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.
This nine-game slate has a ton of options on it. Let's try to identify the three best stacks.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes were in a bit of a funk, but they have since won five games in a row. They are sixth in goals per game and now have the best goal differential in the Eastern Conference. Tonight, they get a great matchup to try to improve on that even further.
The first line that got together recently has been performing well. Sebastian Aho ($8,900) has points in six-straight games. Teuvo Teravainen ($7,000) has goals in his last three games and points in his last eight. Andrei Svechnikov ($8,000) is on his way to having the best year of his career; his 22 goals are only two away from his personal best. This line makes up three-fifths of the league's fifth-best power play.
The Hurricanes will be on the road against the Detroit Red Wings tonight. Detroit has really cratered defensively in recent games. They've allowed 61 goals in their last 13 games, including allowing more than seven three different times. Overall, they allow the fifth-most goals per game in the NHL.
Carolina currently has an implied team total of 3.72 goals. If they are to exceed that total, it's likely coming through the dangerous top line.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning accomplished something for the first time in franchise history on Saturday. They won an outdoor game against the Nashville Predators. Their best players stepped up in that game and look to carry that into tonight's game.
The Bolts' top line has been really clicking of late. Nikita Kucherov ($9,900) has a goal and an assist in each of the last three games. Brayden Point ($7,900) has a six-game point streak that includes four goals. Ondrej Palat ($5,700) hasn't been as productive, but he can still chip in and offers nice salary relief. Palat isn't on the top power play with Point and Kucherov, so it makes him a little less enticing than his linemates.
The second line also has merit to stack. Steven Stamkos ($8,400) has been on fire with five goals in his last four games. Alex Killorn ($6,200) joins him on the top power play and has points in four-straight games. Victor Hedman ($6,900) will man the top power-play unit on defense. He can be played with either line and is second on the team with 51 points in 51 games.
Tampa is back home against the Ottawa Senators tonight. The Senators allow the most shot attempts and second-most expected goals per 60 minutes. That doesn't bode well for them against this high-powered Lightning offense.
The Lightning have the highest implied team total on tonight's slate. They definitely have the capability of breaking the slate.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have played well under new coach Jay Woodcroft. They've gone 6-3 under him and had some impressive performances. The losses were to the class of the league, such as the Lightning and the Hurricanes. Tonight, they'll get a much easier matchup.
The Oilers have had to move a lot of pieces around due to injuries. Connor McDavid ($10,000) is now playing with Zach Hyman ($6,300) and Warren Foegele ($4,200). Hyman gives him a nice piece as he is relatively affordable despite also seeing power play time with the star center. McDavid hasn't been going nuts of late, but his 15 points in his last 10 games are still great. Hyman was on a five-game goal-scoring streak before it ended on Saturday, so he's definitely a fine piece to stack with the league's best player.
The second line has the Oilers' other superstar, Leon Draisaitl ($9,800). He sits one point behind McDavid and Jonathan Huberdeau for the league lead in terms of points. He is now playing with Evander Kane ($6,600) at even strength and on the power play. You could play these two with McDavid and Hyman, which is a nice power-play stack if you can fit it into lineups. You could also replace either Kane or Hyman with Tyson Barrie ($4,400). Barrie has not been great this year but is worth taking a shot on for a relatively low salary.
The Oilers will face the Philadelphia Flyers tonight. The Flyers have been struggling all season, and sit last in the Metropolitan Division. They have allowed the fourth-most expected goals per 60 minutes and are the sixth-worst team on the penalty kill.
Edmonton faced four top teams in a row and should enjoy this matchup against Philly. You can stack McDavid's even-strength line or the power play; they both make a lot of sense tonight.
Others to Consider: Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Calgary Flames
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.