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.
Or you can just use our NFL DFS sims to effortlessly create advanced lineups.
Finally, make sure to check out all the projections available for purchase within the FantasyLabs Models. Subscribers now have the option to purchase Derek Carty’s THE BLITZ from our Marketplace.
You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projection:
Week 1 NFL DFS Stacks and Picks
Tyler Shough + Chris Olave + Juwan Johnson + Jahmyr Gibbs
- Tyler Shough ($5,600 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel)
- Chris Olave ($6,700 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel)
- Juwan Johnson ($3,700 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel)
- Jahmyr Gibbs ($8,000 DraftKings, $9,100 FanDuel)
Nothing screams “football is back” like an indoor game featuring two offenses set up for great seasons. The Detroit Lions host the New Orleans Saints in an NFC clash, with the Lions favored by a touchdown. This game environment has the second-highest total on the 12-game slate at 49.5 points.
Despite the Lions having a higher team total, the Saints offense is cheaper across the industry and more intriguing from a stacking perspective. It should be a concentrated offense due to injuries. The Lions also allowed 24.3 points per game last season, which ranked in the bottom third of the league.
Tyler Shough made the first start of his career in Week 9 last season, and from then on, he ranked second among quarterbacks with a 69% completion percentage. Shough finished the season strong, averaging 293 passing yards and 35.75 passing attempts per game while throwing five touchdowns over his last four games. The Saints played at the fastest pace in the league last season, averaging 27.1 seconds per play.
With Shough priced at $5,600 on DraftKings and likely facing a trailing game script, he is one of the best value quarterbacks on the slate. The Lions secondary will start the season without veterans Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, who are both currently on the PUP list. Their absences create a solid matchup for the Saints offense to start the season.
The Saints’ leading wide receiver, Chris Olave, established a strong rapport with Shough toward the end of last season. Over his last three games, Shough peppered Olave with a 33% target share, and Olave averaged eight receptions for 117.3 receiving yards per game with four touchdowns. He is Shough’s clear No. 1 option.
Two years ago, the Lions defense allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers at 35.4 points per game, and its secondary hasn’t improved. Not only is Rashid Shaheed gone, but first-round rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is out for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury. Expect a heavy target share for Olave in an up-tempo game environment that will feature a plethora of points.
Tight end Juwan Johnson had a monster year last season, posting career highs in receptions, yards, and targets. He also has touchdown regression coming his way in 2026. He had a respectable 18% target share and ranked second in all receiving categories for the Saints behind Olave. Priced at $3,700 on DraftKings, Johnson has the second-highest projected Plus/Minus at the tight end position, making him an elite value.
The obvious bring-back in this Saints stack is Lions’ superstar running back Jahmyr Gibbs. He will be popular, but deservedly so, given the situation. David Montgomery has departed for Houston, and Gibbs’ backup, Isiah Pacheco, is on IR. Normally, to start the year, teams resort to a running back by committee, but the Lions won’t have a choice. It will be Gibbs early and often, both on the ground and in the passing game.
Gibbs leads the slate by a wide margin with a 44.1% optimal lineup rate in our NFL Sims. The next-closest player doesn’t even reach 25%. Gibbs is going to be a staple in cash games and tournaments, and this is a unique way to get exposure to him without stacking another player from the Lions’ offense. He is simply the best play on the slate.
This game presents an opportunity to over-stack. The Shough stack with Olave and Johnson, paired with a Gibbs bring-back, is my favorite approach, but there are so many options in this potential shootout. Other than those four options, target Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and Travis Etienne Jr. Everyone is in play. Stack this game in several different ways and reap the benefits.
Lamar Jackson + Zay Flowers + Mark Andrews + Jonathan Taylor
- Lamar Jackson ($6,800 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel)
- Zay Flowers ($6,400 DraftKings, $7,300 FanDuel)
- Mark Andrews ($3,900 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel)
- Jonathan Taylor ($7,300 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel)
Another game with a high total is this AFC matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens. The Colts are hosting the Ravens, who are 4.5-point road favorites with an implied total of 26.5 points. The game has a 49.5-point total. Last season was a huge disappointment for the Ravens, who started 1-5 before their bye week. Their 8-9 record resulted in the firing of John Harbaugh and the hiring of Jesse Minter, who is also defensive-minded.
Lamar Jackson dealt with injuries last season and did not live up to the hype, throwing for 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He ran the ball a career-low 67 times. Expect Jackson to perform closer to his 2024 MVP runner-up form, when he had 45 touchdowns and ran for nearly 1,000 yards. Take a flier this week on a stud quarterback drawing around 5% ownership.
Despite playing only 13 games last season, Jackson ranked second in the league with 8.4 yards per attempt and third in aDOT at 9.3. He was not afraid to let it fly, even with his below-average receiving corps. The Ravens drafted two rookie wide receivers in rounds 3 and 4, hopefully giving him more weapons. The Colts have a mediocre defense, and the fast turf makes Jackson an elite option.
Zay Flowers enters this year after back-to-back seasons with 1,000+ receiving yards. He posted a career-high 86 receptions last season with 1,211 yards. His ceiling remains incredibly high as Jackson’s top receiving target. Flowers finished his 2025 campaign by averaging 21.5 DraftKings points per game over his final five games. He scored five of his six touchdowns during that span, including a rushing touchdown.
Flowers had a 30% target share last season, tying him for the seventh-highest mark in the league. It may take the rookie wide receivers some time to come up to speed, making Flowers a fantastic Week 1 play. He has a respectable 10.8% optimal lineup rate, the sixth-highest among wide receivers on this slate.
Veteran tight end Mark Andrews is Jackson’s security blanket. Even during the worst statistical season of his career last year, Andrews displayed upside with two games featuring two touchdowns. His yardage will be minimal, but he is +180 on DraftKings Sportsbook to score a touchdown, the fourth-highest odds in the game.
Another factor working in Andrews’ favor is the departure of tight end Isaiah Likely for New York. Even though Likely had only an 11% target share last year, Andrews should see more opportunities, especially in the red zone. The tight end position is flooded with value, but don’t forget about Andrews this week.
Jonathan Taylor and the Colts had an unbelievable start to the 2025 season before Daniel Jones was injured and the team petered out down the stretch. In their first 10 games before the bye week, the Colts were 8-2, and Taylor averaged 113.9 rushing yards per game with 17 total touchdowns. In half of those games, Taylor had three touchdowns! If he can replicate any of that production, he will find his way into the optimal lineup.
The Ravens rushing defense ranked second in EPA per rush last season, but Taylor is the Colts’ top option. If he struggles on the ground, the Colts will find a way to get their best playmaker the ball in space through the air. Taylor has a 17.9% optimal lineup rate this week, the third-highest among running backs.
The shootout potential is there for this matchup between the Ravens and Colts, but the minimal ownership makes this a great tournament stack. Week 1 is the best week to bet on the unknown. The Ravens’ revamped offense carries high-ceiling expectations, making this a bet worth taking on the 12-game slate.
Pictured: Lamar Jackson
Photo Credit: Imagn
