Welcome to the Week 15 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 articles with access to our Discord, click here.
Tennessee Titans
Ryan Tannehill/Derrick Henry/A.J. Brown
Tannehill continues to find success for the Tennessee Titans this season. He’s thrown for 3,209 yards and 28 touchdowns with 5 interceptions on 403 pass attempts through 13 games. He owns 152 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, as well. Tannehill boasts a career-high 6.9% touchdown rate and a career-low 1.2% interception rate. He’s posted 25+ fantasy points in 4 of his 13 games, as well. Tannehill gets an elite matchup against the Detroit Lions this weekend. Detroit’s allowed 263.8 passing yards per game and 8.5 adjusted yards per attempt in 2020. They’ve also given up 26 passing touchdowns this season. The Titans are 11 point favorites in a game set at 51.5 points, giving them the highest implied team total on the slate at 31.3 points.
Henry’s the workhorse running back for Tennessee, playing 64% of the offensive snaps this season. He’s posted 1,532 yards and 14 touchdowns on 297 carries through 13 games. He’s also recorded 17 receptions for 109 yards on 29 targets. Henry has flashed a floor in 2020, but he’s posted 39.2 and 41.5 fantasy points in 2 of his last 3 games. He’s only seen 1 red zone target in 2020, although he leads the NFL in red zone carries (51), posting 145 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s also scored 7 touchdowns inside-the-5. Detroit features one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, allowing 132.8 rushing yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry this season. The Lions have also given up a league-high 21 rushing touchdowns in 13 games. Henry is arguably the best running back option on the slate, making him a must-start in a Tennessee stack.
Brown’s the top receiving option for the Titans, playing 68% of the offensive snaps through only 11 games. He’s recorded 51 receptions for 837 yards and 9 touchdowns on 81 targets. Brown hasn’t been the most consistent option in the NFL, but he’s recorded 27.2 and 25.8 fantasy points in 2 of his last 3 games. He’s turned 10 red zone targets into 7 receptions for 84 yards and 5 touchdowns this season. Brown owns 940 air yards with an 11.6 aDOT this season, accounting for 29.8% of Tennessee’s air yards. He’s the WR1 for Tennessee, although Corey Davis also comes with plenty of upside. Still, Brown is the preferred stack with Tannehill and Henry at this point.
Indianapolis Colts
Philip Rivers/Jonathan Taylor/T.Y. Hilton
Rivers struggled early in the season but has been playing at a high level in recent weeks. Through 13 games, he’s thrown for 3,507 yards and 20 touchdowns with 9 interceptions. He isn’t a threat to add anything with his legs, though. Rivers is averaging 19.5 fantasy points per game over his last 5 games while flashing 30 fantasy point upside this season. He gets a matchup against the Houston Texans, who are giving up 254.3 passing yards per game and a league-high 8.7 adjusted yards per attempt. They’ve also allowed 25 passing touchdowns this season. The Indianapolis Colts are 7.5 point favorites in a game set at 51 points, and they boast an implied team total of 29.3 points this weekend.
Taylor’s only played 42% of Indianapolis’ offensive snaps this season. He’s posted 759 yards and 6 touchdowns on 168 carries through 12 games. He’s also added 31 receptions for 286 yards and 1 touchdown on 32 targets. Taylor’s been heating up recently, though, scoring 33.5 and 22.5 fantasy points over his last 2 games. He isn’t a major receiving threat in the red zone, but he does own 74 yards and 5 touchdowns on a team-high 33 red zone carries. Houston’s struggled against the run, as well, allowing 152.3 rushing yards per game and 5.0 yards per carry. They’ve given up 17 rushing touchdowns through 13 games, as well. Taylor certainly comes with risk, but he’s a rookie that’s getting better, flashing elite upside last week.
Hilton’s only played 62% of the offensive snaps for the Colts this season. Through 12 games, he owns 46 receptions for 604 yards and 4 touchdowns on 73 targets. He caught fire recently, though, averaging 23.9 fantasy points per game over the last 3 weeks. Hilton’s only seen 8 red zone targets this season, posting 5 receptions for 39 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s recorded 876 air yards with an outstanding 12 aDOT. He’s accounted for 26.9% of Indianapolis’ air yards, making a high upside option to pair with Rivers in an elite matchup.
Washington Football Team
Alex Smith/J.D. McKissic/Terry McLaurin
Smith is questionable to start for the Washington Football Team this weekend. He’s recorded 1,420 yards and 4 touchdowns with 6 interceptions on 220 pass attempts this season. He’s struggled to find the end zone, but he boasts 20+ fantasy point upside for a low price tag. Smith gets an elite matchup against the Seattle Seahawks this week. They’re allowing a league-high 294.8 passing yards per game to go along with 7.3 adjusted yards per attempt. Seattle’s given up 21 passing touchdowns, as well. Washington is currently a 5.5 point underdog in a game set at 44.5 points, and they own an implied team total of 19.5 points.
McKissic has split time at wide receiver and running back, playing 56% of the offensive snaps in 2020. He played 65% of the offensive snaps with Antonio Gibson out last week, though. McKissic’s recorded 299 yards and a touchdown on 66 carries in 2020. He also owns 58 receptions for 426 yards on 82 targets this season. He’s posted 10+ fantasy points in 8 of his last 10 games. McKissic’s only seen 4 red zone targets, turning them into 4 receptions for 21 yards. He also owns 23 yards and 1 touchdown on 12 red zone carries. Seattle’s performed well against running back, holding them to 95.5 rushing yards per game and 3.9 yards per carry. With that being said, they’ve allowed 16 rushing touchdowns in 2020. McKissic’s value depends heavily on the status of Smith and Gibson, and he’ll make a great option once again if the former is starting and the latter is out.
McLaurin’s been a great option, playing 93% of the offensive snaps for Washington this season. He’s posted 73 receptions for 1,001 yards and 3 touchdowns on 114 targets with inconsistent quarterback play. He’s struggled the last two weeks, although he boasts elite upside for a surprisingly low price tag, as well. McLaurin’s struggled in the red zone, posting 4 receptions for 21 yards on 10 targets. He’s seen 1,129 air yards with a 9.9 aDOT, though, accounting for 42.4% of Washington’s air yards. He’s a player that could go a bit overlooked because of his recent struggles, but he comes with elite upside in this matchup. This stack relies on Smith drawing the start and Gibson sitting out, though.
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