4 FanDuel Stacks to Target in Week 9

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.

New Orleans Saints

Derek Carr ($7,100), Alvin Kamara ($9,200), and Chris Olave ($6,900)

The QB-RB-WR is not one that we utilize too often. It makes sense when the running back gets a lot of usage in the passing game, and that is the case here.

Since his return from suspension, Alvin Kamara has seen a 22% target share (via PFF) from Derek Carr. That would be a good share for a wide receiver, so it's elite for a running back.

Carr hasn't been anything to write home about this season, but he does have at least 15 fantasy points in his last four games. Only Jalen Hurts and Trevor Lawrence have also done that.

The matchup is great for Carr to have his best game of the season. The New Orleans Saints are at home against the Chicago Bears. Chicago ranks dead last in numberFire's schedule-adjusted pass-defense metrics. They also allow QBs to go off for the most adjusted fantasy points per drop back.

This isn't the only area where the Bears' defense ranks dead last. They also allow the most adjusted fantasy points per target to running backs. That's a dream matchup for Kamara, one of the best backs in the passing game in the NFL.

The last element of this stack is Chris Olave. Things haven't been trending in a positive direction for him of late when he's had double-digit FanDuel points in just one of his five games, but this could be the Olave breakout game we've been waiting for.

Chicago allows a ton of deep, sideline targets where Olave runs most of his routes. Plus, he's third in the NFL at 132.7 air yards per game.

New Orleans has the second-highest implied team total (24.75 points) this week, and playing these three players captures a ton of the scoring potential they have this week.

Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott ($8,200) and CeeDee Lamb ($8,800)

The Dallas Cowboys had not impressed too much on offense in the beginning of the season.

They finally got going in their last game before the bye. Dak Prescott has thrown for five touchdowns and 576 yards in his last two games. He's also added 59 yards and a score with his legs.

CeeDee Lamb finally had a game that reminded fantasy managers why they used a high draft pick on him. He had 35 half-PPR points against the Los Angeles Rams. His usage has been strong throughout with a 25% target share and 32% of the team's air yards.

The matchup the Cowboys face isn't as tough as once was. The Philadelphia Eagles are only 16th in numberFire's pass-defense metrics, and they just got torched by Sam Howell last week to the tune of 32 fantasy points.

The Cowboys are three-point underdogs in the highest-total game on the Week 9 main slate. Dallas has been in many strange game scripts, including some blowouts that have caused them to be run-heavy. However, their pass rate over expectation is just -0.1%, meaning we can expect a fairly normal amount of passes if this game remains close.

Washington Commanders

Sam Howell ($7,400) and Terry McLaurin ($7,200)

With some of the offenses we like to target not on the main slate, we have to dig deep to find some enticing stacks. That's why we can look at this duo from the Washington Commanders.

No one in the right mind would consider Sam Howell a top-eight QB in the league, but he does rank as the fantasy QB8 by points per game. He's flashed the upside that we need from a QB with his game last week -- and another three-touchdown performance against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6.

The Commanders have finally decided to feature their best receiver. Terry McLaurin has seen 34% of the targets and 46% of the air yards in the last three weeks.

Washington's spot against the New England Patriots may not seem that great until you dig into the data. The Patriots' pass defense ranks 27th in the NFL, according to numberFire. They also are 27th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to signal-callers per drop back.

Sam Howell has had big games when the Commanders have struggled on defense. That's more likely this week after they traded Montez Sweat and Chase Young before the trade deadline. Howell's sneaky fantasy upside could be on full display again this week.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jalen Hurts ($9,000), A.J. Brown ($9,000), and Dallas Goedert ($5,800)

On a week lacking options, why not just play the stack with the most upside? That logic will lead us to the Eagles once again -- even if the matchup isn't ideal.

Jalen Hurts was excellent last week. He threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns. It was his second-best fantasy game of the season, and he didn't even have a rushing touchdown. He's the QB2 overall this season.

Another Eagle that ranks second at his position in fantasy points per game is A.J. Brown. He extended his streak of games with at least 125 yards to six. When someone as talented as Brown gets a 31% target share, the results are sure to follow.

Dallas Goedert didn't deliver like we had hoped last week. He did see 20% of the targets in the win over the Commanders, but we had hoped for more production. Luckily, his salary fell $400, and with tight end lacking reliable options as usual, he's not a bad choice to pair with Hurts.

With Trevon Diggs injured, the Cowboys will find it tough to slow down Brown -- as most teams in the league do. If fantasy players shy away from the Eagles in this spot because of Dallas' stellar pass defense, we can get these players at lower roster rates than normal. They should still have the chance to break the slate this week.

Philly's implied team total is tied for the second-highest on the main slate, so the oddsmakers don't seem too worried about Dallas' D. That's enough to warrant consideration for Hurts and friends.

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.