In daily fantasy hockey, stacking is a key strategy in tournaments. We want to correlate our lineups with up to four players to maximize our upside, as if one player on a line is scoring goals, it's likely that his linemates are getting assists as well. Ideally, we'll want players that will get a lot of ice time together on an even strength line and a power play line. Two good resources for line combinations are LeftWingLock.com and DailyFaceoff.com, so be sure to check those sites for updated line information.
We've got nine games on Tuesday with lots of teams in good spots. Let's look at three of the best stacks.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning don't seem to be getting a ton of media attention this season because they are doing exactly what they have been expected to do. They sit second in the Atlantic Division and are set up for another playoff run. They have a great chance to rack up a lot of goals tonight.
The return of Nikita Kucherov ($9,700) to the lineup last week was a welcomed sight. Tampa Bay is always a more dangerous team with him and is easier to stack in fantasy, as well. He's playing in his usual spot with Brayden Point ($8,300) on the first line and power play. Kucherov has been his dominant self when in the lineup with 18 points in 13 games. The third member of the line is Ondrej Palat ($5,500). He won't get time on the top power play but is still a solid contributor with 15 goals this season.
The Lightning will face the New Jersey Devils tonight. New Jersey has been struggling mightily of late. They've lost 8 of their last 10 games and allowed four or more goals in 8 of their last 12 games. Goaltending continues to be a major issue for the Devils.
Tampa Bay has a high implied team total over four goals tonight. Victor Hedman ($7,100) can definitely be played on defense as part of this stack, too. He leads all blueliners with 48 points and will see lots of ice time in this good matchup.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins had some question marks heading into the season, but they've mostly answered them. They are first place in the Metropolitan Division. They feature a first line that is as dangerous as any in the league.
The first line is led by Sidney Crosby ($9,100). The 34-year-old probably can't be called "Sid the Kid" anymore, but he is still one of the best players in the league. He has points in six straight games with multiple points in four of them. Bryan Rust ($9,500) has seven goals in his last five games. He continues to be one of the most productive wingers in the league. The same can be said for Jake Guentzel ($9,400), the team leader in goals with 24. This explosive line is fully correlated on the power play, as well.
The Penguins will face their in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers tonight. The Flyers' rough season has continued with two losses after the All-Star break. They rank as the fourth-worst team in expected goals against and high-danger chances against per 60 minutes.
Pittsburgh joins Tampa with an implied team total above four tonight. They really could do some damage in this game and are the best fully-correlated line on the board tonight.
Calgary Flames
There are a few teams that could have been the third team to stack in this space. We're going to go with the Calgary Flames because their salaries are a bit more affordable than some of the other stacks. They also come with a similar upside considering how good they have been.
The first line has been unquestionably one of the best in hockey. Johnny Gaudreau ($8,900) is averaging more points per game this season than he did when he finished fourth in MVP voting in 2018-19. Matthew Tkachuk ($8,100) has matched Gaudreau with 15 points in his last 10 games. Elias Lindholm ($7,600) now has goals in four straight games. This line has produced 41 goals at five-on-five this season. No other line has even scored 30.
The second line has also seen its share of good performances. Mikael Backlund ($4,800) has 9 points and 42 shots on goal in his last 10 games. Andrew Mangiapane ($6,700) has 6 goals in his last 10 and actually leads the team with 24 goals. Blake Coleman ($5,400) has also chipped in with eight points in his last 10. This line offers a bit of value and still has solid upside.
The Flames will face the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight. Only the Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes have allowed more goals than the Blue Jackets. Calgary's implied team total is just under four goals tonight, and they've shown that they can be slate-breakers on any night.
Others to Consider: Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators
Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.