he threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns to score 34.3 points on DraftKings. After facing a Washington defense that has been severely disappointing this season, the Cowboys are going to face an Arizona Cardinals defense that has been reeling in recent weeks. Arizona’s defense has given up the seventh-most points per game to quarterbacks in the past four weeks, making Prescott one of my favorite quarterbacks to use in Week 17. CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper are the obvious targets at wide receiver to stack with Prescott. Using Dalton Schultz has been one way to get different with Cowboys stacks all season and it’s no different this week. Michael Gallup is definitely more of a tournament play due to his role of being a vertical threat when Lamb and Cooper are healthy. There’s not a team in the NFL that has surrendered more points per game to wide receivers than the Cardinals in the past month.

Bring-back options: Christian Kirk ($5,800), Chase Edmonds ($5,700), A.J. Green ($5,300), Zach Ertz ($5,200), Antoine Wesley ($3,600)

On the other side of the field, the Cardinals still have a lethal offense, though, the absence of DeAndre Hopkins is being felt. Christian Kirk remains the No. 1 wide receiver in the offense sans Hopkins and he’s still under $6,000 on DraftKings. As a matter of fact, all of Arizona’s skill players are priced under $6,000, making it easier for us to stack what is expected to be the highest-scoring game of the main slate. Chase Edmonds could be in line for another massive workload in Week 17 if James Conner is unable to suit up for the second straight week. Zach Ertz seems a bit underpriced given his recent uptick in usage (24 targets in the past two weeks). A.J. Green is a viable option while Antoine Wesley is a decent dart throw in tournaments as long as Rondale Moore remains out. Wesley has received 12 targets in the past two weeks and caught a touchdown in Week 16.

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CIN: Joe Burrow ($6,900), Ja’Marr Chase ($7,600), Tee Higgins ($6,900), Tyler Boyd ($5,400), C.J. Uzomah ($3,300)

Once again, stacking the Bengals proved to be the best path to success last week as Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense shredded the shorthanded defense of the Baltimore Ravens. This week, the Bengals will host the Kansas City Chiefs, who have been much-improved on defense in the second half of the season, which may cause some people to be hesitant on playing Burrow this week. That being said, the Chiefs are permitting the fourth-most points per game to quarterbacks on DraftKings, leaving room for Burrow to have another productive outing this week. Chase and Higgins are the primary targets for Burrow while using Tyler Boyd is one way to differentiate your Cincinnati stacks. You can also be a bit different by using C.J. Uzomah, who has seen 6+ targets in three out of his past four appearances.

Bring-back options: Tyreek Hill ($8,300), Travis Kelce ($7,300), Darrel Williams ($5,800), Derrick Gore ($5,100), Byron Pringle ($4,100)

Stacking the Chiefs is never a tall task as Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce see the majority of the targets in Kansas City’s aerial attack. Kelce is returning from the reserve/COVID-19 list and should handle his usual workload against a defense of the Bengals that has given up the second-most points per game to tight ends in the past month. With Clyde Edwards-Helaire likely out with a shoulder injury, Darrel Williams and Derrick Gore are probably going to share touches out of the backfield. Williams is likely going to carry a higher roster percentage, so rostering Gore could be beneficial in tournaments. While Kelce’s return does put a damper on everyone else in the passing game — besides Hill — Byron Pringle did flourish last week versus the Pittsburgh Steelers with 25.5 points on DraftKings. I wouldn’t expect him to score 20+ but he could return value at $4,100 in a game that possesses the second-highest projected total of the weekend.

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BUF: Josh Allen ($8,000), Stefon Diggs ($7,900), Dawson Knox ($5,500), Devin Singletary ($5,400), Gabriel Davis ($5,000), Cole Beasley ($4,900)

It’s safe to say that you aren’t going to get much of a discount stacking the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen is the most expensive quarterback on the slate and Stefon Diggs is the fourth-highest priced wideout. Diggs is by far the best option to stack with Allen, so finding the second player to use with Allen/Diggs is crucial. Dawson Knox is a touchdown scoring machine and is a major red-zone weapon for the Bills. Devin Singletary has emerged as the lead back for Buffalo and he’s seen 6+ targets in two out of the last three games, making him a viable option with Allen. Gabriel Davis and Cole Beasley have been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list, so both of them should be involved in the offense against Atlanta’s No. 29 ranked defense in pass DVOA. The Falcons also give up the fourth-most points per game to wide receivers on the green site this season.

Bring-back options: Cordarrelle Patterson ($6,900), Kyle Pitts ($5,900), Russell Gage ($5,600)

The Falcons are another team that isn’t tough to determine who to stack in their offense. With no Calvin Ridley, Cordarrelle Patterson, Kyle Pitts, and Russell Gage are the only three skill players in Atlanta’s offense that are worth rostering right now. Patterson has seen his usage in the passing game decline in recent weeks, so paying $6,900 is definitely risky. Kyle Pitts is nearing the rookie tight end record for receiving yards, making it possible that the Falcons force-feed him the ball in the final weeks of the season. Gage has emerged as the No. 1 wideout on the depth chart since Ridley took time to focus on his mental health (props to him for doing so). Seeing that Atlanta is going to be playing from behind, there’s a decent chance that one of their skill players could have a noteworthy performance on Sunday.

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LAR: Matthew Stafford ($7,100), Cooper Kupp ($9,500), Odell Beckham Jr. ($5,700), Van Jefferson Jr. ($5,300), Tyler Higbee ($4,000)

I had the Los Angeles Rams listed as one of my favorite stacks in Week 16, only for Matthew Stafford to lay an egg. Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. returned value at wide receiver while Van Jefferson Jr. was quiet for the second straight week. I’d expect Kupp and Beckham to be the higher-rostered wideouts from the Rams as Jefferson could be worth using in tournaments to be a bit different. Stafford and the wide receivers should be able to take advantage of a Baltimore defense that is hampered by injuries in the secondary and that just allowed Burrow to air it out for 525 yards and four touchdowns. Another way to get different is to insert Tyler Higbee at tight end with the Ravens giving up the sixth-most points per game to tight ends on DraftKings.

Bring-back options: Mark Andrews ($7,400), Marquise Brown ($5,900), Devonta Freeman ($5,100), Rashod Bateman ($4,800)

Mark Andrews is the clear No. 1 bring-back piece from the Ravens as he’s shown he is quarterback-proof. Whether it’s Lamar Jackson or Tyler Huntley on Sunday, Andrews has hauled in 29 of his 34 targets for 376 yards and four touchdowns in the past three weeks. Marquise Brown has become somewhat forgotten in this offense, but he’s garnered 23 targets in the past two weeks for the Ravens. Devonta Freeman is seemingly the lead back for Baltimore despite Latavius Murray stealing touches inside the five-yard line. Rashod Bateman has shown flashes of being a long-term piece for the Ravens and he scored his first career touchdown last week against the Bengals.