Best-Value Stacks to Target in Best Ball

by Christopher Buonagura · Best Ball Plays & Strategy

QB-WR stacking is a proven winning strategy in Best Ball leagues. Shootouts lead to monster fantasy weeks and in Best Ball, we’re aiming for the highest possible ceiling. It is easy to stack a top 6 quarterback with their primary receivers, but this article will focus on stacks that can be found in the later rounds of drafts. The formula for a good stack is as follows: a high-upside late-round quarterback + his high-upside weapons at value + a productive offense with shootout potential. PlayerProfiler’s advanced stats and metrics are useful when identifying high-upside value plays in this thought experiment

Alpha Wide Receivers and Their Late-Round QB3

The easiest and most obvious stacks to target include value alpha receivers and their forgotten quarterbacks. Players drafted at QB 20-32 should not be relied on as our QB1, but they can offer some high-upside boom weeks when stacked with talented alphas.

QB-WR Stacks by FantasyPros Best Ball ADP

There are many good receivers in Rounds 3-6 that, when drafted, should be stacked with their quarterback for even more upside.

Cam Newton – James White – N’Keal Harry

This is my favorite value stack for 2020. Cam Newton is the only Konami Code QB being drafted at value (FFPC ADP: 124.02, QB16). Newton is a stud with clear top-10 fantasy QB upside. His five career finishes in the top 5 speak for themselves. The Patriots will push for the playoffs and they will have to play offense to win games in 2020. This offseason was brutal to the defense when adding up all the losses to free agency and COVID opt-outs. Josh McDaniels and the offensive line both offer plenty of talent to facilitate a high-octane offense.

Check out Cam Newton’s 2020 Projection on PlayerProfiler’s “World Famous” Draft Kit:

N’Keal Harry is someone I have discussed in many articles this offseason. Check out those other pieces for a deeper dive into his 1,000-yard upside at a great cost (FFPC ADP: 170, WR60). Finish off the stack with James White, the perennial RB2 drafted at value, and we have a stack with a strong weekly floor and a dominant ceiling.

Matthew Stafford – Marvin Jones – T.J. Hockenson

This stack presents a lower floor, but the highest ceiling among value stacks. Matthew Stafford (FFPC ADP: 105.86, QB12) is an upper-tier gunslinger in the NFL. His 2019 metrics show a stud with a 107.9 (No. 6 among qualified quarterbacks) True Passer Rating, a +19.0 (No. 6) Production Premium, and 0.51 (No. 5) Fantasy Points per Dropback. Marvin Jones continues to produce at a similar rate to Kenny Golladay with a much lower cost.

T.J. Hockenson is a premier breakout tight end to target at value in 2020. His player profile suggests a stud with early first round draft capital and, with an 11.20 (88th-percentile) Agility Score at 6-5 and 251-pounds, elite size-adjusted athleticism. He was productive when healthy last season.

This stack will produce some monster fantasy numbers this season. Swapping Jones for Golladay also presents monster upside, but at less value. Adding D’Andre Swift to this stack is also acceptable.

Teddy Bridgewater – D.J. Moore – Curtis Samuel

The Carolina Panthers will be fantasy-friendly in 2020, playing in the NFC South and lacking any elite defensive playmakers. Teddy Bridgewater proved his efficiency in New Orleans last year with a 101.8 (No. 9) True Passer Rating, a 76.4-percent (No. 4) True Completion Percentage, and a 7.8 (No. 2) Accuracy Rating. He is surrounded by elite weapons and Joe Brady proved his ability to call plays last season at LSU. Bridgewater is an extreme QB2 value, with an FFPC ADP of 149.62 (QB25).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq-uFgyR_eA

Drafting any number of Carolina’s skill position players is a winning strategy this year. If drafting at 1.01, we can have the entire offense and that is a win. D.J. Moore is a stud with top 5 wide receiver upside and he is a value in the third round. Curtis Samuel proved his talent in 2019 by leading the league in Air Yards but suffering from a 62.6-percent (No. 105) Catchable Target Rate. I am fading Robby Anderson because he is overpriced with a similar ADP to Samuel but a much lower floor. Ian Thomas has red zone upside and can be added to this stack as our TE3. This stack presents a strong weekly floor with mega-upside when the shootouts come, and they will.

Honorary Mentions

Ryan Tannehill – Jonnu Smith – Adam Humphries is a high floor stack that can be obtained at value. The Tannehill and Smith stack will have boom weeks, and adding Humphries with the final pick of the draft will solidify the floor.

Daniel Jones – Darius Slayton is a high-risk, high-reward stack that will provide many boom weeks coupled with many bust weeks. This stack has a higher cost than the others, but can still return good value at its price.

The Tom Brady – Rob Gronkowski stack has been winning fantasy championships for a decade. It needs no further explanation.

Conclusion

Stacking in Best Ball is a path to a high ceiling and a league victory. Stacks should be acquired at value. Late-round quarterbacks and their secondary weapons present high-upside stacks, whereas players such as Matt Ryan and Carson Wentz are hard to stack due to the cost of their weapons. Cam Newton, Teddy Bridgewater, Matthew Stafford, and their go-to targets are all viable stacks that can be obtained at value.