RADIO
The only negative about the late December holiday season is that it means the end of the NFL regular season. Don't get me wrong, the playoffs are great. But there's just no replacing a full NFL Sunday slate. This Sunday is the last chance to enjoy it for nine months, so make it count!
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 17, loosely sorted by salary.
High-Priced Week 17 DFS Stacks
New England QB Tom Brady and TE Rob Gronkowski vs. New York Jets
With a handful of teams across the NFL resting starters in Week 17, Brady and Gronkowski stand out as old reliables. The Patriots are playing for the AFC's No. 1 seed, and they'll need to defeat the Jets to clinch it.
Expect Brady and Gronkowski to play the entire game, or at least long enough to put up solid fantasy numbers. Brady threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns -- both to Gronkowski -- in the first meeting with New York this season. More of the same should be in store Sunday afternoon.
Los Angeles Chargers QB Philip Rivers and WR Keenan Allen vs. Oakland
Allen has cooled off a bit since a wildly-productive three-game stretch over Weeks 11-13, but he's still Rivers' top target. The Chargers can clinch the AFC's No. 6 seed with a win, Batimore Ravens win, and Tennessee Titans loss, so they won't be resting any players against the Raiders.
Oakland's pass defense ranks 21st in the NFL and is tied with Atlanta with a league-low five interceptions. Rivers has just two touchdowns against four interceptions in his last two games, but that trend should reverse against Oakland.
Carolina QB Cam Newton and TE Greg Olsen at Atlanta
The Panthers enter Week 17 with the widest range in outcomes of all postseason contenders. Carolina, currently situated as the No. 5 seed, can finish anywhere from No. 2 to No. 5, depending on the outcomes of other games.
With that in mind, the Panthers have plenty to play for against the division-rival Falcons. Newton is always a threat with his legs (he rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown in his last meeting with Atlanta), but Olsen should remain a favorite target through the air. Running back Christian McCaffrey is also a solid stack option here.
Moderately-Priced Week 17 DFS Stacks
Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston and WR Mike Evans vs. New Orleans
Last Sunday's performance was a perfect snapshot of Winston's inconsistency. On one hand, he threw for 367 yards and a touchdown. On the other hand, he fumbled three times, losing all of them.
Winston's ups and downs reflect the Buccaneers' disappointing 2017 season, but his upside still makes him an intriguing play. Evans' numbers are down this season, but he's seen eight targets in each of the last two games. Expect Winston to lean heavily on Evans, who needs 54 yards to reach 1,000 for the fourth-straight season.
San Francisco QB Jimmy Garoppolo and WR Marquise Goodwin at Los Angeles Rams
Garoppolo's 2018 fantasy stock is soaring these days. The former Patriots backup has averaged 312.5 passing yards, along with five total touchdowns, over his four starts with the 49ers (all wins, by the way).
There's little evidence to suggest he'll cool off against a Rams team that plans to rest most of its key players Sunday. Goodwin's production has spiked in conjunction with Garoppolo's performance, so look for the speedster to top 90 yards for the fourth time in his last five outings.
Detroit QB Matthew Stafford and WR Golden Tate vs. Green Bay
The Lions were eliminated from the playoff hunt last week, so there's nothing to play for except pride in the regular-season finale. But that pride should carry considerable weight against the bitter-rival Packers.
Stafford is a bit risky, since the Lions have little incentive to play him for the full game. Assuming he does play the full game, he should be able to exploit the Packers' 22nd-ranked pass defense. Tate needs 101 yards to reach 1,000 for the third time, so the Lions should feed him targets.
Bargain-Priced Week 17 DFS Stacks
Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes and WR De'Anthony Thomas at Denver
The No. 10 overall pick in this past April's draft will finally make his debut for the Chiefs in their meaningless regular-season finale against the Broncos. Kansas City is already locked into the AFC's No. 4 seed, so Mahomes gets a chance to audition for the starting job next season.
Don't expect to see much of Tyreek Hill or Travis Kelce, if they play at all. That leaves players like Thomas, Albert Wilson, and Demarcus Robinson to vie for targets. We'll roll with Thomas, who is capable of catching a lengthy touchdown.
Los Angeles Rams QB Sean Mannion and WR Tavon Austin vs. San Francisco
Hey, would you look at that: another young quarterback making his first career start. Much like the Chiefs, the Rams are already assured of the No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the NFC, so they're opting to rest key players Sunday.
Mannion will get the first start of his three-year NFL career, and it comes against the 49ers' generous 24th-ranked pass defense. Robert Woods, Sammy Watkins, and Cooper Kupp should give way to Austin, Pharoh Cooper, and Josh Reynolds. Any of those three make for a cheap roll of the dice.
