4 FanDuel Stacks to Target in Week 1

Stacking in daily fantasy football on FanDuel is a key strategy and a way to shoot for upside. There are a few different ways to correlate lineups that can help us maximize our ceiling.

The classic stack is a quarterback with one of his pass-catchers. Sometimes, it makes sense to use two pass catchers with their signal-caller, especially when the target share is concentrated around two players.

In other situations, we can pair a running back and a defense on the same team. This makes sense when a team is a huge favorite and expected to dominate, which can lead to carries for the back and chances for sacks and turnovers for the D/ST. We also can look to deploy a game stack -- rostering a QB, one of his pass-catchers, and a pass-catcher from the other team. Game stacks can work best in matchups that have high totals and close spreads.

Our Brandon Gdula did a study on stacking that is worth checking out before you make your lineups.

Here are four of the best stacks to zero in on in NFL DFS for this week's main slate.

Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa ($7,700), Tyreek Hill ($8,800), Jaylen Waddle ($7,900)

Stacking players with salaries this high is being called a premium double-stack nowadays. The Miami Dolphins' passing game was definitely worth the salary in certain games last season.

Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for a 51% target share in 2022. That's enough to pique my interest, but when you consider the ability both receivers have after the catch, it makes them arguably the two best receivers to pair together across the NFL.

Tua Tagovailoa had his doubters but definitely proved that -- with the new coaching staff and the weapons Miami has -- he can be an effective quarterback. He led the league in adjusted yards per attempt -- some of which can be credited to the receivers, but Tua also should get some praise for it.

The ideal situation would be something like Week 2 last season -- when this trio combined for 111.96 FanDuel points at Baltimore. Of course, that was the best-case scenario in a game they were trailing and needed to throw a lot; it's not a realistic outcome to expect but demonstrates this group's high ceiling.

The Dolphins play the Los Angeles Chargers in the game with the highest total on the Week 1 main slate. As only a 3.0-point underdog, Miami should feature Hill and Waddle heavily.

Hill has the highest projection for a wideout in numberFire's model, and Waddle has the fourth-highest projection. Miami had the eighth-highest pass-to-run ratio in the NFL last season, so there should be plenty of volume to go around in one of the week's best game environments.

Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow ($7,900), Ja'Marr Chase ($8,500), Tee Higgins ($7,400)

Similar to the Dolphins' stack, the Cincinnati Bengals offer huge upside in their passing game, mostly through two receivers.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins didn't see more than 50% of the targets as Miami's duo did, but 41% of the targets is nothing to sneeze at. They are just as talented and come at a lower salary cost than Miami's top pair.

The ceiling for this stack might be higher than the Dolphins' ceiling. Joe Burrow is the only quarterback in NFL history to have thrown for 500 yards in multiple games, despite playing just three seasons. Chase has two games with over 200 yards in his young NFL career.

The matchup is an interesting one against the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland's defense was a disappointment for much of last year but still ranked 15th against the pass by numberFire's metrics.

Cincinnati struggled to find a ceiling in these matchups last season, but in the first one, Chase was injured. In the second game, Higgins played just one snap. When both of these receivers are on the field together, it's a different proposition.

The Bengals have an implied team total of 25.5 points, and it's likely to come through these two top wideouts. Both of them are projected in the top 10 for points at receiver this week.

Denver Broncos

Russell Wilson ($7,300) and Marvin Mims ($4,700)

Not every stack is going to be as beautiful as a Dolphins or Bengals double-stack. A Denver Broncos' stack doesn't seem as fun, but it should make more sense if you give it a chance.

It's understandable to not want to roster Russell Wilson ever again after what he showed last season. It wasn't all bad, though, as his adjusted yards per attempt was better than Justin Herbert's, Aaron Rodgers' and Dak Prescott's.

The hope is that he will take a step forward with his new coach. Last season's head man, Nathaniel Hackett, seemed ill-equipped to run a team. That cannot be said about Sean Payton, who ran a successful offense with the New Orleans Saints for 15 years.

A major issue in 2022 was the offensive line, but with some moves in the offseason, that unit should improve. PFF now has Denver's front five ranked 11th, up 10 spots from last season.

Another problem the 2022 Broncos had was injuries on offense to their skill players. They haven't been able to escape that this year, with Tim Patrick out for the season and Jerry Jeudy being limited in practice this week.

Insert rookie Marvin Mims.

Mims was Denver's first player selected in the 2023 draft. They traded up in the second round to make sure they were able to get him. Mims was a deep threat at Oklahoma, averaging more than 20 yards per catch in his final two seasons in college. He has the speed to pull off the same role in the NFL, running a 4.38 40-yard dash. This, in theory, should set him up for those famous Russell Wilson moonballs down the field.

The Broncos are at home against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1. The Raiders ranked 31st in schedule-adjusted pass defense last season, according to numberFire. They are also likely to be without Chandler Jones at edge rusher.

The total salary for this stack is just $12,000. Mims could easily be the second target in Denver's passing game if Jeudy doesn't play, and playing this low-salary stack should allow you to fit in studs at nearly every other position.

Washington Commanders

Brian Robinson ($6,400) and Washington D/ST ($4,900)

We'll move away from the stacks involving passing games and go with a running back/defense stack for the final one.

Many people expect the Washington Commanders to have more of a modern offense this season with new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. However, they probably won't have to air it out in this game. They'll likely be able to ease in Sam Howell in his second career start if things go according to plan.

The Commanders have two running backs who are fantasy-relevant. Antonio Gibson has a lower salary ($5,800) and perhaps is the flashier back of the two, but this could set up to be a game for Brian Robinson ($6,400).

Robinson missed the first four games of the season in 2022, and it took a while for him to really get going. But once he did, he was impressive. He saw at least 20 touches in four of his final five games of the year. That included eight red-zone carries across his last two games. That's where Robinson will find fantasy success, especially in this game.

The Arizona Cardinals are projected to be -- by far -- the worst team in the NFL this season. They are starting backup journeyman Joshua Dobbs behind what PFF has as the league's second-worst offensive line. This is a recipe for many potential sacks and turnovers.

That makes the Washington D/ST one of the best defenses to roster. They are projected for the most points by numberFire's model. If they are causing the sacks and turnovers, it will lead to great field position for Washington's offense, which could allow Robinson to punch in a touchdown or two from a fairly short distance.

Another scenario where Robinson can rack up fantasy points is if Washington is trying to salt away the game in the fourth quarter with a lead. He's the bigger back between him and Gibson, and it makes sense for the Commanders to use him in this way. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him have success against an Arizona run defense that ranked by 22nd by numberFire's metrics last season.

This stack is a bit unconventional, and Robinson could go under the radar with so many other running backs making for good plays on the slate. But if the Commanders dominate this game, it wouldn't be too surprising to see Robinson and the Washington D/ST be the two highest-scoring pieces of their team.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.