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 four games tonight, and with every series tied at two games, so it should make for a great night of hockey. Let's look at the best stacks to use.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs got embarrassed in Game 4, losing 7-3 on the road. Now, coming back home, they need a bounce back to get back on track. Both teams have had their ups and downs this series, and it could be Toronto's turn for a big game.
The Leafs had to make a change to their first line, but they appear to be going back to what was working so well in the regular season.
Auston Matthews ($10,200) had an assist in Game 4, bringing him to six points in four games for the series. There has been a lot said about Mitchell Marner ($8,900) and his failure to deliver in the playoffs, but he also has six points in four games. Michael Bunting ($4,600) has been recovering from injury but still has two points in his three games, even if he played on the fourth line in the last game.
Matthews and Marner were very productive in the two home games, so the return to Toronto could benefit them. The Tampa Bay Lightning won't be able to get the matchup they want as easily on the road as they did at home.
The Leafs have been able to score at least three goals in every game in this series, and this line has one of the highest ceiling outcomes of any stack. Toronto's 3.38 implied team total is the third-highest tonight.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild have been like a lot of teams in these playoffs; they've either been on their game or completely off. No game in this series has been decided by fewer than three goals. Going back home to Minnesota should help them have an advantage tonight.
After a disappointing playoffs last time, Kirill Kaprizov ($9,300) has been going off this season. He has five goals in the series, including a hat trick in Game 2. His main linemate Mats Zuccarello ($6,500) hasn't been as involved as you might think he would be, but he still has three points in the last three games. He'll play with Kaprizov on the power play, as well, so playing them together is definitely a good strategy. Ryan Hartman ($6,100) has five assists in his last three games to round this stack nicely.
If you want to get unique, Joel Eriksson Ek ($5,200) can be played instead of Hartman for a power play stack. Eriksson Ek has three goals and five points in the series. Then you could also consider playing Kevin Fiala ($6,700), who has gone cold in the playoffs after ending the season red hot. The hope is that people stop going to that well, and we can take advantage of getting a big Fiala game like we saw at the end of the regular season.
The St. Louis Blues continue to be banged up on the back end and will be without Torey Krug. They will continue to have a hard time slowing down the Kaprizov line, and they also will have a hard time getting Ryan O'Reilly out against him, which is a matchup they'll want. Minnesota has shown the ability to erupt in games already in this series and could do it again tonight.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers looked set to cruise through this series after Game 3, but Game 4 was a huge disappointment. However, we've seen what they are capable of in this matchup, and it's something we can bet on going into this game.
There looks to be a slight shift in the Oilers' lines heading into Game 5. Evander Kane ($6,900) and Connor McDavid ($9,900) have both been having big series, and they will be joined by Kailer Yamamoto ($4,200). McDavid and Kane lead the team with six points each. Yamamoto had 20 goals this season and is a great value at $4,200.
The tricky part of stacking the Oilers is that neither of McDavid's wingers play with him on the power play. That's why you could consider playing McDavid with Leon Draisaitl ($9,800) and Zach Hyman ($5,100). This forms a nice power play stack, and you can throw Tyson Barrie ($4,500) at defense for extra power play correlation.
The Oilers scored 14 goals in Games 2 and 3 but just three in Games 1 and 4. They might be a bit boom-or-bust, but that can also describe most of the teams in the playoffs thus far. At least we know that when they do boom, it could be for a big number.
They have the highest implied team total on tonight's slate and should be able to play better than they did in Game 4.
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.