Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, which means we all receive the rarest of treats -- an NFL football Saturday. Two games will still be played on Christmas, along with the standard Thursday and Monday night games. But the remaining 12 games? We get to binge watch them on Saturday, and then spend Sunday opening presents. Oh, it's the most wonderful time of the year, that's for sure.
The goal of this weekly column is to help find the most profitable DFS stacks, while avoiding the duds. Stacking, or pairing multiple players from the same NFL team, is an ideal way to maximize your point production, which is crucial in larger GPP (guaranteed prize pool) tournaments. Let's take a look at some of the top DFS stacks for Week 16, loosely sorted by salary.
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High Priced Week 16 DFS Stacks
New England QB Tom Brady and WR Julian Edelman vs. New York Jets
It's late December and -- surprise! -- the Patriots are in position to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The only obstacle in their way? The lowly Jets, a team Brady happens to be 22-7 against in his career.
Don't forget that Brady is also coming off his quietest outing of the season against a stingy Denver defense (188 yards, no touchdowns), so a bounce-back performance is more than likely. Edelman has been Brady's preferred target of late, and that shouldn't change. Start these two with confidence against a Jets defense that's allowing 252 passing yards per game (21st in the NFL).
Indianapolis QB Andrew Luck and WR T.Y. Hilton at Oakland
It's largely flown under the radar due to the Colts' struggles this season, but Luck and Hilton have both put together solid fantasy seasons. Hilton, in particular, has been great, and he enters Week 16 as the NFL's second-leading receiver, trailing only Julio Jones.
Oakland's pass defense isn't as dreadful as it was in the early weeks of the season, but it's still beatable. Luck hasn't topped 300 yards since Week 7, but he has thrown at least two touchdowns in each of his last four games. There's a strong chance Luck and Hilton combine for a big day on Christmas Eve.
New Orleans QB Drew Brees and WR Michael Thomas vs. Tampa Bay
OK, now that's more like it. After consecutive weeks with zero touchdowns and three interceptions, Brees bounced back in a major way in Week 15 against Arizona, passing for 389 yards and four touchdowns. Brandin Cooks caught two of those touchdowns, and will remain a popular stacking option this week.
Thomas, however, could be a nice pivot play instead of Cooks. The dynamic rookie missed Week 14's matchup against Tampa Bay, when New Orleans failed to score a touchdown. Thomas has three touchdowns in his last three games, so he's a high-upside play.
Moderately Priced Week 16 DFS Stacks
Carolina QB Cam Newton and TE Greg Olsen vs. Atlanta
Olsen needs just eight more receiving yards to become the first tight end in NFL history to record three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. That will be a pretty remarkable accomplishment considering some of the all-time greats that have played the position.
Olsen is nursing an elbow injury, so be sure to verify his status before deploying him in your lineup. Assuming he plays, Olsen stands out as the top stacking option to pair with Newton against Atlanta's below-average pass defense. The Falcons are allowing 267 yards through the air per game, which ranks 30th in the NFL.
Seattle QB Russell Wilson and WR Doug Baldwin vs. Arizona
The Seahawks failed to score a touchdown in their previous meeting with the Cardinals back in Week 7. That defensive struggled infamously ended in a 6-6 tie, but as we've seen all season, Seattle is a different team in CenturyLink Field than on the road.
Baldwin tallied his first receiving touchdown since Week 10 in last Thursday's win against Los Angeles, and he could find the end zone again this Saturday against a defense that was just shredded by Brees. Seattle needs a win to stay on track for the NFC's No. 2 seed, and to do that Wilson and Baldwin will have to produce.
Denver QB Trevor Siemian and WR Emmanuel Sanders at Kansas City
You've got to feel for Siemian. He's produced more than Brock Osweiler and Peyton Manning did last season, yet the Broncos find themselves in the outside looking in for the postseason. Siemian's most impressive performance of the season came in Week 12 against the Chiefs, when he passed for 368 yards and three touchdowns.
Denver is going to need a similar outing from him Christmas night to keep its playoff hopes alive. Both Sanders and Demaryius Thomas are viable stack options, but Sanders offers the higher upside given his strong performance in the previous meeting with Kansas City (162 yards, touchdown).
Bargain Week 16 DFS Stacks
Tennessee QB Marcus Mariota and TE Delanie Walker at Jacksonville
Mariota has now gone two straight weeks without a touchdown pass. What are the chances the lowly Jaguars, who just fired head coach Gus Bradley, can keep that streak going? Low, in our estimation.
In his previous meeting with Jacksonville, Mariota passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns. A similar performance should be in store, and if that's the case, expect Walker to be a main beneficiary.
Jacksonville QB Blake Bortles and WR Allen Robinson vs. Tennessee
Hey, why not? It's been an absolutely dreadful season for both Bortles and Robinson, two young players that entered the season with high fantasy expectations. There is significant risk with this stack, but it will come cheap.
The hope is that interim coach Doug Marrone sparks something in this talented but underachieving group. And if that fails, well ... there's always garbage time. A Bortles-to-Robinson touchdown in the final seconds of a blowout counts all the same for DFS purposes!