Week 10 of the 2021 NFL season is here and NFL DFS is continuing to roll on. Daily fantasy football players now have half a season's worth of data with which to work and create DraftKings and FanDuel lineups, so it's becoming easier to spot trends, quality matchups, and sleepers on each DFS slate. This week's slate is an intriguing one, as there are many stacking opportunities that should help NFL DFS aficionados make successful tournament and cash game lineups.
Most weeks, the most appealing stacks are quarterback/wide receiver stacks. However, Week 10 has a lot of quality running back options on the slate, so matching them with top defenses may be the way to go. A lot of the league's best RBs are playing bad run defenses, so there are numerous ways to approach that position.
WEEK 10 DFS: Best values | Lineup Builder
It's also worth noting that some of the most expensive — and best — quarterbacks on the slate are in chalky matchups. As such, fading some of the higher-owned players at that position could pay dividends if, say, the Bills offense and Josh Allen struggle again or the Colts go run-heavy against the Jaguars and don't need as much out of Carson Wentz. So, don't be afraid to spend up at RB and down at QB. If ever there was a week to do it, this is the one.
DraftKings pricing continues to be more variable than that of FanDuel which makes it easier to create stacks. That said, stacking is still a viable strategy on FanDuel. It's just important to find worthwhile sleepers in the lower price range to balance your lineup.
Below are some of our favorite sets of teammates for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups this week. Be sure to follow our Twitter account @SN_Fantasy to see all of our DFS content heading into kickoff every week.
WEEK 10 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
Week 10 NFL DFS Picks: Top cash game stacks for DraftKings, FanDuel
QB Dak Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb, & WR Michael Gallup, Cowboys vs. Falcons (DK/FD stack)
The Cowboys were just embarrassed by the Broncos at home. They're not going to let that happen twice in a row. They weren't able to score until garbage time in the fourth quarter against Denver, but he still put up a respectable 19.9 DK points. He should have a chance to do better against a lackluster Atlanta defense.
The Falcons have allowed 20.9 fantasy points per game (FPPG) to QBs this season. That's tied for the third-most in the NFL. Unless they can find a way to pressure Prescott, they are going to struggle once again. Atlanta's secondary has had its share of issues against receivers this year, too. They have allowed 11 TDs to the position in eight games. That means it could be a day for the Cowboys' top receiving weapons. Lamb is Prescott's favorite target, so he's the obvious choice here. Meanwhile, Gallup is expected to return from IR this week and is a nice, cheap alternative to Amari Cooper.
This stack gives us some deep-field playmaking ability. And while Prescott and Lamb figure to be a popular pair, adding Gallup as a third wheel for the stack could pay off in spades.
WEEK 10 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
RB Najee Harris & Steelers D/ST, Steelers vs. Lions (DK/FD stack)
Detroit has been one of the worst teams against running backs this year. The Lions are allowing 26.2 FPPG to the position, second-most to only the Jets' 31.2. That could allow Najee Harris to have a big day. Harris is averaging 23.8 touches per game and 103.8 scrimmage yards per game. He has a high floor because of these numbers, but his ceiling is creeping upward as well, as the Steelers' offensive line is starting to play better. They blocked well against the Bears en route to a season-high 29 points. Harris averaged just 2.8 yards per carry during the game, but he should do more damage against a weaker Lions front.
The Lions have allowed nine RBs to score double-digit fantasy points against them in eight games this season and the only game where a back didn't eclipse that mark came in Week 3 against the Ravens. Harris is among the best backs that the Steelers have faced so far, so he should have a chance for a huge day. He may not match Aaron Jones' four-TD outing from Week 2, but don't be surprised if he posts the first multi-TD game of his career in this spot.
As for the Steelers' defense, they generated two turnovers and a few sacks against the Bears on Monday night. Now, they get to tee off against Jared Goff and a Lions offense that is averaging just 16.8 points per game. It wouldn't be surprising if they held Detroit to single digits.
WEEK 10 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
RB Jonathan Taylor & Colts D/ST, Colts vs. Jaguars (DK Stack)
The Jaguars just played one of their best games of the season against the Bills, but even in that game, their offense didn't do much. They put up just nine points and won thanks to a stellar effort from their defense.
Will that happen again in Week 10? It seems highly unlikely. The Jaguars have to take on a Colts defense that has struggled at times in recent weeks but also held the Texans to just three points. Frank Reich and the Colts have extra time to prepare for the Jaguars, as they're coming off a mini-bye following their "Thursday Night Football" win over the Jets and Trevor Lawrence is dealing with an ankle injury. That may not impact Lawrence much, but if he's less than 100 percent, the Colts can take advantage of him.
Meanwhile, Taylor has averaged 145.5 yards and 1.5 TDs per game over the last six weeks. He should continue his hot streak against a Jaguars team that he posted 253 rushing yards and two TDs against in Week 17 last season.
Week 10 DraftKings, FanDuel Picks: Best stacks for daily fantasy football GPPs/tournaments
QB Russell Wilson, WR DK Metcalf, & WR Tyler Lockett, Seahawks at Packers (DK stack)
Normally, this would be a cash-game stack. The three top weapons on the Seattle offense are usually safe plays and tend to be trusted by daily fantasy players. That said, they're more of a tournament play this week with Russell Wilson coming off a finger injury. Wilson has been cleared to start in Week 10, but some may shy away from him — just to see how his finger looks. That would be a fair approach, but there's little reason to think that Wilson would return if he can't play at a high level.
So far this season, Wilson has 11 total touchdowns in five games. And realistically, he missed a good chunk of his Week 5 game against the Rams after suffering the finger injury. So, it's more like four and a half games. He has scored at least 22.6 DK points in three of those four outings and the lone game that Wilson both finished and was unable to score 20 points game against the Vikings. In that contest, he threw for 298 yards; he just couldn't find the end zone frequently enough.
The Packers' defense has been good against the pass this year, but both of the team's starting cornerbacks — Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes — are banged up. If Stokes can't play, the Seahawks should have an easy time taking advantage of Kevin King with Wilson's downfield throwing ability.
Metcalf and Lockett are both safe plays and Wilson should be too. This figures to be a high-scoring game and potential shootout if Aaron Rodgers (reserve/Covid-19 list) is able to play so we're trusting these Seahawks in this spot.
WEEK 10 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
QB Kirk Cousins, RB Dalvin Cook, & TE Tyler Conklin, Vikings at Chargers (DK/FD Stack)
Dalvin Cook's matchup against the Chargers looks nice as Los Angeles has allowed an NFL-high 161.6 rushing yards per game to opponents this year. Just last week, the Eagles trampled them for 176 yards and two touchdowns. That was accomplished with Jordan Howard, Jalen Hurts, Boston Scott, and Kenneth Gainwell. Cook will handle a majority of the rushing duties against LA, so he should have a good chance to post a 100-yard game and a TD. That will make him a good play, but stacking him with the Vikings' shaky defense against a Justin Herbert-led offense doesn't seem ideal. We'll take a different approach and stack him with a couple of cheaper offensive weapons.
Kirk Cousins isn't the most consistent fantasy quarterback, but he has at least three total touchdowns in four of his eight games this season. His ceiling is high enough to anchor a lineup, especially as the 10th-highest priced QB on DraftKings and eighth-highest on FanDuel. Our spending down won't stop there. Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen are more sure-fire weapons for the Vikings, but Tyler Conklin has emerged as a quality tight end as well. He has averaged 4.3 catches and 47.7 receiving yards per game since Week 3 while seeing six targets per game. Conklin has just one TD on the season, but the Chargers have allowed the fifth-most FPPG to TEs this year and have given up five TDs in eight games. He could score in this one, especially since Los Angeles will be able to limit at least one of Jefferson or Thielen, as they've had success against WRs for most of this season.
This is a weird three-man stack, but it could pay off. You're spending down with Cousins and Conklin and getting a high-floor, high-ceiling player in Cook. Feel free to take this approach to earn some lineup differentiation in tournament play.
RB Adrian Peterson & Titans D/ST, Titans vs. Saints (DK/FD stack)
The Titans' defense has vastly exceeded expectations so far this season. It was expected to be a rather weak unit with some troubles in coverage, but instead, they have proven opportunistic and have a strong pass rush. In four of their last five games, the Titans have posted double-digit fantasy points on defense -- including games against the Chiefs, Colts, and Rams who were all playoff teams from last year. They have a proven track record of solid production, so rolling with them against Trevor Siemian -- who has avoided turnovers to date but has completed less than 60 percent of his passes -- seems like a high-upside move.
There's nothing that screams, "Start Adrian Peterson!" in this matchup, but in this stack, he could pan out. Peterson ran for just 21 yards in his debut with the Titans, but he did find the end-zone once and came up a yard shy another time. Peterson was running with high pad level in that game, so perhaps he'll be a bit strong and will drive the pile more in Week 10. Also, it's worth noting that this is a revenge game for him, as he had a brief, fruitless stint with the Saints in 2017. He may see an opportunity to generate some yardage against the NFL's top-ranked run defense (73.8 yards per game) so that could motivate him in this spot. Either way, Peterson is pretty cheap at $4,900 on DK and $5,900 on FanDuel. The Titans' defense isn't that expensive either, so while this is a boom or bust stack, it will allow you to spend up at other positions. That seems like a smart play on a slate that's loaded at RB.
