On tap for Week 3 is another 13-game slate, including five totals above 50 points. 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 3 DraftKings and FanDuel lineups by finding the top the stacking options from Awesemo’s Top Stacks Tool. The Top Stacks Tool will breakdown 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.
NFL DFS Top Stacks for Week 3 on DraftKings + FanDuel
Top Stack: Kansas City Chiefs
Hosting the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs are by far rating as the top offense to stack this week, per Awesemo’s Top Stacks Tool. Currently, the Vegas oddsmakers have Kansas City with a slate-high 30.75-point implied team total, and this AFC West matchup is the third highest on the slate at 54.5 points. After raking second to last in game script adjusted rush rate last season, the Chiefs rank seven to last in the metric so far this season, according to Awesemo’s NFL Advanced Stats. In other words, the Chiefs remain one of the most pass heavy offenses in the league. Through the first two weeks of the season, Patrick Mahomes has been efficient, ranking fourth in yards per attempt (10.1) and third in DraftKings points per dropback (0.88). While the Chargers have held their first two opponents to 20 points or less, they still have yielded the 11th highest yard per attempt (7.4). For his career, Mahomes has provided 28 DraftKings points per game when the Chiefs have boasted an implied team total of 30 points or more, and the former MVP is well worth his lucrative price tags this week.
Tyreek Hill has run a route on 96% on Mahomes’ dropbacks this season and ranks seventh in the league in target share (30.2%). Hill also ranks 11th in air yards and should bounce back in a huge way after his quiet showing in Week 2. In his last 10 home games, Hill has generated 23 DraftKings points per game, and no skill player on the slate possesses a higher ceiling than the wideout. Next is Travis Kelce, who has has run a route on 84% Mahomes’ drop backs and handled a 23.8% target share that has translated into three touchdowns and 118 yards after the catch, which ranks sixth in the NFL. Regardless of position, Kelce owns the second best PFF offensive grade this season and combing both him and Hill with Mahomes is a very viable strategy that we have seen pay off many times in the past. Just as recently as Week 1, the three players combined for an absurd 101.98 DraftKings points against the Browns.
If looking for a cheaper option to stack with Mahomes, Mecole Hardman is your guy. Operating as the Chiefs’ No. 2 wide receiver, Hardman has run a route on 80% of Mahomes’ dropbacks, after only seeing a 52% route rate a year ago. He has seen a solid 17.5% target share through the first two weeks and is going to produce some huge games this season with the new role. Via Awesemo’s ownership projections, Hardman is slated for sub 10% ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel this week.
Awesemo Top Stack Projection: 19.3% (highest)
Awesemo QB Ownership Projection: 8.1%
Top Stack: Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray and the high-powered Cardinals’ offense visit the 0-2 Jags this week. This Jacksonville defense gave up the second highest yard per attempt last season (7.9) and has surrendered the sixth highest in the league so far this season (8.8). In this spot, the Cardinals present the second highest implied team total of the main slate at 29.5 points. Additionally, they are 7.5-point favorites and this contest’s total is the fourth highest on the slate at 51.5 points. Leading the NFL in DraftKings points per dropback (0.92), Murray has been magnificent this season. The quarterback ranks fourth in yards per attempt (10.1) and has generated nine total touchdowns. Murray has eclipsed 30 DraftKings points in eight of the 15 career starts he has played behind an implied team total of at least 25 points, and holds the highest quarterback projection of the week, per Awesemo’s projections.
This season, we have a ton of options to choose from in Arizona for stacks with Murray. First and foremost, DeAndre Hopkins (game-time decision, ribs)has run a route on 96% of Murray’s dropbacks this year and has converted all three of his red-zone targets into scores. Hopkins’ 18.2% target share through the first two weeks is subpar, but I fully expect this number to increase as the season goes on. He ranked second in the NFL in target share a year ago (29.4%) and Hopkins’ single-digit ownership projection for DraftKings this week is one of the best spots on the board. Rondale Moore has quickly made an impact for the Cardinals and is underpriced for his role. After running a route on 38% of Murray’s in dropbacks in Week 1, Moore’s route rate jumped to 58% in Week 2. He has seen a team-high 13 targets and been targeted on 34% of his routes run this season, while ranking second in the NFL in yards after the catch (151). Via Awesemo’s ownership projections, Moore is forecasted for less than 5% ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Lastly, Christian Kirk is a GPP flier to consider for Cardinals’ stacks. While his target share is not overly compelling (13.6%), Kirk has run a route on 68% of Murray’s dropbacks this season and is leading Arizona in air yards (155) and average depth of target (17.2). Kirk has already seen four 20+ yard targets through the first two games and is a decent gamble to catch a deep ball for a touchdown in this juicy matchup against the Jags.
Awesemo Top Stack Projection: 9.6% (second highest)
Awesemo QB Ownership: 7.9%
Value Stack: Los Angeles Chargers
For those DFS players looking for a cheaper stack for Week 3, the Chargers are an outstanding choice against the Chiefs. As noted above, this tilt’s total is all the way up to 54.5 points. Furthermore, the Chargers sport an implied team total of 23.75 points and are 6.5-point underdogs. Los Angeles ranks second to last in game script adjusted rush rate this season and should continue to air it out as underdogs in Arrowhead. Justin Herbert has topped 300 yards passing in six of his past 10 starts, and the Chiefs’ pass defense has been susceptible this season, allowing the second highest yards per attempt (9.9). After being the most owned quarterback on DraftKings last week, Herbert is projected for only 5.3% ownership in this expected shootout.
Thus far in 2021, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have been an excellent wide receiver tandem. Allen has run a route on 89% of Herbert’s dropbacks, while obtaining a 24.4% target share, including five red-zone targets and three targets greater than 20 yards. Williams on the other hand has run a route on 81% of Herbert’s dropbacks and seen a slightly better target share at 25.6%, with four red-zone targets and also three targets over 20 yards. At very similar price tags, Allen is the safer option with the higher route rate, but both he and Williams are appealing targets and utilizing both with Herbert should not be a common strategy in GPPs.
Also, Jared Cook is an inexpensive Chargers’ pass catcher that is expected to come with a depressed ownership. He has run a route on 64% of Hebert’s dropbacks and ranks third on the team in target share (15%). Cook has seen three red-zone targets already in only two games and is a solid bet for a touchdown this Sunday. Last season, the Chiefs gave up nine touchdowns to tight ends and albeit when he was with the Saints, Cook converted seven of his 12 red-zone targets into touchdowns a year ago.
Awesemo Top Stack Projection: 4.2% (ninth highest)
Awesemo QB Ownership: 5.1%
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