This piece will identify some of my favorite NFL DFS stacks of the weekend. Be sure to use our Stacking tool within our Player Models to find the highest projected stacks, the stacks that figure to be chalky, and more. Our Correlation Dashboard is also an excellent resource for finding hidden edges in stacking positions and games.
You can also plug these stacks into our Lineup Builder to hand-build the rest of it, or you can optimize it with our projections. And if you like to create multiple lineups, our Lineup Optimizer allows you to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups.
The Lineup Optimizer has endless customization opportunities.
Oh yeah! And our SimLabs Lineup Generator gives you the ability to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
You can check out our in-depth SimLabs guide here.
Week 1 NFL DFS Stacks and Picks
Trevor Lawrence + Brian Thomas Jr. + Tetairoa McMillan
- Trevor Lawrence ($5,300 DraftKings, $7,000 FanDuel)
- Brian Thomas Jr. ($6,800 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel)
- Tetairoa McMillan ($5,200 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel)
After a disappointing 2024 season that ended with a 4-13 record, the Jacksonville Jaguars made two significant changes. They brought in head coach Liam Coen and traded up for the #2 overall pick in the NFL Draft to select dual threat Travis Hunter. Last year, Coen orchestrated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense to the third-most yards while averaging 29.5 points per game. Meanwhile, Hunter won the Heisman Trophy at Colorado, dominating on both sides of the ball.
Two positive factors guiding quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a bounce-back season. Lawrence only played 10 games last season due to several injuries. When he did play, it was a rollercoaster, throwing for 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. What better way to start the 2025 season than a matchup against the worst defensive team in the league last year. They ranked dead last in EPA per play while allowing a league-high 31.4 points and 404.5 yards per game.
Priced at $5,300 on DraftKings, Lawrence has by far the highest projected Plus/Minus at the quarterback position on this 12-game slate. He is an elite cash-game option while still providing upside for a ceiling performance in tournaments. Lawrence also leads the position with the highest optimal lineup rate in Sim Labs. It is difficult to find a better quarterback on this Week 1 Main Slate.
The Jaguars landed an alpha wide receiver last year with Brian Thomas Jr. and may have landed another one with Hunter. Thomas Jr. led all rookies in receiving yards with 1,282, which also ranked third among all receivers in the league. He finished with double-digit touchdown receptions and a 25.5% target share.
Pairing Thomas Jr. with Lawrence will be a popular team stack, but it is difficult to steer away from the correlation. Similar to Lawrence, Thomas Jr. leads all wide receivers in highest optimal lineup rate. He should run wild against a weak Panthers secondary. He ranked fourth among receivers last season in yards after the catch. Prioritize Thomas Jr. and Lawrence in this elite matchup.
Travis Hunter will be a full-time wide receiver, but a wait-and-see approach may be the best route to take. Mix Hunter in when playing multiple stacks, but Panthers’ Tetairoa McMillan is the preferred rookie wide receiver in this game. McMillan was the 8th pick in the NFL Draft and is already looking to become Bryce Young‘s #1 target. The Panthers lost Jalen Coker to injury and traded away veteran Adam Thielen.
Not only are the Panthers an atrocious defensive team, but so are the Jaguars. They ranked second-to-last in EPA per play and allowed a league-worst 257.4 passing yards per game. Expect a big dose of McMillan targets, especially if the Panthers get behind and have a pass-heavy game script. McMillan ranks third in optimal lineup rate at the wide receiver position at his friendly price tag across the industry.
Lawrence + Thomas Jr. + McMillan is the best game stack of Week 1. Prioritize those three players in this matchup, but there are plenty of options to consider adding to this trio. Brenton Strange and Ja’Tavion Sanders are salary-savers at the tight end position worth considering. Strange has the second-highest optimal lineup rate at the tight end position, while Sanders has the third-highest projected ownership.
The Jaguars are 3.5-point home favorites, implied for 25.25 points against the Panthers, with this game total climbing to 47 points. These two teams may not be electric offensively, but we can expect some fireworks given how awful both teams were defensively last season.
Don’t forget to check out our SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
Joe Burrow + Ja’Marr Chase + Chase Brown + David Njoku
- Joe Burrow ($6,900 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel)
- Ja’Marr Chase ($8,100 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel)
- Chase Brown ($6,600 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel)
- David Njoku ($4,700 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel)
The biggest point of emphasis for the Bengals the entire offseason has been to start fast. In 2023 they started 1-3 and last year they had a record of 1-4. The Bengals were 4-8 before winning their last five games to miss the playoffs by one game. Hoping for a different story, the Bengals are 4.5-point road favorites against their division rival Cleveland Browns, implied for a slate-high 26.5 points.
Quarterback Joe Burrow is coming off a dominant 2024 campaign. Burrow led the league in passing yards with 4,918 and set career highs across the board in yards, touchdowns, completion percentage, and quarterback rating. After the slow start, Burrow averaged 27.7 DraftKings points per game from Week 9 until the end of the season. The Bengals will likely be a frequent team in this NFL stacks article.
Burrow’s #1 target, Ja’Marr Chase, carried the Bengals’ receiving corps in every major category. Tagging along with Burrow, Chase set career highs last season in receiving yards, targets, receptions, and touchdowns with 17. All four categories led the league by a comfortable margin.
Chase is arguably the best wide receiver in the game, at least in fantasy. He held a 27.9% target share and recorded an insane 24.6 DraftKings points per game. Ceiling games have become common for Chase, who had three games over 40 DraftKings points last year, including a career-best 58.4 points against the Ravens. He comes in second in optimal lineup rate despite being the most expensive receiver on the slate.
The Browns were above average defensively against the pass last season, but that did not stop Chase from scoring in each of their matchups. He is -140 in the DraftKings sportsbook to score a touchdown this week. Bengals running back Chase Brown leads the team with the best odds at -155 to hit paydirt.
Brown had a coming-out party in Week 4 last year against the Panthers, rushing for 80 yards and two touchdowns. He proceeded to score nine more touchdowns after that breakout game and solidify the top running back role in the high-scoring Bengals offense. Priced under $7,000 across the industry, it is a steal. He looks even better on this slate now with Christian McCaffrey popping up on the injury report.
Tee Higgins is the other consideration for the Bengals. He scored 10 touchdowns in 12 games last season and is the best candidate when deploying a Bengals onslaught to pair with Burrow, Chase, and Brown.
The Browns are going to be one of the most interesting offenses in the league. They will start veteran Joe Flacco until one of their rookies is ready to take the job. With Flacco at the helm, they should be able to move the ball well, especially against a Bengals defense that allowed 25.5 points per game last season.
Tight end David Njoku is the preferred bring-back target for the Browns. He is the only tight end on the slate with a double-digit optimal lineup rate at 13.3%. Njoku ended the season with three-straight games of double-digit targets while catching eight receptions per game and scoring three touchdowns. If he can pick up where he left off, Njoku is an elite value play in all formats.
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Pictured: Chase, Burrow, Higgins
Photo Credit: Imagn
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