With most seasonal fantasy football leagues done for the year, fantasy football managers will find themselves having to scratch their itch with DFS contests this weekend. At the same time, it is the last week of the regular season, meaning the last time with a plethora of options to chose from during this weekend’s slates. So, it is the last opportunity to win it big. One excellent option to look at in DFS stacks is Chad Henne and Mecole Hardman.
Week 17 Fantasy Football DFS Budget Stacks: Chad Henne and Mecole Hardman
Kansas City Chiefs Locked up the First Round Bye
With the new playoff format for 2020, it has made most NFL teams have to play out their entire season. There are now seven teams per division, which also means only one team gets a first-round bye. This year, the Kansas City Chiefs are the only team to complete lock up the bye before Week 17. In years past it was common for multiple teams to sit their starters because they have nothing to play for.
Their opponents this week are the Los Angeles Chargers, who were eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago. But after a terrible start to the year the team now finds themselves at 6-9, and winners of three straight games. Anthony Lynn was on the hot seat earlier in the year, and he will want to finish the season strong to give his job some more security. And with rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, the team will try to roll into the offseason with a four-game win streak.
The Offense Will Put Up Points
This week, the team will probably rest its top three offensive weapons: Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce. They are a big reason why this team can put up a massive amount of points week in and week out. The Chiefs are first in the NFL in offensive yards-per-game at 425.7.
But a lot of it is also on head coach Andy Reid. In fact, 2017 was the team’s last year with Alex Smith at quarterback. Even with Smith, who was known as the checkdown king, their offense was ranked fifth in the league in yards-per-game.
In 2019, Mahomes missed two games with an injury. The Chiefs still put up 337 yards of offense. Matt Moore had 267 yards and 2 touchdowns that week. The next week was even better, with them racking up 377 yards, with Moore accounting 275 yards and a touchdown. The fear is that both of those games didn’t result in a ton of touchdowns, despite the offensive yards, which could dampen Chiefs players ceilings without Mahomes in the lineup.
Target Chad Henne and Mecole Hardman in DFS
The Chargers are actually a better than average passing defense, ranked ninth in yards-per-game. But the stat that really matters is touchdowns, which is where the total takes a big shift. Los Angeles has given up 27 passing touchdowns to just 16 rushing touchdowns on the year. This makes Henne and Hardman a good combo to target as a stack this week.
Hardman on his own is always a decent dart throw as it is despite playing third-fiddle at best to Hill and Kelce. He has four touchdowns on the year and four games with 50 or more yards. His best game came against the New York Jets, where he turned nine targets into seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. When given the opportunity, he can put up points. Combine that with Andy Reid’s playcalling, and stacking him with Henne could pay dividends in DFS this weekend.
The best part about the two is that they are dirt cheap. Also consider that Keenan Allen is unlikely to play week 17, meaning throwing Mike Williams out there to chase the spread is another smart move. This leaves tons of cash to go big on top dogs. If one considers going with other high-ceiling budget options like or Amari Cooper, they can undoubtedly fit a top back like Derrick Henry in their lineups.
But whatever happens, stack Chad Henne and Mecole Hardman Sunday, and then collect winnings Monday.
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