Stacks. They're not just for flossing rappers anymore. One of the more underrated draft tactics is being able to effectively pair a quality quarterback with one of his top targets. Ask anyone who walked into a Patrick Mahomes/Tyreek Hill or Jared Goff/Robert Woods combination last year. The trick is to find that high-powered combination for a relatively low draft price. So to get you started just in time for your draft, here are five pairs you can target. Happy drafting, y'all.
Cam Newton/Curtis Samuel: While the Great Panther WR War of 2019 rages between #TeamMoore and #TeamSamuel, it's overlooking the fact that Cam Newton has a pair of playmaking receivers to target. Combine that with Newton's continued status as Carolina's preferred goal line running back and de facto RB2 and the veteran quarterback has a ceiling that could land him in the top five. A couple of weeks ago, I laid out the case for Curtis Samuel being undervalued in fantasy drafts. While Samuel's ADP has risen since I first wrote that piece, the underlying argument still stands. Any stack that you can put together after the seventh round is one you should give serious consideration to.
Kyler Murray/Christian Kirk: If you don't get the upside with Kyler Murray, you haven't been paying attention for the past six months. A poor outing in Preseason Week 2 threw cold water on an otherwise red-hot ADP but the overall enthusiasm for the rookie quarterback hasn't been fully dampened. As for Kirk, if you've been reading me or listening to the podcast, you've probably heard me repeatedly make the case for him. It might have had something to do with his temporary rise into the sixth round. While that has leveled off a bit, he's still a value in the early part of the seventh round. If Kliff Kingsbury's offense is what many dream it can be, this is a mid-round pairing that could be an engine on playoff-worthy rosters.
Dak Prescott/Amari Cooper: Prescott was already becoming a favorite of fantasy managers who prefer to stream quarterbacks. An opening slate that includes hosting the Giants and Dolphins sandwiched around a trip to Washington is bound to excite lots of people. Even if you're thinking about rolling with Dak all season, he finished in the QB1 range(10th) last year and has it within his range of outcomes again this season -- all at a 12th round draft price. Remember last year when the Cowboys traded for Amari Cooper and some fantasy jerks wondered if it would matter at all? Well, we know how that all worked out. Through it all, Cooper has maintained a very reasonable late-third or early-fourth round draft value. As the undisputed top target in the Dallas offense, 130-plus targets is not out of the question.
Jameis Winston/Chris Godwin: Much has been made of 2019 being a make-or-break year for Marcus Mariota, but it's also a prove-it year for the player who went one spot ahead of him in the 2015 draft. Yet, if anyone can tap into Jameis Winston's potential, it's Bruce Arians. Yes, I know that Bucs quarterbacks in 2018 would have combined to be the QB2 overall. I think that's a misleading stat but it does speak to the potential of Tampa's passing game. A 10th round pick isn't too much to ask for the potential return. Part of how the Bucs succeed through the air will have something to do with how successful Chris Godwin can be this season. My prediction: Godwin will be very successful. We saw that ability peek through last year and the departures of DeSean Jackson (PHI) and Adam Humphries (TEN) open the door for more opportunity. Godwin's ADP has crept slightly into the back end of the fourth round, making him a great WR2 target.
Kirk Cousins/Stefon Diggs: Need more proof that fantasy QB scoring and drafting is out of whack? Kirk Cousins has been a top 10 fantasy signal-caller in three of the past four seasons. Last year, he was still a QB1 in 12-team leagues. This year? He's not being drafted in lots of leagues. Even if the Vikings stick to their pledge to run more, Cousins has the potential for a number of week-winning performances. While he has two receivers with top-tier potential, the ability to draft Stefon Diggs in the fourth round as a WR2 with WR1 upside makes this a stack that is being slept on way more than it should be.