4 League Winning QB-WR Stacks You Should Implement in 2019

This article was birthed from a Twitter conversation I had with other FantasyData writers around this tweet. 

What QB/WR duo will be the most dangerous combination in #FantasyFootball this season.

Last year, Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill linked up for a combined total of 658 fantasy points. pic.twitter.com/gDfUZUW9ru

— FantasyData (@FantasyDataNFL) July 16, 2019

The idea of starting a quarterback and his No. 1 wide receiver is not a new concept. Stacking is the process of playing players in the same game whose production is correlated. It’s very common in daily fantasy sports or DFS especially in winning lineups in GPP tournaments. Can the strategy be implemented in redraft formats? The short answer is yes, but the risk-averse side of many fantasy football players begin to creep in. If the QB connects for a passing touchdown with the WR then you’ll lock in 10 fantasy points plus yardage. A game with two or more touchdowns could help win your matchup. What happens to the team when these players are on a bye week? What happens if one of them gets hurt? What happens if one or both players underperform? The highest correlated and most popular stack in winning Draft Kings lineups is the QB-WR1. It’s important to take calculated risks to win fantasy football leagues. You must carefully weigh and consider the advantages and disadvantages of any draft strategy. This article will tell you about four QB-WR stacks you should implement in redraft that will help you win your fantasy football league.

1. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has been under center for every game of wide receiver Julio Jones‘ career. The team traded five draft picks to the Cleveland Browns to move up in the 2011 NFL Draft to land the future Hall of Fame receiver. Since then Jones has accumulated 10,731 receiving yards and 51 touchdowns. Were you aware that he has more receiving yards in his first eight seasons than any other receiver in NFL history? Ryan has averaged 286.3 passing yards, 1.8 touchdowns, and 21 fantasy points per game with Jones as his No. 1 receiver since 2011. Jones has averaged 10 targets, 6.3 receptions, 97.5 receiving yards, 0.5 touchdowns, and 19 PPR fantasy points per game with Ryan under center. The 30-year old receiver led the NFL in receiving yards (1,677) and yards per route run (3.27). He is still in his physical prime and Ryan has shown no signs of slowing down either. The 34-year-old QB has eclipsed 4,500 yards in six of the last seven seasons. The Falcons have brought back Dirk Koetter to handle playcalling duties this season. He was the offensive coordinator from 2012 to 2014 and has familiarity with both players.  If you are drafting late in the first round you should consider selecting Jones as your WR1 and pair him up Ryan as your QB1 later in the draft. Here are our 2019 projections for both players.   

2. Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams (Green Bay Packers)

Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams has accumulated 568 targets, 348 receptions, 4,209 receiving yards, and 39 receiving TDs in 72 games. The only other WRs with more PPR fantasy points than Adams’ (797) since 2016 is Michael Thomas (838), Jones (841.6), DeAndre Hopkins (845.3), and Antonio Brown (939.3). Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has only played in 54 games since 2014. The 35-year old quarterback has averaged 39 pass attempts, 286 passing yards, and 2.3 touchdowns per game over that span of time. All signs are pointing to Rodgers being healthy entering the season. 

Rodgers: “I really wasn’t 100 percent for the entire year. … It limited my mobility for a good part of the season.” #Packers https://t.co/iApMFaNol6

— Michael Cohen (@Michael_Cohen13) April 9, 2019

Rodgers and Adams appear to be embracing new Packers head coach Matt LaFleur’s offensive scheme. The word on the street implies that Rodgers won’t have complete control over the offense as he had with former head coach Mike McCarthy. This will be a good thing considering how boring and ineffective McCarthy’s offense has been in recent seasons. One wrinkle that makes this stack even more appealing is that Adams will have an opportunity to line up more in the slot. His projected target share in 2019 could rival Jones, but his dominance in the red zone is what could place Adams in position to finish as the WR1 in PPR formats. Were you aware that he has led all WRs in red zone target share for two seasons in a row? Rodgers is in an excellent position to bounce back and is currently the third QB selected in 12-team formats. Selecting both he and Adams with two of your first six draft picks could be viewed as risky, but fantasy football championships aren’t won with playing it safe. Here are our 2019 projections for both players.

3. Jameis Winston and Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans has had five straight seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards. He’s also had two seasons with 12 touchdowns. Evans has averaged 9.3 targets, 5.1 receptions, 79.4 receiving yards, and 0.5 touchdowns per game in his career missing only three games. Some people are worried that the presence of WR Chris Godwin and TE O.J. Howard may limit his upside. There will be enough targets and air yards to go around in new Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians’ offensive scheme. The Buccaneers offense ranked second in net yards per attempt and third in passing touchdowns in 2018. This trend will continue in 2019 considering how aggressive Arians’ offenses have been in the past. Don’t allow fear to dictate your decision making when it comes to QB Jameis Winston. He has top-five fantasy QB potential with the offensive weapons the Buccaneers front office he’s blessed him with. Here are our 2019 projections for Winston and Evans.

4. Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper

When you think of an elite quarterback the name Dak Prescott doesn’t come to mind. The fourth-round draft pick earned the starting job in 2016 after Tony Romo was injured during the preseason. Many expected Prescott to be the starter until Romo returned, but that wasn’t the case. He has not missed a game in his career, has a 32-16 record, and has 14 game-winning drives on his NFL resume. The 25-year old QB has only averaged 30.7 pass attempts, 226 passing yards, and 1.4 passing touchdowns per game in three seasons. Prescott can also generate additional fantasy points with his rushing ability. The Cowboys haven’t asked him to do much as a passer with running back Ezekiel Elliott on the roster. Elliott has averaged 25.1 touches per game over the last three seasons. This will change in 2019. The Cowboys traded for WR Amari Cooper in the middle of the 2018 season and Prescott is entering the final year of his rookie contract. 

Amari Cooper spoke glowingly of Dak Prescott on Monday, said Dak deserves everything that’s coming to him and to be paid among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. (via @FirstTake) pic.twitter.com/yLizBC2YQZ

— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) June 24, 2019

The Cowboys are unlikely to commit that high of a percentage of the salary cap to Prescott and not leverage his passing ability. His statistical production increased with Cooper in the lineup. 

Prescott would have finished the 2018 season as the QB2 if he maintained this pace. The Cowboys have surrounded him with receiving weapons on offense. By the start of the 2019 season, Prescott and Cooper would have had an entire offseason to work, training camp, and the preseason. The best is yet to come for both players. Here are our 2019 projections for Prescott and Cooper. 

We have Prescott projected for 298 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Cooper is a great position to exceed his projection. I wrote about that in another article that provides you a more detailed look into his 2019 outlook. Both players are undervalued in 12-team PPR fantasy drafts. 

Conclusion

Imagine executing a draft strategy like this in a single quarterback, two-QB, or Superflex format this summer. It will be uncomfortable because it goes against the grain. The very nature of it conflicts with your previous ideas, beliefs, or principles. In my experience, when a strategy makes you feel uncomfortable that is an indicator you are making the right decision. All of the WRs tethered to the QBs mentioned above are projected to see a very high target share in 2019. 

Here are the 71 WRs with 3 or more Top 24 PPR finishes since 2000. 27 of these have 3+ Top 12 finishes. You can connect most with Elite QBs but all have/had an uncanny knack for continually producing in fantasy.
Pro tip: Roster these WRs pic.twitter.com/Aq1qrneGBw

— Jacob Rickrode (@ClutchFantasy) July 24, 2019

There are a few other QB-WR stacks I’m intrigued with heading into this season. Panthers QB Cam Newton and WR D.J. Moore would make an intriguing stack in redraft. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett is another one. 

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• Data Sources for this article provided by FantasyData

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