Stacking In Fantasy Football: Teams to Target for Season Long

Each year there are offenses that have 5-6 starters planted on several different teams around fantasy leagues. We think you should consider stacking those explosive offenses.

Credit: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

Why Does Stacking Matter in Season Long Fantasy Football?

In the past, fantasy football teams could have stacked Kansas City and had Mahomes, Kelce, C.E.H, Tyreek, Sammy Watkins, and even someone like Hardman (for someone needing a spark at the flex). These explosive teams are so important to buy in on because any given week they could grill up a 50-burger and everyone could eat. The Chiefs aren't the only team capable of this, but they sparked my interest in this topic.

We've seen these explosive outputs plenty of times, and while it's typically a Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) tactic, it's a great strategy to use in Season Long Fantasy Football as well.

With a nice blend of gunslingers, and teams loading up on offensive weapons I see a lot of potential for certain teams to try and run the score up. This truly starts with the QB most times. Alongside the QB, the targeted teams have to check off a couple boxes before actually stacking them.

1. They need 2-3 pass catchers you could start at WR1-3, TE or Flex (even streamable).

2. Possess a QB that is dual threat or has shown the capability to push the ball down field at an upbeat tempo. (The rotoviz pace tool is a great reference)

3. They must be competitive to avoid completely tanking but not necessarily having too much success to where you are playing without your studs in the Fantasy playoffs. (Could also be a good offense but a terrible defense).

4. The team should not rely heavily on the run (kills clock and minimizes offensive scoring drives. We need opportunities and pace).

5. Features a receiving RB with the ability to move the chains.

You don't want to overdo it, but if you can latch on to 2 or 3 of these starters and that team/those players start getting hot, there will be fewer variables to manage. With 9 starters from 9 different teams you will battle different weather scenarios, different matchups, different stadium vibes, and overall different paces of play. It is all a “case-by-case” scenario, but teams near the top of the scale that are not TOO successful are who I would venture into rostering in the 3 to 4 player range. I also wanted to note that I believe younger QB’s tend to target Tight Ends more frequently due to them being the security blanket, so that opens up the field and also adds value to your lineup (PPR predominantly) with what is likely a cheap stack.

Don't Bypass Studs Just to Stack

Of course there will be one-off players we need to target. They may be on teams devoid of talent so we don't want to load up them outside of guys like Allen Robinson, Darren Waller, or Saquon. Stacking is a strategy to help ensure continuity through weeks 1-13, and makes it easier to make moves in the long run. Given all that information, only stack if the price is right. We don’t need to draft Zeke round one and then go directly after Amari in late round 2 just because he looks like a steal at the time and your hyper focused on stacking. It's ok to grab Allen Robinson at a better value, stacking is a process that simply maximizes your ceiling if done correctly.

Teams to Stack in Season Long Fantasy Football

Below, I have listed teams that I believe you can reasonably stack in season long fantasy football. You might have to occasionally reach or have a little draft luck fall your way but there are actually plenty of affordable options available.

1. Dallas Cowboys - Dak, Zeke, CeeDee, Amari, Gallup, Jarwin (streamable)

2. Philadelphia Eagles - Hurts, Sanders, Devonta, Ertz/Goedert

3. Washington Redskins - Fitz [streamable], Gibson, Scary Terry, Samuel, Logan Thomas

4. Jacksonville Jaguars - Lawrence, Robinson/Etienne, Chark, Shenault, Marvin Jones

5. Arizona Cardinals - Kyler, Edmonds/Connor, D-Hop, AJ Green, Rondale Moore

6. Miami Dolphins - Tua, Gaskins, Gesicki, Fuller, Devante, Waddle

7. Baltimore Ravens - Lamar, Dobbins, Andrews, Hollywood, Watkins/Bateman

8. Los Angeles Chargers - Herbert, Ekeler, Keenan, Mike Williams

9. Los Angeles Rams - Stafford, Woods, Kupp, Higbee, Akers

10. Kansas City Chiefs - Mahomes, CEH, Tyreek, Kelce, Hardman

11. Carolina Panthers - Darnold, CMC, Robby Anderson, DJ Moore, Ian Thomas [deep stream]

12. DARK HORSE Cincinnati Bengals - Burrow, Mixon, Boyd, Chase, Higgins

Final Thoughts

These offenses have the potential to: put up points quickly, continue to move the chains, and feature multiple startable weapons dependent on predictive matchup pace. The real engine that runs this is acquiring the QB of the offense and building out through him similarly to real NFL. There are other variables we look at as Fantasy footballers but this rule still applies to us behind computer screens, “If the QB is legit, the whole offense be bussin’”