Week 18 presents a huge 13-game slate. To gain leverage in GPPs, stacking is a strategy that every DFS player should use. Rostering a quarterback with one or more of his pass catchers gives lineups the upside it needs to have a chance at finishing near the top of the leaderboards. The NFL DFS advice below will evaluate how to utilize NFL DFS stacks for Week 18 DraftKings and FanDuel lineups by finding the top the stacking options from Awesemo’s Top Stacks Tool. The Top Stacks Tool will break down the stack in terms of its overall projection of being the No. 1 stack of the week, the ownership of the quarterback, if it is a value or not and the overall leverage on the rest of the field.
Top NFL DFS Stacks for Week 18 on DraftKings + FanDuel
Top Stack: Buffalo Bills
Seeking their second straight AFC East division title, the Bills are rating as the top offense to stack for Week 18 in Awesemo’s Top Stacks Tool. They will be hosting the Jets, who are giving up the second highest yards per attempt (7.7) and are the second worst graded defense on PFF. In this spot, Buffalo boasts the second highest implied team total on the slate (29 points). This season, the Bills have been one of the most pass heavy offenses in football, ranking third to last in game script adjusted rush rate, via Awesemo’s Advanced Stats. Josh Allen ranks sixth in passing touchdowns (34) and as of late, he has been extremely active as rusher, with 10.5 carries per game over the last four weeks. With this volume, Allen has produced 69.5 rushing yards per game and found the end zone three times with his legs during this four-game stretch. Combine his elite dual threat ability with this gorgeous matchup against the Jets, and no player brings a higher ceiling than Allen this Sunday in Awesemo’s Boom Bust Tool.
As for who to pair with Allen, Stefon Diggs is always the top choice. He leads the Bills with a 26% target share, ranks second in the league in red-zone targets (32), second in air yards (1,709) and eighth in targets over 20 yards (26). When the Bills faced the Jets back in November, Diggs hauled in eight of his 13 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown, resulting in a season-high 33.2 DraftKings points. Ranking second on the team in target share at 20% is slot receiver Cole Beasley. His extremely low aDOT (5.6) makes him a fragile option, but Beasley has eclipsed 20 DraftKings points three times this season and is worth a flier on that site, where players are rewarded a full point per reception. Rounding out the Bills’ receiver corps is Gabriel Davis. He led the Bills in routes run this past week (29) and ran over double the number of routes as Emmanuel Sanders the last time the two players were active back in Week 14, proving Davis has surpassed Sanders on the Bills’ depth chart. As a full-time player, Davis brings a ton of upside. He leads Buffalo in routes per reception this season (15.9) and impressively ranks third in the NFL in DraftKings points per touch among receivers (3.81). Allen looks to Davis often in the red zone, with 14 targets in scoring territory this season, and he is great for GPPs this week with Awesemo projecting Davis for less than 5% ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Lastly, there is Dawson Knox. He has run a route on 69% of Allen’s dropbacks this season and has been targeted on 14% of those routes, including 17 red-zone targets, which ranks third in the league at his position. Facing this Jets’ defense that has yielded the second most yards (1,064 yards) and fifth most touchdowns to tight ends (8), Knox must be considered for Bills’ stacks.
Awesemo Top Stack Projection: 15.6%
Awesemo QB Ownership: 18.2%
Top Stack: Los Angeles Rams
The Rams need to win this Sunday to clinch the NFC West division title and are rating as one of the best offenses of the week to stack in Awesemo’s Top Stacks Tool. Taking on the Niners, Los Angeles’ implied team total ranks sixth on the slate (24.25 points) and this game’s total is the fourth highest on the slate (44.5 points). With Matthew Stafford under center, the Rams have relied on their passing game this season, ranking second to last in game script adjusted rush rate. And Stafford has been efficient, ranking third in yards per attempt (8.2) and second in passing touchdowns (38). Stafford has topped 20 DraftKings points in 11 of 16 starts this season and is expected to be very low owned on both DraftKings and FanDuel, via Awesemo’s projections.
As always, Cooper Kupp is the undisputed top option to pair with Stafford. This season, Kupp ranks fifth in target share (32.3%), first in red-zone targets (35), first in yards after the catch (806) and seventh in air yards (1,588). No player has scored more fantasy points than Kupp this season, and when these two clubs met back in November, he caught 11 of his 13 targets for 122 yards. Next on the list Odell Beckham Jr., who has quickly become this offense’s No. 2 receiver. Over the last month Beckham has obtained a 19.1% target share, including six red-zone targets, while running a route on 96% of Stafford’s dropbacks. Beckham Jr. has scored a touchdown in five of his last six games and is underpriced for his current role.
If looking for a cheaper target for Rams’ stacks, Tyler Higbee is the best option. He has seen a 15.1% target share this season, including 16 red-zone targets, while running a route on 82% of Stafford’s dropbacks. Higbee has garnered five or more targets in six consecutive games and is simply too cheap for his role as the featured tight end in this pass first offense.
Awesemo Top Stack Projection: 13.9%
Awesemo QB Ownership: 4%
Value Stack: Minnesota Vikings
Hosting the Bears, the Vikings are standing out as a compelling value stack for Week 18. Chicago is the sixth-worst graded defense on PFF, and Minnesota’s implied team total is set at a healthy 24 points. Kirk Cousins will make his return from a one-game absence due to health protocols, and for the season, he ranks 10th in yards per attempt (7.4) and owns a strong 30-4 touchdown to interception ratio. Cousins has supplied 21 DraftKings points per game at home over the last two seasons and is particularly underpriced on DraftKings, where his salary is at a season-low $6,100.
With Adam Thielen (ankle) done for the season, Justin Jefferson should see incredible usage and is far and away the best option to stack with Cousins. In the three games Thielen missed this season, Jefferson saw an absurd 41.5% target share, including four red0zone targets and a whopping 10 targets greater than 20 yards. To put a cherry on top, he has been far more productive at home during his career, producing a significant 7.7 more DraftKings points per game on his home field than when competing on the road. For DraftKings this week, Jefferson brings a top-three ceiling among skill players according to Awesemo’s Boom Bust Tool. When Thielen has been inactive this season, K.J. Osborn has operated as the Vikings’ No. 2 receiver, with a 18.9% target share, including four targets greater than 20 yards, while running a route on 92% of dropbacks. He found pay dirt twice in the three contests Thielen missed and is far too cheap for being Cousins’ second option.
While Jefferson is going to be popular, Cousins and Osborn are forecasted for minimal ownership, and combining Cousins with one of both receivers will make lineups contrarian.
Awesemo Top Stack Projection: 6.7%
Awesemo QB Ownership: 4.3%
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