Best ball season for fantasy football is in full swing, with Underdog Fantasy’s Best Ball Mania IV and The Puppy adding new lineups every day, so have fantasy football rankings ready now and some fantasy football sleepers in mind. But with so many people playing best ball, what can you do to make your lineups stand out and what should you know about stacking? How does it benefit you to pair Patrick Mahomes with Travis Kelce? Building a stack allows you to essentially double-dip in fantasy points and maximize your points from week-to-week. When Mahomes throws a touchdown pass to Kelce, you get double the fantasy points, so you want to make sure you have at least one super stack or, at the very least, a few smaller stacks on your roster.

 

Stacking your lineups has always been important in best ball, but as the popularity of best ball has grown, the casual player has become more savvy, making it much more difficult to complete your stack. In order to get the stack you want, you have to go in with a specific plan. Part of that plan is deciding who you want to stack based on your draft spot and how early you want to complete the stack. Do you want to spend a first and second round pick like Mahomes and Kelce or do you want to space it out and hope you can stack an elite quarterback with some of their receivers who are going a little later like Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith? There are possibilities across the board for stacking depending on how elite you want your options to be, but just like everything, you may have to adjust your strategy if the board doesn’t fall your way.

 

*ADPs are current on Underdog as of May 10, 2023. Don’t forget to sign up and use promo code FANTASYALARM for a 100% first-time deposit match up to $100.*

Top-Tier Stacks

Patrick Mahomes-Travis Kelce

Josh Allen-Stefon Diggs

Jalen Hurts-A.J. Brown

With these stacks, you will secure a top quarterback and his top pass-catcher, allowing you to go deep into the draft before you need to select a backup quarterback. These builds also typically make it easier to get a “super stack,” meaning you can take another pass catcher and build a super team in later rounds. However, these early stacks are also typically more difficult to get, as everyone is so bound by ADP that unless your draft order falls perfectly, your targets can be easily sniped. You’re also somewhat handcuffing yourself in the case of injury; if you lose an elite guy who you took in the top, your stack is crushed, and you’re now relying on lower tier players to fill out your roster.

These stacks are typically easier to complete if you’re in the middle of the pack, as it gives you more freedom to jump ADP and get your guys. For example, Travis Kelce is going at an ADP of 5.4, while Patrick Mahomes is going at an ADP of 18.9. If you manage to get Kelce, getting Mahomes in your lineup should be a lock. That said, if you don’t end up getting Mahomes, you’ll likely need to pivot to one of the next tiers of stacks, the high-upside stacks.

High-Upside Stacks

Kirk Cousins-Justin Jefferson-Jordan Addison/T.J. Hockenson

Joe Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase-Tee Higgins

Tua Tagovialoa-Tyreek Hill-Jaylen Waddle

You’ll still need a higher pick (likely in the top 2) to get the first part of these stacks, but if you manage to secure Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase, you still have the flexibility of filling out your roster before you reach for your quarterback. Sometimes, though, you may need to reach. For example, I completed a Puppy lineup from the 1.02 spot recently and was able to grab Chase at the 1.02, Huggins at the 2.11, and Burrow at the 3.2. The Burrow pick was a reach, as he was going at QB6, but with my next pick not coming up until the 4.11 and a quarterback run already happening, I was happy to take him there and complete my stack. If your board is filling out differently, it could be possible to get Burrow later, but beware. 

The Cousins/Jefferson stack is much more easy to complete with Cousins not going off the board until the 99.4 spot, so if you are lucky enough to have the 1.01, this is a stack I would definitely target. To ensure your chances of getting him, make sure to grab T.J. Hockenson or Addison along the way to shake him off other drafters’ radars. What’s better? Cousins finished as QB9 last season and is being drafted as QB14, so you can fill out your roster with other high upside picks early without having to worry about your quarterback until later. Even if you don’t get one of the top two receivers, there are plenty of mid-tier talents that can help you complete a skinny stack.

Turn Stacks

Lamar Jackson-Mark Andrews

Justin Fields-DJ Moore

Justin Herbert-Mike Williams-Keenan Allen

These are stacks you pretty much have to be on the turn or close to it to get at current Underdog ADPs. If you go into your first few rounds and are unable to complete a stack there, these are the ones you should be targeting. Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews have been one of the most consistent producers over the past few seasons (when healthy), but they are going back-to-back in ADP at 30.5 and 32.2, respectively. Unless you have a pick on the turn or very near the turn, this stack will be difficult to complete. 

Justin Fields and DJ Moore are another one of these “turn stacks” with Fields going at 35.6 and DJ Moore going at 40.7. If you aren’t able to get the second part of these stacks, don’t worry. Both of these quarterbacks have independent value on their own due to their rushing ability, so if you aren’t able to stack them, don’t panic.

Unlike the first two on the “Turn Stacks” list, however, the ADPs are also incredibly close between Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, and Justin Herbert, and you won’t have independent value with Herbert “naked.” You’ll need to make sure to get at least one of the two receivers on the turn to pair with Herbert to get the most value out of him. If you’re unable to grab your target, turn your attention to some of the mid-tier stacks.

Mid-Tier Stacks

Geno Smith-DK Metcalf-Tyler Lockett-Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Russell Wilson-Jerry Jeudy-Courtland Sutton

If you’re unable to complete your stacks, turn your attention to landing some of these Mid-Tier Stacks. Labeling them as Mid-Tier may be slightly charitable, but these quarterbacks are still going in the QB2 range, so that’s why they’re included here. If you already have elite talent acquired in the first few rounds, these stacks could provide high upside during specific weeks. Geno Smith is currently going off the board as QB16 at an ADP of 109.7, despite finishing as the QB6 last year, so you’re getting HUGE value drafting him at this spot. While DK Metcalf is going a little higher at WR15/ADP 29.4, if you aren’t able to couple one of your other receivers with a quarterback, grab Lockett at WR32/ADP 68.3 or JSN at WR29/ADP 57.5 and set your sights on Geno.

These Mid-Tier stacks aren’t necessarily the sexiest, but they are the best way to zig when others zag and, in recent years, have proven to be a sneaky way to build a juggernaut of a lineup.

Back Door Stacks

Back door stacks are one of my favorite ways to get value on the board, as they are low risk but potentially high reward. Weren’t able to pair Kelce with Mahomes? No worries, just grab Rashee Rice at WR60/ADP 134.5. If he turns into even a WR2, you’ve WELL exceeded value on this high-powered offense. This isn’t to say grab a wide receiver or player who is buried in the depth chart here, as that would just be a waste of a roster spot. Grab a player on a high powered offense who you think has a path to targets through either previous injuries of a starter or through ability to move up the depth chart due to talent. Quentin Johnston is another good example of this. If Mike Williams or Keenan Allen get hurt, Johnston has an immediate path to a starting role in an offense that passed the ball the second-most in the league last year. 

There are so many ways to build stacks in your best ball lineups. If you miss out on one of the top tiers, don’t be afraid to take a WR2 or TE to complete a skinny stack if your number one target isn’t there. The best advice I can give is have a plan based on your draft spot, be flexible, and have a backup plan in case the wild card shows up. Good luck drafting, and don’t forget to use promo code FANTASYALARM on Underdog for a 100% deposit match on your first deposit up to $100. 

 

Related NFL Links: