Welcome to the Week 13 edition of Bales’ Top Stacks. In this article, I will outline my favorite NFL stacking options for this week. I will not be including the Thursday, Sunday, or Monday night games. If you want all of my core plays along with our staff’s Final Thoughts article with access to our Discord, click here.
Tennessee Titans
Ryan Tannehill/Derrick Henry/A.J. Brown
Tannehill’s seen mixed results throughout the 2020 season. He’s thrown for 2,608 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions on 334 pass attempts through 11 games. He’s also added 152 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Tannehill’s been at his best at home, where he’s averaging 22.2 fantasy points per game this season. He’s posted his 3 best games of the season in Tennessee, as well, scoring 33.64, 30, and 26.76 fantasy points in those contests. Tannehill gets an interesting matchup against the Cleveland Browns this weekend. They’re allowing 246.7 passing yards per game in 2020. They’re also giving up 7.2 adjusted yards per attempt this season, allowing 22 passing touchdowns. The Tennessee Titans are currently 5.5 point favorites in a game set at 53.5 points, giving them one of the highest implied team totals on the slate at 29.5 points.
Henry is the workhorse back for Tennessee, playing 65% of the offensive snaps through 11 games. He boasts 1,257 yards and 12 touchdowns on 256 carries. He only owns 14 receptions for 93 yards on 26 targets, although Tennessee stated they need to game plan him into the passing game more. Henry leads the NFL in red zone carries (50), turning them into 144 yards and 10 touchdowns. Still, his passing game role in the red zone is virtually non-existent. Cleveland is allowing 108.2 rushing yards per game and 4.1 yards per carry in 2020. They’ve allowed 10 rushing touchdowns, as well. Cleveland’s success against the run isn’t nearly enough to move off of Henry in a Tennessee stack, though, as he’s arguably the best late-season running back in the NFL.
Brown’s played 65% of the offensive snaps this season, although his role’s been surprisingly small compared to what many were projecting. Through only 9 games, he’s recorded 40 receptions for 638 yards and 8 touchdowns on 65 targets. Brown’s turned 9 red zone targets into 6 receptions for 68 yards and 5 touchdowns this season. He’s seen 683 air yards with a 10.5 aDOT, accounting for 27% of Tennessee’s air yards, even in limited games. Brown’s quietly posted double-digit fantasy points in 7 of his 9 games, including 5 games with 20+ fantasy points and a 30.3 fantasy point performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Similar to Henry, he’s a clear must-start option in a Tennessee stack.
Chicago Bears
Mitchell Trubisky/David Montgomery/Allen Robinson
Trubisky’s struggled a bit through essentially four games, although he’s flashed at times. He’s thrown for 802 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions on 132 pass attempts. He also boasts 101 rushing yards this season. Trubisky’s scored 20+ fantasy points in 2 of his 4 starts, including his only start against the Detroit Lions, who he plays this week. The Lions are giving up 262.8 passing yards per game and 8.3 yards per attempt this season. They’ve also allowed 22 passing touchdowns through 11 games. The Chicago Bears are 3 point favorites in a game set at 45 points, and they feature an implied team total of 24 points this weekend.
Montgomery’s played 65% of Chicago’s offensive snaps this season. He’s posted 575 yards and 1 touchdown on 142 carries through 10 games. More importantly, he owns 35 receptions for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns on 47 targets this season. Montgomery’s also coming off of his best game of the season, scoring 28.3 fantasy points against the Green Bay Packers. Detroit’s allowing 133.4 rushing yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry this season. They’ve also given up a league-high 17 rushing touchdowns in 2020. Montgomery continues to play major snaps, and he comes with plenty of receiving upside for this stack.
Robinson’s been an elite option, playing 86% of Chicago’s offensive snaps this season. He’s recorded 71 receptions for 829 yards and 5 touchdowns on 108 targets through 11 games. In 4 games with Trubisky, Robinson’s averaging 19.3 fantasy points per game. He’s also coming off of one of his best games of the season, scoring 27.4 fantasy points against the Green Bay Packers. He boasts a 9.6 aDOT in 2020, recording 1,037 air yards. Overall, he’s accounted for 28.3% of Chicago’s air yards in 2020. Robinson is the clear-cut top receiving option for this stack, although Darnell Mooney is a cheap option with plenty of upside that can be considered for Chicago, as well.
Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert/Austin Ekeler/Keenan Allen
Herbert continues to dominate on a weekly basis for the Los Angeles Chargers. Through 10 games, he’s thrown for 3,015 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions on 402 pass attempts. He owns 185 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground, as well. Herbert’s scored 20+ fantasy points in each of his 10 games, including a 41.48 fantasy point performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He gets a plus matchup against the New England Patriots, who are only allowing 229.2 passing yards per game. With that being said, they’re giving up 7.6 adjusted yards per attempt, although they’ve only allowed 16 passing touchdowns in 2020. The Chargers are 1 point underdogs in a game set at 47 points. They own an implied team total of 23 points.
Ekeler’s dealt with injuries this season, playing only 21% of the offensive snaps for Los Angeles. He’s posted 292 yards and 1 touchdown on 63 carries, though. He’s added 28 receptions for 229 yards on 33 targets in less than 5 games, as well. Ekeler returned last week, playing major snaps, and see 16 targets. In 3 full games with Herbert at quarterback, Ekeler’s seen 31 targets, making him an elite stacking option. New England’s also allowing 123.3 rushing yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry this season. They’ve given up 11 rushing touchdowns, as well. Ekeler is a clear focal point of the Los Angeles offense, and he’s part of LA’s newly healthy “big three.”
Allen’s the other focal point of the offense, playing 87% of the offensive snaps this season. He’s posted 85 receptions for 875 yards and 7 touchdowns on 122 targets. He’s consistently one of the best fantasy options in the NFL, posting 20+ fantasy points in 4 of his last 6 games, including a 38.5 fantasy point performance against the New York Jets. Allen’s turned a team-high 12 red zone targets into 9 receptions for 100 yards and 6 touchdowns. He’s seen 891 air yards with a 7.3 aDOT, accounting for 26.7% of Los Angeles’ air yards. Although LA has other high upside options, Ekeler and Allen are the top targets for Herbert, and they make an elite stacking option, even in a less than ideal matchup.
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