3 Daily Fantasy NHL Stacks for Monday 10/17/22

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.

After a day off for the NHL on Sunday, this Monday nine-game slate looks like a fun way to kick off the week.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs started off the season with a classic Leafs loss but have since bounced back with two wins. Their best players have yet to hit the heights that we expect them to, but they have a great chance of breaking out in this game.

Last season's top goal scorer, Auston Matthews ($10,100) has just one goal in the first three games. He will need to improve on that to hit last season's lofty total of 60. He still has at least five shots on goal in every game, so the chances have been there. Mitchell Marner ($8,800) has an assist in all three games this season but is yet to have a real game-breaking performance. Michael Bunting ($5,800) has chipped in with a goal and an assist and is totally usable at this relatively low salary.

Toronto has a dream matchup against the lowly Arizona Coyotes. The Coyotes are exactly who we thought they were heading into the season. They have allowed six goals in each of their first two games, and they surrendered 96 shots on goal in those games. This looks like the worst team league, as many expected.

The Maple Leafs are a mind-boggling -520 favorite in this game, and they have an astronomical implied team total of 4.68 goals. That puts the second line in play, as well, with William Nylander ($7,300) and John Tavares ($7,600) linking on the first power play with Marner and Matthews. Morgan Rielly ($6,800) is playable on defense with any of these stacks if you want a fourth piece, as you probably will with a team total this high.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Some people thought the Pittsburgh Penguins could fall off this season. Maybe they will, but it hasn't happened yet. They've scored six goals in both of their games thus far, including against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They get a much easier matchup tonight.

One player who definitely doesn't look finished is Sidney Crosby ($9,500). He has three points in both of the first two games. Jake Guentzel ($8,300) has a goal, an assist and six shots in each of the first two games. Rickard Rakell ($4,600) remains a great value as he continues playing on this top line, a grouping that is off to a great start. Kris Letang ($6,900) is also one of the best offensive defensemen in the league and should be considered with this stack.

The Penguins take on the Montreal Canadiens on the road. The oddsmakers don't seem too concerned with this game being on the road, as Pittsburgh is a -255 favorite and has a big implied team total of 4.18 goals. They should be able to rack up the goals against this Canadiens team, one that has allowed 4.39 expected goals per 60 minutes so far this season.

You could also consider playing Evgeni Malkin ($7,400) and Bryan Rust ($6,700), as they skate together on the second line and on the first power-play unit.

Dallas Stars

If you want a stack that is a bit off the board tonight, the Dallas Stars fit the bill. They had one of the most productive lines in the league last season, and that line is off to a good start this campaign. They should be in a spot that is under the radar on this slate.

The top line for the Stars fully correlated on the power play. Roope Hintz ($6,400) had two goals and an assist on Saturday after having 37 last season. He was out-scored by only linemate Jason Robertson ($7,700), who had 41 goals. The oldest member of this line is Joe Pavelski ($6,800), who has proven to still be capable with three points in two games this year and 81 last season. This line's total salary is relatively affordable given their production in the past two seasons.

The Stars take on the Winnipeg Jets at home. The Jets have played just one game this season. It was a game they won but allowed 4.47 expected goals in the process. They could still be a below-average defensive team like they were last season despite their coaching change.

Dallas' implied team total is 3.20, which is solid but doesn't stand out on this slate. That's why they may go overlooked, but this stack has as much upside today as any team not named Pittsburgh or Toronto.

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.