Redraft Fantasy Football Strategy: To Stack or Not To Stack?

One of the most beautiful things about this silly little fantasy football game we play is the freedom to adopt any number of different strategies. Everywhere you look, there are sharps in the industry, friends and even family members who are quick to tell you the best way to play. Enemies, too… the trash-talking and strategy-mocking can be endless.

Everyone has a take, and the one that follows is my favorite to share. The sheer amount of hate speech when I say it is staggering. Yet, to me, it seems like the easiest redraft strategy to poke holes in, with nothing more than getting people to reflect on past experiences and add a dash of common sense.

We have all read those fun listicles that ask, “What Kind of Fantasy Football Manager Are You?” They detail all the different types of players that are likely in your league. You know, people like “The Silent One,” “The Sniper” and “The “Clock-Milker,” all the way down to “The Homer” (as well as that person you found at the last minute who only drafts names they recognize).

But in my opinion, there’s one stereotype that always gets left out: Sir Stacks-a-Lot.

(Average Draft Position [ADP], courtesy of FantasyPros’ consensus)

Redraft Fantasy Football Strategy: To Stack or Not To Stack?

Easy To Spot

You know the one, this manager likes big stacks, and they cannot lie. When they’ve kicked off the draft with a wideout, and then his quarterback is available later, they get so sprung that no reach is too far. This person will snatch Amon-Ra St. Brown in the first round, then turn around and make Jared Goff the QB9 over the likes of Dak Prescott, Jordan Love and Brock Purdy. Same with drafting Puka Nacua, followed by reaching way down for Matthew Stafford – ADP of QB20 – as soon eight or nine signal-callers go off in a run, all in the name of having a stack.

You’ll often spot this beast in the wild. The one in the bar on Sunday who turns around and declares to the entire room, “I got double points on that one,” all while dispensing high-fives like he just rolled a 300 against Pete Weber on ESPN. Sometimes, this manager will even take it one step further (this is especially popular when they are also a “homer”) and tack on a running back or tight end to their stack for good measure – the kiss of death.

What’s the Allure?

Often, this results from managers who spent all offseason drafting in best ball leagues and eliminators (i.e., Fantasy Cares’). Stacks can make you a runaway winner in leagues where you are deep at each position, so one bad game by your favorite pair is but a blip on the proverbial screen. They can also be helpful in large tournaments where advancing to the postseason may rely more on points than head-to-head records.

Then redraft season comes, and team managers bring the mentality they’ve nearly perfected thanks to a wealth of drafts and familiarity with ADP. Still, they often pass on better player value for the sake of teammates.

Dynasty managers know the redraft adjustment all too well. After months upon months of college evaluations and rookie drafts, the first few turns on the redraft wheel end up with something akin to the cast of “Rugrats.”

Making It Harder Than It Is

I’ve got bad news if you are a Sir Stacks-a-Lot. Our spectacular game has enough ways to reduce even the best players to rubble: Missed waiver claims, starting last-minute scratches, trades that go bust, injuries and just plain bad luck where you lose by 0.04 points seemingly every week. The point is that fantasy football comes with its fair share of pitfalls, making it challenging without a manager hurting himself by overthinking or “getting cute.”

This is not to say there are no exceptions. Sometimes, it works out, as was the case with pairing Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb in 2023. However, let’s explore some of the ways this fantasy football strategy is less likely to pay dividends and more likely to backfire:

Sacrificing Player Value

Everyone says “stick to your rankings”, but that goes right out the window when you decide to pair Nico Collins with his quarterback, C.J. Stroud in a four-point passing touchdown league with DeVonta Smith, Malik Nabers and Trey McBride on the board. You’re not getting double points here when there are better players to jump on in this position.

Moreover, the chances are good that there are quarterbacks with rushing upside on the board who’ll find paydirt with their legs in the next round or two. There are also innumerable other signal-callers multiple rounds later capable of putting up the same four-point per touchdown numbers. So why not come home with another top target on your team instead? Stick to your rankings; the name of the game is value.

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Split Combos Often Equal Better Results

Suddenly, the pendulum swings back in your favor in the above argument when Caleb Williams tosses three, runs for one and your boy Collins catches one touchdown from Stroud. Plus, you drafted Smith instead of Stroud, and he had a touchdown. It won’t always be the result, but it is more often than you think. After Courtland Sutton (who had that on their bingo card?) and Amon-Ra St. Brown had 10 touchdowns last season, the next 19+ wide receivers had either seven or eight touchdowns for the entire year… in a 17-game season.

If you want to bet that Aaron Rodgers will throw three scores per game to Garrett Wilson (if that happens, come for me), then go for it. Meanwhile, your opponent is ready to replicate that awesome Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce connection for five touchdowns last year while declaring, “I can’t believe you guys let me have that! Mwuhahahaha!”

Injury Downfall

It’s probably unnecessary to even say this, given the multitude of injuries in 2023 when we were hooked, and we couldn’t stop staring. I recognize injuries happen to everyone in fantasy football, and one wrong trip to Injured Reserve (IR) can derail your season before it even gets going. But if you’re fond of stacking, it can be even worse. More often than not, an injury to one end or the other of the connection results in the other not being able to play up to their full capability.

Think of some popular draft combos people were after last year. Joe Burrow/Ja’Marr Chase, Kirk Cousins/Justin Jefferson, Lamar Jackson to Mark Andrews (though Jackson did fine afterward) and Trevor Lawrence with Calvin Ridley; you get it. Daniel Jones to Jalin Hyatt. Am I right?

You Had a Bad Day

Everyone has bad days. Everyone faces tough defenses. If your quarterback gets smacked all around the pocket like a pinball, the chances are you just sacrificed points for who is probably the second-best player in your lineup. Redraft leagues (usually) have smaller lineups than other leagues. If your two top scorers pull an Amber Heard, the team is sunk, or you’re watching “Monday Night Football,” hoping Jonnu Smith pulls up tough for 60 because you know your stack got stuffed.

Bye Week Blues

With shorter benches in redraft, a good manager gets to the point that when they have to drop someone, it’s a real problem. A couple of weeks are devastating this year in terms of assembling bye-week lineups. Now, you’ve got a stack of your two best players to replace. You have the wideout covered on your bench but probably have to add a quarterback.

That’s all well and good; everyone has that issue. Yet, if the byes were staggered on the roster with a plan in place, wouldn’t it be nice to have one of your two top players there when the other is off? There are two kinds of fantasy football managers in the world. Ones that say “I don’t mind taking the loss in Week X” and liars.

It Can Work, but Don’t Force It

It’s important to note that I’m not saying that drafting stacks is wrong. This is more of a cautionary tale. I’ve seen it work, of course. Those who drafted the Prescott and Lamb combination last year will be the first to refute this. Maybe those who had Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown would, too. However, I’d make the case that the two conspired to completely fall apart in Weeks 14-16, right when you needed them as a duo.

Managers have a hard enough time for everything to go swimmingly in drafting the right player that avoids disaster. It’s even harder to nail that for two players on the same team.

Don’t be a Sir Stacks-a-Lot. Stay true to your rankings; value is king for a reason. Don’t reach when it doesn’t benefit you. That goes double for not taking the player you desire in the name of “blocking” a stack. That makes sense, right? Leave stacks where they are a real advantage: best ball and dynasty.

Feel free to let me know that my common sense is broken. But make sure to stack your reasons for a more powerful argument.

Thanks for checking out my thoughts on fantasy football redraft stacks! Track me down on X @BuyAndSellYou for more redraft and dynasty content! Beginning Week 1, I’ll be back fielding your last-minute start/sit questions from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET every single Sunday!

*Photo Credit: Tim Heitman – Denny Medley*