NFL DFS: Best Stacks for DraftKings Week 18 Main Slate

All good things must come to an end. This is the final week of the regular season in the NFL, which means we have one more week of double-digit games on the main slate in NFL DFS. It has been an eventful season thus far and I want to thank everyone that took the time to read my weekly best stacks articles for each main slate on DraftKings this season.

With it being Week 18, some teams are still competing for playoff seeding while others are not, so it’s vital to know the playoff scenarios before making a lineup this week. There are also still concerns with COVID-19 across the league, making it even tougher for us to create lineups. If you’re someone that is unsure of where to start, here are my favorite stacks and bring-backs for DraftKings’ Week 18 main slate on Sunday.

Favorite Stacks

BUF: Josh Allen ($8,100), Stefon Diggs ($7,800), Dawson Knox ($5,400), Gabriel Davis ($4,900), Cole Beasley ($4,800)

The Buffalo Bills are a team in the AFC that is still trying to win their division. The Bills and the New England Patriots are both 10-6 entering Week 18, so Buffalo can clinch the division with a win or a loss by New England. It just so happens that the Bills face the New York Jets, a team that bleeds points to just about every position. Josh Allen comes in as the most expensive quarterback this week, and rightfully so. Allen’s upside is high due to his usage in the running game, especially inside the five-yard line. Stefon Diggs should likely be priced above $8,000 in this matchup, and with Emmanuel Sanders not practicing this week, Gabriel Davis and Cole Beasley are decent value options. Dawson Knox gets plenty of looks in the red zone, making him a viable tight end play on DraftKings. I’m also not against using Devin Singletary in stacks with Allen as the Jets allow the most points to running backs and we’ve seen Singletary utilized in the passing game before.

Bring-back options: Michael Carter ($5,000), Braxton Berrios ($4,900), Jamison Crowder ($4,600), Tyler Kroft ($2,500)

The weapons on the Jets are extremely thin, which was a common theme throughout the 2021 campaign. It appears unlikely that rookie Elijah Moore will be able to return in Week 18, leaving room for Braxton Berrios and Jamison Crowder to lead the way at wide receiver on Sunday. Both Berrios and Crowder are questionable for Sunday’s contest, so it will be important to ensure that both/either of them are active before inserting them into your lineups. Keelan Cole ($3,400) would be worth a flier if either Berrios or Crowder is unable to go this week. Tyler Kroft has been activated from the COVID-19/reserve list for the Jets, making him the No. 1 tight end in New York’s offense. Even though the Bills are strong against tight ends, you could do a lot worse than Kroft at $2,500.

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LAR: Matthew Stafford ($6,700), Cooper Kupp ($9,700), Odell Beckham Jr. ($5,800), Van Jefferson ($5,100), Tyler Higbee ($4,000)

The Los Angeles Rams have an important game coming up against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. A win by the Rams would clinch them the NFC West and by defeating the 49ers, they could potentially eliminate them from playoff contention. Matthew Stafford has struggled with turnovers in the second half of the season, but he still presents a lofty ceiling in Sean McVay’s offense. Cooper Kupp is 12 receptions and 136 yards away from breaking the single-season receptions and receiving yards records, so he could be in for a busy day on Sunday. Odell Beckham Jr. has caught a touchdown in five of his last six games with the Rams and the defense of the 49ers has surrendered the 7th most points to the wide receiver position in the past four weeks. Van Jefferson saw a season-low in snaps in Week 17, but he should return to his usual No. 3 role in the offense in a crucial game. Tyler Higbee continues to have a low ceiling in the offense due to Kupp, Beckham, and Jefferson being ahead of him in the pecking order.

Bring-back options: Deebo Samuel ($8,500), George Kittle ($6,700), Elijah Mitchell ($6,000), Brandon Aiyuk ($5,600)

It’s no secret that the 49ers have had the Rams’ number in recent years. San Francisco has won five straight games versus Los Angeles, and their recent wins have been in large part due to Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Samuel has had loads of success running the ball versus the Rams in recent years and his ceiling could be even higher if Elijah Mitchell is unable to suit up on Sunday. Jeff Wilson Jr. ($5,300) would become a decent value play if Mitchell is inactive this week as well, but if Mitchell is able to go, then I’d be content with using him. Kittle is always a fine play in NFL DFS, but I do believe his ceiling is heightened if Jimmy Garoppolo returns under center in Week 18. Using Brandon Aiyuk is one way to get different from those that stack this game and use Samuel/Kittle from the 49ers.

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ARI: Kyler Murray ($7,400), Christian Kirk ($6,000), A.J. Green ($5,400), Zach Ertz ($5,300), Antoine Wesley ($4,100)

At the moment, the Rams sit atop the NFC West. But if the Arizona Cardinals were to win this week and Los Angeles were to lose, then Arizona would be crowned division champions. With that in mind, we should see Kyler Murray play the entire game on Sunday, especially with the NFL scheduling the two NFC West games in the late window. Christian Kirk hasn’t seen fewer than nine targets in the past three weeks and is capable of scoring a long touchdown at any moment. A.J. Green is priced too high for my liking, but using him is one way to differentiate from those that use Kirk. Zach Ertz is probably my favorite player to stack with Murray this week as he’s garnered 33 targets in the past three weeks. A touchdown could be on the table for Ertz with the Seattle Seahawks allowing nine touchdowns to tight ends this season (fourth-most in the NFL). Antoine Wesley made the cut for my bring-back options last week against the Dallas Cowboys and he proceeded to record 19 points on DraftKings at $3,600. Wesley is worth taking a flier on at $4,100 as he’s seen his role increase amid the absences of DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore.

Bring-back options: D.K. Metcalf ($6,900), Rashaad Penny ($6,500), Tyler Lockett ($6,400), Gerald Everett ($3,700)

The Seahawks don’t have much to play for this week as they’ve already been eliminated from playoff contention. This could be Russell Wilson’s final game as a member of the Seahawks, so the team could be playing inspired on the road versus the Cardinals. We saw signs of life in Seattle’s offense last week against the Detroit Lions (yes, I know it’s the Lions) as Wilson threw for 236 yards and four touchdowns. That puts D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett firmly in play this week, especially with Arizona’s defense giving up THE most points per game to wide receivers over the past month. Rashaad Penny continues to be underpriced given his workload as he’s posted 22+ points on DraftKings in three out of the past four weeks. Gerald Everett is also a solid value option at tight end with him scoring in double-digits in four out of his past six outings.

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CHI: Andy Dalton ($5,300), David Montgomery ($6,800), Darnell Mooney ($5,900), Allen Robinson ($4,000), Cole Kmet ($3,400)

I tend to avoid paying down at the quarterback position, but with the oddities that occur in Week 18, we can take more chances this week. With that out of the way, hear me out. Andy Dalton is set to start for the Chicago Bears this week with rookie Justin Fields being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Rostering Dalton is never fun, but the matchup is tough to ignore. The defense of the Minnesota Vikings allows the sixth-most points per game to quarterbacks and the most points per game to the wide receiver position on DraftKings. That sets up Dalton and Darnell Mooney for a decent performance on Sunday. And even though Allen Robinson has been extremely disappointing this season, this is the final week of the season and he’s going to want to finish on a strong note. Plus, he’s only $4,000 on the green site. David Montgomery’s usage in the running game and the passing game, so he’s viable with Dalton in stacks. Cole Kmet is always worth taking a look at for under $3,500.

Bring-back options: Justin Jefferson ($8,100), Dalvin Cook ($7,800) K.J. Osborn ($5,500), Tyler Conklin ($4,200)

With Adam Thielen out for the season, Justin Jefferson is line for a massive workload in Week 18. Jefferson has accrued 10+ targets in seven of his last eight games, giving him a high floor. And with his talent, his ceiling is among the highest at the wide receiver position. Given Cook’s injury history, it remains to be seen how much he sees the field with the Vikings unable to advance to the playoffs. For those that play multiple lineups, it may be worth having at least one lineup where you use Alexander Mattison if Cook is extremely limited. K.J. Osborn has emerged as the No. 2 wideout amid Thielen’s absence, catching a touchdown in four out of the past five weeks. Tyler Conklin is a touchdown reliant tight end (like most tight ends), but he’s received 14 targets in the past two weeks.

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PIT: Ben Roethlisberger ($5,400), Najee Harris ($7,200), Diontae Johnson ($7,600), Chase Claypool ($5,100), Pat Freiermuth ($4,600), Ray-Ray McCloud ($3,800)

Another low-salary quarterback that could be worth taking a chance on this week is Ben Roethlisberger, especially if you’re someone that believes in narratives. Roethlisberger is likely playing his final game for the Pittsburgh Steelers and it’s against a divisional rival in the Baltimore Ravens. Earlier this season, Roethlisberger notched a solid 19.3 points on DraftKings versus the Ravens in Week 13. This time around, the Ravens are without Marlon Humphrey and are missing a ton of bodies on both sides of the ball. The one concern with using Roethlisberger — besides the chance he implodes — is that Diontae Johnson’s status for Sunday’s game is in doubt due to him being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. That could make Chase Claypool and Ray-Ray McCloud could become fantastic value plays. James Washington could also see more playing time. Pat Freiermuth has been a red-zone favorite for Roethlisberger all season and Baltimore struggles against tight ends, making him a strong play at his price point.

Bring-back options: Mark Andrews ($7,500), Marquise Brown ($5,900), Devonta Freeman ($5,200), Rashod Bateman ($4,900)

Mark Andrews has been simply remarkable all season, regardless of whether it’s Lamar Jackson or Tyler Huntley at quarterback. Jackson has yet to practice this week, so things are looking bleak for his chances to play on Sunday. Even with Huntley expected to start, Andrews is well-worth paying up for if you want to spend up at tight end. Marquise Brown didn’t practice on Thursday, so there’s a chance the Ravens elect to sit him in Sunday’s game. Devonta Freeman has been the most productive running back on the Ravens this season and the defense of the Steelers surrenders the second-most rushing yards per game. Rashod Bateman could see more looks in the final week of his rookie season. In the event that Brown is out, then Devin Duvernary could see more time on offense.