Week 8 brings an eleven-game Sunday main slate with a little bit of everything. Two games sit at 54.5, a few more are bunched in the mid-40s, and the bottom of the board is full of low totals and lopsided spreads. Weather is in play in two games, and injuries have already reshaped several backfields and receiver rooms. This breakdown of the best NFL DFS game stacks for Week 8 covers the top game environments, the stacks worth building on DraftKings and FanDuel, the contrarian options and the games to avoid, using Vegas totals and spreads, defensive matchups, injuries, weather and ownership.
Best NFL DFS Game Environments for Week 8
The best NFL DFS game environments for Week 8 are Ravens-Bills and Cardinals-Cowboys, both at 54.5, with Titans-Bengals, Vikings-Lions and Colts-Jaguars tied at 46.5 behind them. After that it drops off: Raiders-Jets and Chargers-Rams are 45.5, Falcons-Buccaneers and Patriots-Dolphins are 43.5, Chiefs-Broncos is 40.5 and Browns-Steelers is 38.5. Cardinals-Cowboys has the best pace matchup on the slate, and it's easy to see why. By FTN's defensive DVOA, where negative is good, Arizona has the worst pass defense in the league, Tennessee is 31st and Dallas is 30th, while Minnesota is first by a mile. Two games carry weather risk, with thunderstorms in the forecast for Falcons-Buccaneers and Patriots-Dolphins. Ravens-Bills is partly sunny and 68 degrees. Two of the bigger totals also come with blowout risk, since Cincinnati is a 12.5-point favorite and Jacksonville is a 10-point favorite.
Best NFL DFS Games to Stack
Ravens-Bills (BUF -3, 54.5 total)
Lamar and Flowers are the stack. Lamar Jackson is back after missing three games, and he's about 5% owned on both sites. His receiver room is healthy, and Flowers has a 27% target share and 608 yards. Buffalo's pass defense is 28th in DVOA and its defense ranks 31st against No. 1 receivers, which is about as good as a matchup gets for Flowers (19% on DraftKings, 16% on FanDuel). Mark Andrews ($3,400 on DraftKings) and Ja'Kobi Lane are cheap pieces if you want a third. For the bring-back I'd take Khalil Shakir, who's under 2% on DraftKings and 6% on FanDuel against a Baltimore defense that's 28th against No. 2 receivers. If you want the Bills as the stack, Josh Allen is about 12% owned and DJ Moore is back, which makes him the receiver I want next to Allen at about 7% on DraftKings and 6% on FanDuel. Dalton Kincaid is still Questionable and Tyrell Shavers is out. Derrick Henry is the running back comeback at 13% on DraftKings. James Cook is not, since Baltimore is the best defense in the league against running backs. The risk is Baltimore's offense. The Bengals held it without a point after halftime last week, and Lamar is working his way back from an ankle.
Cardinals-Cowboys (DAL -7, 54.5 total)
Prescott and Lamb are the stack. Dallas has the highest implied total of the week at 30.8, and Arizona's pass defense is the worst in DVOA after giving up 377 yards to Denver last week. Prescott has 13 touchdown passes and Lamb has a 30% target share and six touchdowns. They're both chalk (19% and 21% on DraftKings), so the question is what you attach. George Pickens is Questionable with a shoulder, and Ryan Flournoy is the cheap fill-in at under 5% if he sits. Javonte Williams is the chalk back at 14% on DraftKings and 25% on FanDuel, and he's not part of the stack. The bring-back is Michael Wilson, who's 7% on DraftKings and 18% on FanDuel and gets a Dallas defense that's 25th against No. 2 receivers and last against No. 3 receivers. Trey McBride (19% DraftKings, 29% FanDuel) has a 29% target share and is the right chalk on that side, and Jeremiyah Love is a cheap comeback at about 1%. The risk is the 7-point spread, which could slow Arizona's passing if Dallas jumps early.
Titans-Bengals (CIN -12.5, 46.5 total)
Burrow and Higgins are the stack. Cincinnati's offense is healthy, with no offensive players on the injury report. Joe Burrow has 15 touchdown passes and just threw 16 of his last 18 for 249 yards and four scores in a 35-13 win over Baltimore. Tee Higgins caught six passes for 148 yards in that game. Tennessee's pass defense is 31st in DVOA, and it's 24th against No. 2 receivers, which is Higgins' slot, and 31st against No. 3 receivers. Higgins is 18% on DraftKings and 24% on FanDuel and Burrow is 13% and 14%. Ja'Marr Chase is the chalk at 20% on DraftKings, and I'd rather pay for Higgins' matchup. Chase Brown is a 24% back who isn't part of the stack. This one is lopsided, with a Tennessee offense that is missing Carnell Tate and Tyjae Spears and ranks 31st in the league, so there's no real bring-back. Wan'Dale Robinson is 26% on DraftKings at $4,200, but he has 205 yards on 43 targets. The risk is the 12.5-point spread, since a blowout caps Burrow's volume late.
Raiders-Jets (NYJ -1.5, 45.5 total)
Cousins and Tucker are the stack, and this is the one I think the field is sleeping on. Kirk Cousins has 16 touchdown passes and is under 1% owned on DraftKings, and the Raiders had the seventh-ranked passing attack coming into last week with the third-fewest rushing yards in the league, so this offense lives through the air. Tre Tucker has four catches of 40-plus yards, tied for the most in the NFL, and he's under 1% on DraftKings and about 1% on FanDuel. The Jets' pass defense is 20th in DVOA, and it's 30th against No. 2 receivers and 27th against No. 3 receivers. Brock Bowers is $7,600 and about 4% on DraftKings (8% on FanDuel). The bring-back is Garrett Wilson at about 7%, since Las Vegas is 27th against No. 1 receivers, and Mason Taylor scored twice last week for under 1%. Breece Hall is Questionable with a quad and the Jets are down defensive starters T'Vondre Sweat and Joseph Ossai. Ashton Jeanty (about 7% on DraftKings, 11% on FanDuel) is the comeback if you stack the Jets. The risk is the Raiders' run game, which averages three yards a carry and gives them nothing to lean on if the passing game stalls.
Highest-Scoring Games to Target
| Game | Vegas Total | Spread | Top Stack to Build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens-Bills | 54.5 | BUF -3 | Jackson / Flowers |
| Cardinals-Cowboys | 54.5 | DAL -7 | Prescott / Lamb |
| Titans-Bengals | 46.5 | CIN -12.5 | Burrow / Higgins |
| Vikings-Lions | 46.5 | DET -3 | Murray / Jefferson |
| Colts-Jaguars | 46.5 | JAX -10 | Fade (blowout) |
| Raiders-Jets | 45.5 | NYJ -1.5 | Cousins / Tucker |
| Chargers-Rams | 45.5 | LAR -6.5 | Fade (blowout) |
| Falcons-Buccaneers | 43.5 | TB -2.5 | Fade (storms) |
Best Contrarian NFL DFS Stacks
- Vikings stack: Kyler Murray and Justin Jefferson. Minnesota is 6-0 and has been winning with its defense, so I'll be honest about the risk: Murray has 812 yards and three touchdown passes in five games, and the Vikings' offense ranks 24th. The matchup is the reason. Detroit's pass defense is 25th in DVOA, and it's 30th against No. 1 receivers and 31st against tight ends, so Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson both get a soft draw. Murray is under 2% on DraftKings, Jefferson is about 6% and Hockenson is under 3%. Detroit is without safety Kerby Joseph, and Minnesota is healthy except for safety Jay Ward. The Lions' passing game is a pass for me. Jared Goff is under 1% on DraftKings because Minnesota has the best defense in DVOA, so that low ownership is the field pricing a tough matchup, and I'd fade Jahmyr Gibbs at 19% on DraftKings and 31% on FanDuel against the second-best defense against running backs.
- Cardinals stack: Jacoby Brissett and Michael Wilson. Brissett is about 8% on both sites and has 1,600 yards and ten touchdown passes, and Wilson has a 24% target share and is 18% on FanDuel. Dallas' pass defense is 30th in DVOA. This is the Dak game from the other side, and Arizona will be throwing from behind. Kendrick Bourne is the cheap piece at 11% on DraftKings.
NFL DFS Games to Fade
- Falcons-Buccaneers (43.5 total, TB -2.5): the forecast is thunderstorms in Tampa, and both defenses are better than the total suggests. Tampa Bay is third in DVOA and third against the pass, and Atlanta is 11th. Emeka Egbuka is out and Mayfield is about 5% on DraftKings, with Bijan Robinson (22%) and Bucky Irving (23%) the chalk backs. I'd rather take Bijan and Irving as one-offs than build a game stack in the rain.
- Patriots-Dolphins (43.5 total, NE -7): there are thunderstorms in the forecast, and A.J. Brown and TreVeyon Henderson are both out. That leaves Drake Maye (8% on DraftKings) with Hunter Henry (20%) and DeMario Douglas. Miami's pass defense is 29th in DVOA, which keeps Maye interesting, but I won't build around the weather and a thinner receiver room. Rhamondre Stevenson jumped to 29% on DraftKings and 27% on FanDuel with Henderson out, and that's the chalk.
- Colts-Jaguars (46.5 total, JAX -10) and Chargers-Rams (45.5 total, LAR -6.5): both are blowouts waiting to happen against offenses that can't keep up. Indianapolis is 2-5 and Anthony Gould is out, and the Chargers are 0-6 and rank last in the league in offense. Jacksonville's Bhayshul Tuten is 16% on DraftKings, and Puka Nacua is 25% with Davante Adams on injured reserve and Matthew Stafford at about 1%. I'd rather play Kyren Williams (5% DraftKings, 12% FanDuel) from the Rams.
- Chiefs-Broncos (40.5 total, KC -1.5) and Browns-Steelers (38.5 total): the two lowest totals on the slate. Denver's defense is fifth in DVOA, Patrick Mahomes threw for 165 yards in a 20-3 loss to Seattle and has no touchdowns in his last two games, and Jaylen Waddle is Questionable. Jonah Coleman is 27% on DraftKings at $4,300 with RJ Harvey out, which is fine as a one-off. Cleveland and Pittsburgh are both 5-2 and neither offense is giving me a reason to build.
NFL DFS Stack Rankings for Week 8
This is my order, based on price, matchup, who's healthy and ownership. Salary and ownership are for the QB and his pass catcher on each site.
| Rank | QB / Pass-Catcher Stack | Game (Total, Spread) | DK Sal | DK Own% | FD Sal | FD Own% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamar Jackson / Zay Flowers | BAL/BUF (54.5, BUF -3) | $14,000 | 12.1% | $16,500 | 10.5% |
| 2 | Dak Prescott / CeeDee Lamb | DAL/ARI (54.5, DAL -7) | $14,400 | 20.3% | $16,900 | 16.3% |
| 3 | Joe Burrow / Tee Higgins | CIN/TEN (46.5, CIN -12.5) | $13,700 | 15.5% | $15,400 | 19.5% |
| 4 | Kirk Cousins / Tre Tucker | LV/NYJ (45.5, NYJ -1.5) | $11,000 | 0.4% | $12,900 | 1.5% |
| 5 | Josh Allen / DJ Moore | BUF/BAL (54.5, BUF -3) | $13,400 | 9.1% | $16,100 | 9.8% |
| 6 | Kyler Murray / Justin Jefferson | MIN/DET (46.5, DET -3) | $12,700 | 3.8% | $15,300 | 3.8% |
| 7 | Jacoby Brissett / Michael Wilson | ARI/DAL (54.5, DAL -7) | $11,900 | 7.5% | $13,300 | 13.2% |
Ravens-Bills is where I want the most exposure, and Lamar at 5% is the way to get there.
Cousins and Tucker are my favorite leverage play. They sit under 1% on DraftKings in a pick'em with a Jets defense that can't cover the second and third receivers.
Before lock I'm checking the weather in Tampa and Miami.