MLB Best Bets – Free (Wednesday 5/15)
Josh Gross
Underdog Fantasy has launched the largest best ball tournament in history, featuring 451,200 entries and $10 million in total prizes. 30% of the prize pool will be split among three entries, including $2 million to first, $1 million to second, and $1 million to the highest-scoring team in the regular season (Weeks 1-14). Drafts consist of 12-person lobbies with 18 rounds.
That means you need to nail your picks. Stacking becomes critical when trying to finish first in a large field pool. It unlocks the highest ceiling and limits the number of factors you need to get right. Quarterbacks and pass catchers are positively correlated but are often difficult to pair in the early rounds. In this article, I am going to some of my favorite late stacks, available in Rounds 10 or later. You can track ADPs and rankings using the Underdog tool on FTN Fantasy. Sign up for Underdog Fantasy with promo code “FTN” for a 100% deposit match up to $100.
Vikings Stack
Kirk Cousins, Irv Smith, K.J. Osborn
Kirk Cousins, QB
(ADP: 117.1, QB15)
Kirk Cousins isn’t always the sexiest pick in fantasy, but he provides a stable floor with QB1 upside. He finished just inside the top-12 quarterbacks last season (QB11), throwing for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. After a second consecutive losing season, the Vikings fired head coach Mike Zimmer, replacing him with former Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. O’Connell was Cousins’ quarterback coach in Washington and helped propel him to a QB6 finish back in 2017. He’ll bring a much more pass-friendly scheme to Minnesota, coming from a Rams team that has ranked top five in early down pass rate over the past two seasons. Despite finishing as a QB1 in back-to-back seasons, the Vikings have ranked 27th in early down pass rate within that span. Cousins has thrown over 4,000 yards and 30-plus touchdowns in three consecutive seasons and could have a career year in 2022.
Irv Smith, TE
(133.4, TE12)
There was a lot of excitement for Irv Smith heading into the 2021 season. The 2019 first-round pick out of Alabama was in line for a breakout season after spending the first two years of his career behind Kyle Rudolph. Despite seeing limited snaps, Smith caught 30 passes for 365 yards and five touchdowns in 2020. He also ranked top-10 in both yards per target and yards per reception among all tight ends. Unfortunately, Smith was unable to get onto the field in 2021 after tearing his meniscus in the preseason. The injuries have once again caught up to Smith, who recently underwent thumb surgery. However, he has been making progress and is on track to start Week 1. Last season the Rams’ starting tight end ran a route at the ninth highest rate in the league. Smith should take over the Tyler Higbee role in the Vikings offense and play nearly 100% of offensive snaps.
K.J. Osborn, WR
(139.3, WR63)
After a redshirt rookie campaign, K.J. Osborn took over the third wide receiver role in his second season in the league. He had a strong sophomore season posting 50 receptions for 655 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished as a top-40 wide receiver (WR38) despite playing in an offense that ran three-receiver sets at the fifth lowest rate in the league. Osborn should see more playing time next season with Kevin O’Connell at the helm. Last season the Rams utilized three-wide sets at the highest rate in the league (86%). Osborn is one of the few wide receiver “handcuffs” that benefits significantly from an injury. In the five games Adam Thielen missed or exited early, Osborn was a top-25 receiver averaging 6-plus targets and over 50 receiving yards per game. Thielen will be 32 next season, is coming off an ankle injury, and has missed 10 games in the past three seasons.
Jacksonville Jaguars Stacks
Trevor Lawrence, Marvin Jones, Evan Engram, Zay Jones
Trevor Lawrence, QB
(145.9, QB18)
Trevor Lawrence failed to live up to expectations after being pegged as a generational prospect and going No. 1 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He entered the 2021 season undefeated in the regular season with a record of 68-0 through high school and college. His streak ended quickly in a Week 1 blowout loss against the Houston Texans. Overall, the Jaguars finished 3-14 at the bottom of the AFC South with the league’s worst record for a second consecutive season. Lawrence finished as the QB22, throwing for 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He did not show much to get excited about but deserves the benefit of the doubt after playing for an incompetent head coach in Urban Meyer. His disappointing rookie season has suppressed his ADP and doesn’t account for his drastically improved situation. The Jaguars completely revamped their coaching staff this offseason and hired Super Bowl-winning head coach Doug Pederson. During his five-year stint in Philadelphia, the Eagles ranked top-10 in pass attempts and top-12 in scoring in four out of five seasons. In his Super Bowl run in 2017, the Eagles were a top-3 in scoring offense, leading the league in passing touchdowns (38). He elevated Carson Wentz to an MVP level and was the QB3 in points per game. The Jaguars also made key additions in free agency, adding more weapons for Lawrence while improving the offensive line.
Marvin Jones, WR
(172.3, WR77)
Marvin Jones returns to the Jaguars for his second season after leading the team in targets (120), receptions (73), receiving yards (832) and receiving touchdowns (4) in 2021. Jones was top four in end zone targets last season (17) and second in end zone target share (47%). He is the lone starting wide receiver who has played an entire season with Lawrence and may again be the No. 1 option in 2022. Jones is going in the 15th round of best ball drafts, eight rounds after Christian Kirk.
Evan Engram, TE
(182.0, TE23)
Former 2017 first-round pick Evan Engram signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on a one-year, $9 million contract after an abysmal 2021. He caught 46 passes in 12 games for a career-low 408 receiving yards. A change of scenery should help Engram in a Pederson-led offense that has had a history of featuring the tight end position. From 2017 to 2020, the Eagles ranked third in tight end targets and had a top-five TE finish in four out of five seasons.
Zay Jones, WR
(203.8, WR88)
Zay Jones signed with the Jaguars on a three-year, $30 million deal this offseason after a hot stretch to close the season with the Raiders. He had a 25% target share in his final five games (including the playoffs) and saw at least 6 targets every game. He also led the team in air yards (1,136) and was the WR27 per game. Jones’s contract makes him a lock to start in three wide receiver sets. He has already shown a nice connection with Trevor Lawrence in the first game of the preseason.
Bears Stack
Justin Fields, QB
(129.0, QB16)
The Bears traded two first-round picks and a fourth to move up nine spots and select Justin Fields with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Despite giving up significant capital to acquire Fields, the Bears decided to bench the rookie in favor of veteran quarterback Andy Dalton to begin the season. Fields was finally named the starter in Week 3 after Dalton was ruled out with a knee injury. He struggled in his first career start, completing just 6-of-20 passes for zero touchdowns. Fields went 2-6 as a starter but showed flashes down the stretch. He finished as a top-10 quarterback in his last four games before missing the rest of the season with an ankle injury and COVID-19. Fields’ “Konami Code” rushing upside makes him an appealing late-round QB option with QB1 upside. He also benefits from a coaching upgrade (Matt Nagy to Matt Eberflus) that will look to capitalize on his all-around skill set.
Cole Kmet, TE
(124.0, TE11)
Cole Kmet caught a career-high 60 passes on 93 targets for 612 yards last season after seeing minimal work as a rookie. He finished top-12 in targets, receptions and receiving yards among all tight ends but finished as the TE22 on the season. Kmet was held back by his inability to find the end zone. He was the first tight end since targets became a stat to eclipse 90 targets (93) and score zero touchdowns. He’s in line for a breakout season entering 2022. The Bears let Jimmy Graham and Allen Robinson walk in free agency, bringing little competition to the receiving room. With volume and touchdown regression coming his way, Kmet has TE1 upside.
