Stacking is an integral part of best ball tournaments. The correlation between teammates, namely a quarterback and their skill-position teammates, drives upside. Stacking in sit-n-go contests is unnecessary, but it is still fine. However, the most significant payouts are top-heavy for postseason finishes in tournaments.
The postseason in best ball tournaments essentially turns into DFS tournaments. While it’s not a topic for this piece, the DFS-style postseason is why so many pundits are analyzing Week 17 correlation. Much like having a quarterback and two of his pass-catchers combining for multiple touchdowns can help a team win a DFS tournament, it can shoot a team to the top of a best ball tournament. And, of course, a massive season from a quarterback and one or more of their pass-catchers can benefit teams that have both throughout the entire season.
So, gamers should aim to build stacks in best ball tournaments. However, gamers shouldn’t force them. If a gamer is entering only one best ball lineup, they can take some liberties to reach slightly ahead of the average draft position (ADP) to secure their highest-ranked players and complete their favorite stacks. Yet, gamers entering multiple lineups should allow their draft spot to organically dictate their stacks so they don’t forego too much value by reaching for players markedly earlier than their ADPs. Furthermore, using draft position can help gamers diversify their portfolio of player exposures without overthinking it. This piece will look at stacking options and suggest stack building based on the draft slot.
Stacking is an integral part of best ball tournaments. The correlation between teammates, namely a quarterback and their skill-position teammates, drives upside. Stacking in sit-n-go contests is unnecessary, but it is still fine. However, the most significant payouts are top-heavy for postseason finishes in tournaments.
The postseason in best ball tournaments essentially turns into DFS tournaments. While it’s not a topic for this piece, the DFS-style postseason is why so many pundits are analyzing Week 17 correlation. Much like having a quarterback and two of his pass-catchers combining for multiple touchdowns can help a team win a DFS tournament, it can shoot a team to the top of a best ball tournament. And, of course, a massive season from a quarterback and one or more of their pass-catchers can benefit teams that have both throughout the entire season.
So, gamers should aim to build stacks in best ball tournaments. However, gamers shouldn’t force them. If a gamer is entering only one best ball lineup, they can take some liberties to reach slightly ahead of the average draft position (ADP) to secure their highest-ranked players and complete their favorite stacks. Yet, gamers entering multiple lineups should allow their draft spot to organically dictate their stacks so they don’t forego too much value by reaching for players markedly earlier than their ADPs. Furthermore, using draft position can help gamers diversify their portfolio of player exposures without overthinking it. This piece will look at stacking options and suggest stack building based on the draft slot.
NFL Best Ball Stacks to Target by Draft Position
Allowing First-Round Pick Position to Naturally Stack
Obviously, gamers can’t pick their draft slot. They can plan ahead once the draft positions are assigned, though. The following table shows some double stacks gamers can build based on their first-round draft slot and the current ADPs at Underdog Fantasy.
I'm not equally enamored with all of the suggested stacks by first-round ADP. However, since I'll likely draft over 100 best ball teams, each highlighted stack will merit consideration after I get a foundation of my favorite players in my portfolio.
For instance, Tyreek Hill isn't my fourth-ranked player. But after drafting many teams, mixing him in from at or after his ADP as part of a double-stack with Tua Tagovailoa and either Devon Achane or Braxton Berrios is appealing. As the Achane and Berrios example illustrates, readers should interpret two players in the same cell on the table as an either-or proposition. Occasionally, stacking more than two players with their quarterback isn't overkill, but doing so often has a diminishing return.
The pictured stacks largely stayed true to ADP, with only a few players suggested for draft slots slightly after their ADP. For example, Jordan Addison and Tyler Boyd have ADPs of 71.1 and 117.5 but are recommended as options at picks 72 and 119, respectively. Obviously, they won't always be available beyond their ADPs, but those are the most exciting times to select them. In addition, Irv Smith is an option as part of a Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase double stack if Boyd is off the board by pick 119.
One exception to the suggestions beyond ADP was Justin Herbert. Gamers don't have to feel compelled to select a first-round running back's quarterback and a teammate to complete a three-person stack. The running backs are excellent non-stack targets. So, picking Herbert at 35 or 38 is a reach of more than a round to stack him with Ekeler. Furthermore, building a double stack with Austin Ekeler, Herbert and either Mike Williams or Keenan Allen by using picks 11, 35 and 38 requires reaching on Herbert and either receiver. It's not outrageous to reach for that stack a few times, but doing so regularly eschews ADP value for forced stacking, which is not a good habit. Thus, picking Ekeler, scooping up Herbert when he's a value at pick 59, and completing the double stack with Gerald Everett after the top 150 picks is the ideal way to stack Ekeler and Herbert.
Top Stacks Built After the First Round
The first round isn't everything in best ball leagues. Gamers can choose their highest-ranked player as a one-off option and build stacks elsewhere in the draft. The following table illustrates some of my favorite double stacks made without a first-round stacking partner.
Just because the person who drafted Travis Kelce or Stefon Diggs in the first round wants to stack Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen with them doesn't mean others are obligated to allow it. Mahomes and Allen have sky-high scoring ceilings in elite offenses. Moreover, they have affordable or downright bargain stacking options in unsettled pass-catching groups. So, Mahomes and Allen headline high-octane double stacks, even without their primary passing-game weapon.
Herbert makes another appearance in this piece. Instead of forcing a stack with Ekeler, I prefer stacking Herbert with Williams or Allen and Everett closer to their ADPs. Jacksonville's offense flashed potential last year. Now, they're a popular breakout offense in 2023. So, it's exciting to start a stack with Christian Kirk before nabbing ascending third-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence and either Evan Engram or Zay Jones to complete the double stack.
The Seahawks are the other high-profile stack on the table. Geno Smith had a surprising breakout last year, and D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett feasted. The Seahawks used the 20th pick in the NFL Draft on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but he's slightly overpriced relative to Lockett. And Metcalf and Lockett are the best bets to be on the field when the Seahawks use only two receivers.
The other featured double stacks are mainly self-explanatory. When drafting a top target earner such as Amon-Ra St. Brown, Christian Watson, Diontae Johnson or Darren Waller, why not select their affordable signal-caller and tack on another pass-catcher to enhance the squad's scoring ceiling? Finally, I'm skeptical Russell Wilson will rebound. Still, going from Nathaniel Hackett to Sean Payton is like upgrading from a unicycle to a Ferrari. And the Broncos play the Chargers in Week 17 and will probably be forced to hold serve with a high-scoring offense for those keeping track of that sort of thing.
Double stacks have been the focus of this piece to this point. However, sometimes a single stack will do the trick. The upcoming table has five intriguing single stacks.
Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson or, to a lesser extent, Curtis Samuel with Sam Howell is my favorite double stack on the table. Howell's upside lies in his legs, decreasing the likelihood he will support two high-end pass-catchers. But what if he locks onto one as a target hog and fends off Jacoby Brissett for the entire season? The scoring potential would be massive.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
