Best Value QB/WR Stacks
Each week, with the help of our premium DFS Stacking Page, we’ll be diving into the main DFS slates for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo to give you the quarterback-wide receiver stacks that represent the best value on the board.
When possible, we’ll look to avoid throwing out the obvious names. However, just because a player is well known, that doesn’t mean they’re the easy pick when filling out your roster — and it also doesn’t mean that their price tag accurately matches their potential production.
Last week, two of our stacks ended up really helping our readers and we’re actually going back to one of them this week. One of those two was the combination of Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle. Tagovailoa threw for 273 yards with two touchdowns and one interception against the New York Jets, and Waddle had eight catches for 65 yards and also rushed for a one-yard score. The other duo that balled out for us was Cam Newton and DJ Moore. Newton threw for 189 yards with two touchdowns and no picks, and he also added 46 rushing yards and a score. Moore, meanwhile, had five catches for 50 yards and hauled in one of Newton’s touchdown passes.
With that in the past, let’s take a look at five duos we like for Week 12 of the NFL regular season:
Indianapolis Colts (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- QB – Carson Wentz (DraftKings: $5,800 / FanDuel: $7,300 / Yahoo: $26)
- WR – Michael Pittman Jr. (DraftKings: $5,600 / FanDuel: $6,600 / Yahoo: $23)
There isn’t a game on Sunday’s slate with a higher total than this one and the Colts have to feel like they have a decent chance of winning. That means that nobody on Indianapolis should be off limits from a fantasy perspective, but a lot of fantasy players might go away from the Colts’ passing game because of the tough matchup and the recent play of running back Jonathan Taylor.
Avoiding Wentz and Pittman Jr. could be something that daily fantasy players will be kicking themselves for after this one. Before allowing just 10 points against the New York Giants last week, this Tampa Bay defense had allowed 65 points in games against the Washington Football Team and New Orleans Saints. Sure, the Buccaneers are once again Super Bowl contenders, but this passing defense has occasionally funneled points against opposing receivers.
Wentz didn’t do much of anything against the Buffalo Bills last game, but he has had four 20-point fantasy performances in the last seven weeks. Indianapolis is going to need him to play well in this game, and the Colts are going to be confident in his ability to deliver after how he’s played this year.
When Wentz does go to the air, it’s Pittman that he generally likes to target. The talented wideout has a 23.5 percent target share this year, which is the 22nd-highest number in the league. Pittman’s numbers have dropped off a bit in recent weeks, with the Colts leaning on Taylor’s legs more than ever. But don’t be surprised if Pittman faces little resistance against a Tampa Bay secondary that doesn’t quite have the personnel to play bump-and-run coverage against a big receiver like him.
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Miami Dolphins (vs. Carolina Panthers)
- QB – Tua Tagovailoa (DraftKings: $5,500 / FanDuel: $6,900 / Yahoo: $22)
- WR – Jaylen Waddle (DraftKings: $5,900 / FanDuel: $6,700 / Yahoo: $15)
As mentioned earlier, Tagovailoa and Waddle are coming off a nice week against the Jets, and this stack is worth going back to against the Panthers. Carolina has been unbelievable against the pass this year, as the Panthers are allowing less yards per game through the air than anybody in the league. That does, however, mean that not a lot of players will turn to Tagovailoa and Waddle in their lineups, giving you the chance to have a leg up on the competition if these two end up playing well.
While this matchup is certainly daunting, it is worth noting that Washington put up 27 points on Carolina last week. Taylor Heinicke had no problem picking apart the Panthers in that one, throwing for 206 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. He was an efficient 16 for 22 in the game and also added 29 yards on the ground. Tagovailoa hasn’t proven much in this league just yet, but he is a better quarterback than Heinicke is. That should give him the confidence he needs to go out there and play at a high level.
As for Waddle, the rookie is coming off one of his best games against the Jets. The 22-year-old has now had at least seven receptions in four of his last six games, and he has racked up at least eight targets in seven of the 11 games he’s played this year. Waddle possesses all the talent in the world, so the fact he keeps getting a ton of looks only means he’ll continue to produce.
Houston Texans (vs. New York Jets)
- QB – Tyrod Taylor (DraftKings: $5,300 / FanDuel: $7,400 / Yahoo: $20)
- WR – Brandin Cooks (DraftKings: $5,800 / FanDuel: $6,500 / Yahoo: $13)
There isn’t a team in the league that is giving up more passing yards per game than the 282.2 the Jets are this season. New York has also had only three interceptions on the entire year, and this secondary isn’t exactly better off without safety Marcus Maye, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 9. And overall, you can zoom out and stop focusing on the passing defense and this Jets defense is just as bad. New York has given up more total yards per game and points per game than anybody else in football.
It goes without saying that the Texans offense isn’t the most inspiring in the world, but it’s hard not to be excited about anybody that draws the Jets in fantasy. Taylor, who has the ability to make plays with both his arm and his legs, is more than capable of putting up numbers against this group. Last week, the 32-year-old threw for just 107 yards but added 28 rushing yards for two touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans. It’s that mobility that gives him a real chance to help fantasy players cash in this week.
Cooks is the receiver you’ll want to pair with Taylor in this one. Last week, the wideout had just two catches for 18 yards, but he had a total of 12 receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown in the two weeks before. He’s still an extremely dynamic receiver, with the potential to make big plays on a weekly basis. Taylor should be a bit better with his arm than he was a week ago, and that could mean big things for Cooks in a game that has sneaky shootout potential.
New England Patriots (vs. Tennessee Titans)
- QB – Mac Jones (DraftKings: $5,400 / FanDuel: $6,800 / Yahoo: $28)
- WR – Jakobi Meyers (DraftKings: $5,000 / FanDuel: $5,700 / Yahoo: $19)
Jones had a three-touchdown game against the Cleveland Browns two weeks ago, but that outstanding performance was an outlier when looking at his last four weeks. Sure, the Patriots have won each of their last five contests, but the rookie has left a lot to be desired with his play over the course of the winning streak. With that in mind, the 23-year-old has done enough to prove that he can be trusted under center, even from a fantasy perspective. Now, Jones gets to face a Titans defense that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year.
Jones might not have the biggest arm in the world, but he’s an extremely accurate passer and processes the game at a very high level. Against a Titans secondary that can occasionally look extremely unorganized, it wouldn’t be too shocking if he picks them apart. That might not mean that Jones will throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns, but don’t be shocked if he has 250 yards and two scores here. And if that does happen, you might be happy to have Meyers along for the ride. The wideout is 21st in the league in target share at 23.7 percent and consistently creates separation for himself.
San Francisco 49ers (vs. Minnesota Vikings)
- QB – Jimmy Garoppolo (DraftKings: $5,700 / FanDuel: $6,500 / Yahoo: $25)
- WR – Brandon Aiyuk (DraftKings: $5,300 / FanDuel: $6,300 / Yahoo: $17)
A lot of people want to run Garoppolo out of San Francisco, as the 49ers drafted Trey Lance to be their quarterback of the future. Lance seems to have all the talent in the world, but head coach Kyle Shanahan appears hellbent on keeping him on the sidelines until next season. That means that this is Garoppolo’s show for the remainder of the year, and the 30-year-old is actually playing well coming into this game.
Garoppolo comes into this one after having thrown for at least two touchdowns in each of the last three weeks, and he also rushed for two scores four weeks ago. That means that Garoppolo has totaled eight scores over the last four weeks, and the 49ers are 3-1 in that time. With him in full command of this offense, it’s time that people start to trust him as a fantasy option.
This week, Garoppolo gets a very beatable Minnesota defense and sharp bettors are backing San Francisco in a game with a pretty high point total. That means that it can be expected that this 49ers offense will once again move the ball efficiently in the passing game, and Aiyuk is an intriguing option to use with him. The 23-year-old was in Shanahan’s doghouse to start the year, but he had seven catches for 85 yards and a touchdown last game. That performance came two weeks after he had six catches for 89 yards and a score. Don’t be surprised if Aiyuk turns in that type of outing again.
