3 Daily Fantasy NHL Stacks for Thursday 3/10/22
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 -- if one player on a line is scoring goals, it's likely that his linemates are getting assists, as well.
Ideally, we want players who 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 a massive 13-game slate tonight, so let's dive in and see which stacks can help us win tonight.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a good week. They won on Monday and Tuesday to steady a ship that could have flipped over if they continued to lose games. It's been a particularly good week for their superstar player, who has a great matchup again tonight.
The goal-scoring run that Auston Matthews ($10,100) is on right now is ridiculous. He has six goals in his last three games, 10 in his last 10 and 43 in 56 games overall. That pace is the highest goals-per-game average in the last 25 years. Mitchell Marner ($8,700) plays alongside him and has points in eight straight. Even Michael Bunting ($6,000) has been a revelation since joining this top line, and he has points in his last six games. Matthews and Marner link up on the power play, which ranks first in the league.
Toronto faces the Arizona Coyotes at home tonight. The Coyotes are coming off two wild games that saw them score a combined 17 goals. For Toronto, facing an opponent with a good offense is often what leads to their best performances. We saw this happen in the recent 10-7 win against the Detroit Red Wings and also on Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken.
The Leafs' implied team total is up to 4.21 goals. It's rare to see as reliable of a fantasy hockey player as Matthews has been this season. In this incredible matchup, you should want him in your lineups tonight.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild have had a rough stretch since their hot start to 2022.
They went 11-2-1 to kick off the new year and looked like serious contenders. Since then, they've gone 3-8-0, and their playoff spot could be in jeopardy. They did win on Tuesday and have a great matchup today.
The first line for Minnesota could get back to their dominant ways. Kirill Kaprizov ($9,200) continues to be their best player, with points in his last six games and four goals in his last three. Mats Zuccarello ($7,200) has four assists in his last three games, continuing to be one of the best playmakers in the league. Ryan Hartman ($5,700) also has four goals in his last three games and has set a career high with 23 this season. The big news for Hartman is that he's back on the top power-play with his two even-strength linemates.
The Wild will play the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit has been allowing goals in bunches of late. They've surrendered 35 in their last six games, including allowing 10 and nine in separate games. They conceded seven goals to the Wild in their previous meeting this season.
With the way the Red Wings have cratered of late, it wouldn't be too surprising to see the Wild break this slate.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins have played in a similar style for more than a decade since their Stanley Cup win in 2011. They are a dominant five-on-five team, ranking second in expected goals percentage. Sometimes they lack the finishing to go with their possession, but that likely won't be a problem tonight.
The main piece to this Bruins style of play over the years has been Patrice Bergeron ($6,900). He's been doing it again this season, even at age 36. His points haven't been as impressive, but 42 points in 53 games still makes him useful in fantasy. Brad Marchand ($8,700) will be alongside him, and his average of 1.22 points per game is 15th in the NHL. Jake DeBrusk ($5,400) has been a great addition to this line, with eight goals in eight games since getting the bump to the first line.
The second line also warrants consideration because of the two dangerous wingers. David Pastrnak ($8,600) hasn't missed much of a beat since being moved down to the second line. He leads the team with 31 goals. Taylor Hall ($5,600) has 10 points in his last 10 games. Those two link up on the top power play with Marchand and Bergeron, and they have a value center in Erik Haula ($4,200) who can be useful for salary relief.
Boston plays host to the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago has allowed the eighth-most goals per game and will have a significant downgrade in goal. Kevin Lankinen was a nice story last season but has been brutal this campaign. He's allowed the fourth-most goals above expected, with two of the three above him playing more than double the number of games than he has.
Boston could fly under the radar a bit with 13 games on the slate. Their implied total is 3.65, so if they aren't that popular, they make for a great stack in tournaments.
Others to Consider: Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets, 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.
