The 5 Best Fantasy Football Stacks to Draft in 2026 (Plus a Bonus Discount Stack)

There's nothing quite like a good stack in fantasy football. One big play from a quarterback-and-pass-catcher duo can drop 10, 15, even 20 points into your lineup in a single snap — and instantly make your weekly ceiling look terrifying to the rest of your league.

So we ranked our five best fantasy football stacks for 2026, plus a bonus value play the rest of your league will sleep on. Consider this Part 1. We want to hear from you, too: drop a comment with the stack you're targeting this year, and we'll rank the most-requested ones in Part 2.

Let's get into it.

Stack #1: Joe Burrow & Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals)

Our number one stack, and honestly, it's hard to argue against it. When Joe Burrow is healthy, he and Ja'Marr Chase are a top-three combo at their respective positions — and the numbers back it up.

Since the two connected at the NFL level (never mind their college damage), they've put up 426 receptions, nearly 6,000 receiving yards, and almost 50 receiving touchdowns in just 63 games together. That's an elite, easily attainable stack for any redraft league.

Yes, everyone's worried about Burrow's injury history. It's real, and it's ended some fantasy seasons. But you can't walk into a draft assuming the same guy gets hurt every single year. Burrow isn't a mobile quarterback taking big hits — he's a pocket passer capable of 40-to-45-plus touchdowns with Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown around him.

For Chase specifically, you're looking at roughly 91.4 receiving yards per game and nearly a touchdown, on a floor of about five catches. That's a receiver flirting with 18 fantasy points a week as your WR1. That's a cheat code.

The best part? You don't have to spend a premium pick at quarterback. Chase is a first-rounder, but Burrow tends to fall further than passers like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Drake Maye. An elite stack that doesn't cost you an elite QB pick — that's why they're number one.

Stack #2: Josh Allen & James Cook (Bills)

This one breaks the usual mold. Instead of pairing a quarterback with a wide receiver, we're stacking Josh Allen with running back James Cook — and the rushing production is what makes it sing.

Consider the track record. Allen has finished as the QB1 or QB2 in six straight seasons — nothing outside of that. Cook, meanwhile, has been a top-12 running back three years running, improving each season (RB11, then RB8, then RB6 this past year).

Here's the eye-popping stat: over the last three seasons, Allen and Cook have combined for 71 rushing touchdowns. Not total scores — rushing touchdowns. In leagues that award 6 points per rushing score versus 4 per passing TD, that's an enormous edge, and both have posted double-digit rushing scores in each of the last two years. They're not stealing scores from each other, either.

The catch is cost. This is likely a first-and-second-round investment (a second-and-third in a perfect world). But with a top-two-or-three quarterback paired with a top-five-to-ten running back — and a possible passing bump from the addition of DJ Moore — the point totals will flat-out win you matchups. Just be sure you're ready to commit early on draft day.

Stack #3: Jared Goff & Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions)

If you want the safest stack on this list, this is it — and it's undervalued.

You'll spend a first-round pick on Amon-Ra St. Brown, but Jared Goff is going as the QB14 or QB15 in most leagues right now. That's a value. Goff has quietly been a top-10 quarterback in each of the last four seasons — the only other two passers to do that are Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.

St. Brown's consistency is the headliner. Over the last three years he's been the WR3 in half-PPR (and was WR8 all the way back in 2022). When Goff is under center, Amon-Ra has racked up 526 receptions, 6,032 receiving yards, and 42 receiving touchdowns across 80 games — averaging 75 yards a game. It's not the explosive-ceiling profile of Burrow and Chase, but the floor is rock solid.

The one thing keeping this out of the top spot: Detroit's running game takes over on some weeks, which can cap Goff's ceiling. Amon-Ra always seems to get his regardless. Take St. Brown in Round 1, grab Goff in the double-digit rounds, and you've got a top-five NFL offense stack with a 27-to-30 point weekly floor from just those two players.

Stack #4: Matthew Stafford & Puka Nacua (Rams)

This one has the potential to be our number two stack — but it's also the riskiest, which is why it lands here.

Matthew Stafford is getting closer to 40 and has dealt with back issues over his career, but he's coming off an MVP-caliber season as the QB3. Puka Nacua was the overall WR1 last year and the WR4 back in 2023, though health has been a question — he missed seven games in 2024.

The production, when they share the field, is exactly what you want: 306 receptions, 4,118 receiving yards, and 20 receiving touchdowns in 42 games for Puka with Stafford playing. The touchdown rate is a touch lower than you'd like, partly because Davante Adams is also commanding targets in that offense — which is one reason this duo gets knocked down a peg.

The bigger flag is Puka's play style. He's not injury-prone by nature; he just plays hard and fights for every extra yard, which exposes him to more contact than receivers like Chase, Justin Jefferson, or St. Brown, who tend to avoid the big hits. That effort is exactly what makes Puka great and fun to watch — but it adds risk. If Stafford stays healthy, though, this is a top-three receiver paired with a top-five-upside quarterback, and the Rams' offense shouldn't look much different in 2026 than it did in 2025.

Stack #5: Kenneth Walker & Rashee Rice (Chiefs)

Time to think outside the box, Headliner Nation. For years, any Chiefs stack started with Patrick Mahomes. Not this time. We're pairing Kenneth Walker with Rashee Rice.

A lot here hinges on Rice's offseason. He's served his time, been released, and if the NFL is going to hand down anything additional, we'd expect it sooner rather than later — we can't imagine a suspension dragging out across the summer if it's coming. Keep an eye on it: a suspension under six games could make Rice a genuine draft-day discount, while six games or more likely takes him off our boards entirely (nobody wants a string of zeros in their lineup).

But when Rice was on the field last season, he was stellar. From Weeks 7 through 15, he saw 78 targets, caught 53 of them for 571 yards, and scored 5 touchdowns — flat-out WR1 numbers. As long as he plays something like 15-16 games, he's a top-12 fantasy receiver who soaks up targets in that offense.

Kenneth Walker brings something Kansas City hasn't had in a while: a backfield the defense actually has to respect. Isiah Pacheco hasn't been that guy for a couple years, and Kareem Hunt is at the tail end. Look at Walker down the stretch, once Zach Charbonnet was out of the picture — from Week 15 through the playoff run, he posted 107 carries, 561 rushing yards, and 5 touchdowns. As a workhorse, he flashed elite upside.

With Mahomes returning from an ACL injury, Travis Kelce aging, and Xavier Worthy yet to show week-to-week consistency, Kansas City could take on a different identity in 2026 — with these two leading the way. Walker has a real shot at 12-plus touchdowns; add Rice's target volume, and this stack could be lethal.

Bonus Pick: Caleb Williams & Colston Loveland (Bears)

We're not done yet. Here's a bonus — and it's the cheapest stack on the entire list.

Caleb Williams took a massive leap last year, jumping from QB16 to QB6 in a single season under Ben Johnson (and he's on the Madden cover, if you want to factor the curse into your decision).

Colston Loveland finished as the overall TE12 as a rookie, but the back half tells the real story: from Week 9 through the end of the season, he was the TE2 — the most consistent pass-catcher for Williams down the stretch, and that's with Rome Odunze and Luther Burden still involved. Loveland also carries top-10 draft capital.

This is the whole appeal: you don't have to reach for either player. Every other stack on this list requires an early pick — Chase, Allen and Cook, St. Brown, Nacua, Walker. Here, you can land a potential top-five/six quarterback and a top-five tight end without breaking your draft, often getting both around the sixth round or later.

With DJ Moore also in the fold, Loveland might even see a few more targets — and even if his role holds steady, he's a top-five year waiting to happen. That's a discount double stack.

Get Our 2026 Draft Guide — Free

Anyone building one of these stacks should be doing it with our 2026 Fantasy Football Draft Guide in hand. It's new and improved this year, with tools and information that are a level above anything we've put out before — everything you need to dominate your league.

Here's how to get it for free: download the Underdog app, sign up using code HEADLINERS, make a deposit of at least $10, and play a contest — best ball, World Cup pickups, MLB, whatever you want. Enter one contest and we'll email you the draft guide at no cost.

FAQs

What is a stack in fantasy football?

A stack is when you draft two or more players from the same NFL team — most often a quarterback and one of his pass-catchers — so that one big play scores fantasy points for multiple spots in your lineup at the same time.

Are fantasy football stacks worth it in redraft leagues?

Yes. Stacking correlates your players' scoring and raises your weekly ceiling: when your quarterback throws a touchdown to your stacked receiver, you get rewarded twice. It's especially powerful in best ball and tournament formats, where a high ceiling wins.

What is the best fantasy football stack for 2026?

Our top-ranked 2026 stack is Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. When healthy, they've combined for 426 receptions, nearly 6,000 receiving yards, and almost 50 touchdowns in just 63 games together — and you don't need a premium pick to land Burrow.

Is the Josh Allen and James Cook stack good for 2026?

It's elite, but expensive. Allen has finished as the QB1 or QB2 in six straight seasons, Cook has been a top-12 running back three years running, and together they've scored 71 rushing touchdowns over the last three seasons — a massive edge in leagues with 6-point rushing touchdowns.

What is the cheapest fantasy football stack for 2026?

Caleb Williams and Colston Loveland of the Bears. Neither requires an early pick — you can often land a top-six quarterback and a top-five-upside tight end around the sixth round or later, making it the best value stack on our board.

Your Turn — Let's Build Part 2

This one only works if you get involved. Hit the like button and drop a comment: What stack are you targeting this season?

Discount stack or top-tier stack? QB–WR, WR–TE, RB–QB? Any two or three teammates you're building around — we want to hear it.

Stay safe, stay healthy, Headliner Nation!