Stack-cuffing is a technique specific to Best Ball in which multiple players from the same team are combined on one roster to benefit from alternating spike weeks. Certain restrictions are placed on the practice when you consider those actions within the context of general Best Ball theory, the primary of which becomes required draft capital, or average draft position (ADP). We also want to consider factors such as the state of depth charts, scoring expectations (or projections) of the offense, and expected offensive tendencies, the sum of which combine to give us our general blueprint for the methods of stack-cuffs. We’ll spend the rest of our time here diving into my favorite stack-cuff targets for the 2025 best ball season.
ESPN’s Mike Clay has the Cowboys projected to score 398 points in 2025, tied for 11th in the league with the 49ers. Uncertainty regarding backfield depth has left all three backs currently projected for more than 60 opportunities in no-man’s land as far as early ADP is concerned, with Javonte Williams, fifth-round draft pick Jaydon Blue, and Miles Sanders all falling to the 11th round or later. The 5’9”, 196-pound Blue profiles as a change of pace/pass-catching specialist, considering a slight frame and willingness to accept contact, in addition to clear ball security issues and mental lapses in catching off-frame throws exhibited in college. That leaves the bulk of the expected early-down opportunities to the combination of Williams and Sanders, with Williams the early favorite to lead the team in opportunities. The trick here is that Williams has failed to live up to his pre-draft hype through four professional seasons, even struggling to the tune of a 3.7 yards per carry mark behind a top-five offensive line in Denver in 2024. And while that does little to inspire confidence in his fantasy expectations in his first year in Dallas, the combination of Williams and Sanders is highly likely to return value at crazy-low prices in best ball, considering the offensive expectations out of Dallas this year. Save how we feel about Williams and Sanders as players, this duo remains highly likely to return usable counting stats on a weekly basis. Capture the bulk of the projected 367 carries from the Dallas backfield at depressed prices!
