In addition to all our detailed fantasy football breakdowns here at Sharp Football Analysis, you can also do your own research using our NFL Stats and Visualized Data tools.
To help you out, each week we’ll use these tools to highlight a few potential DFS stacks and value plays you may want to target for the upcoming slate of games.
All references to DFS salaries and scoring will refer to DraftKings. All betting spreads and totals are from BetMGM.
DFS GAME STACK: LOS ANGELES RAMS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS
For the second week in a row, there aren’t any obvious game stack candidates. Not a single game carries a total over 50 points.
If you are looking for a game to stack, however, the matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings has the highest total (49.5 points) and has some stack potential due to the concentration of opportunities within each offense.
With the Vikings entering this game as three-point underdogs, pairing Kirk Cousins ($6,200) with Justin Jefferson ($8,100) is probably the way to go.
Among players with at least 75 targets, Jefferson ranks fifth in explosive play rate, with 16% of his targets producing 20 or more yards.
On the Rams’ side, Cooper Kupp ($9,100) is always in the mix, but rostering both Kupp and Jefferson on those salaries may be difficult. Fortunately, Sony Michel ($5,500) looks like a value with a lower salary than Darrell Henderson Jr. ($5,700).
Henderson returned from a two-game absence last week, but Michel still out-touched him 20-to-8. After the game, McVay praised Michel’s impact on the Rams’ offense in such a way we should probably be prepared for him to continue to see a significant role.
The Rams typically lean heavily on 11 personnel in the run game, but it’s been a perfect 50-50 split between 11 and 12 personnel over the last three weeks with Michel as the lead back. During that stretch, Michel is averaging 4.4 yards per carry in 12 personnel, according to Sports Info Solutions.
Rostering Michel and pairing him with Cousins and Jefferson could set you up with a nice stack based on a potential Rams victory with the Vikings playing from behind.
DFS VALUE: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES RUNNING BACK MILES SANDERS
Miles Sanders’s salary ($5,600) is higher than a typical “value” but his production in recent weeks outweighs the salary, and he’ll have another high ceiling against the New York Giants.
Partially due to a constant stream of injuries on the offensive line, Sanders ranked 17th in success rate in the run game at the time of his ankle injury in Week 7.
Since his return in Week 11, Sanders leads the league in the same metric and the Eagles run game has been among the most reliable in the game.
The Giants rank 24th in fantasy points per game allowed to running backs, giving Sanders a nice ceiling.
In the last meeting between these division rivals in Week 12, Sanders's ankle acted up, limiting him to just 10 touches while playing 33% of the Eagles’ snaps. However, he still gashed the Giants defense for 7.1 yards per carry.
DFS VALUE: JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS TIGHT END JAMES O'SHAUGHNESSY
In four games since Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Dan Arnold was played in the IR, James O’Shaughnessy has averaged 5.3 targets per game and draws a great matchup against a struggling New York Jets defense this week.
Over the last eight weeks, the Jets have allowed 9.2 yards per target to tight ends, the third-worst rate in the NFL.
It’s worth noting that tight end production isn’t padded by performances by the elite players at the position. Dallas Goedert (six receptions for 105 yards) and Mike Gesicki (10 total receptions in two games) are the most dangerous tight ends New York has faced in that eight-week span.
The Jets are also allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season (14.6).
Obviously, everyone on the Jaguars’ roster has a low ceiling, so limit exposure to O’Shaughnessy and treat him as a dart throw, but his recent usage and the Jets’ struggles suggest his ceiling outweighs his salary this week.