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.
Tuesday has a 10-game slate with lots of great options. Let's try to find the three best.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets' offseason splash hasn't made them into instant contenders, as they are just 3-4-0 in seven games. They did win their last game 5-1, though, and are getting back one of their best forwards. They have the perfect matchup tonight to build up a winning streak.
Many people were fantasizing about Johnny Gaudreau ($7,600) and Patrik Laine ($7,000) playing together when the former signed with Columbus. With Gaudreau's passing ability and Laine's lethal shot, it seemed like a match made in heaven. Laine then got hurt in the first game of the season, but he scored a goal in just seven minutes of ice time in that game.
Now, he'll return to the lineup and should form a dangerous partnership with Gaudreau. Boone Jenner ($5,200) will center this line and play on the power play with them, as well, making him a great piece to roster.
The Jackets will face the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. The Coyotes are the team we thought they were heading into the season. They've allowed 5.20 goals per game and have won just once in five tries.
Columbus has yet to score on the power play this season, but that could easily change with Laine back against a weak penalty kill. Their implied team total is all the way up to 3.78 goals, and this line has the upside needed for tournaments tonight.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild have not gotten off to the best start. They are just 1-3-1 and are struggling mightily to keep the puck out of their net. Their top guys have been good, though, and they get a chance to right the ship with a win on Tuesday.
The Wild clearly have chemistry with their top two wingers, Kirill Kaprizov ($9,600) and Mats Zuccarello ($7,500). Zuccarello has actually outproduced Kaprizov to this point in the season.
They are now joined by Frederick Gaudreau ($4,300) at even strength. Gaudreau isn't the most exciting player for fantasy purposes but offers good salary relief and could easily produce with these linemates.
Calen Addison ($4,700) may be experiencing a low-key breakout as the number one power-play quarterback for the Wild with six assists in five games.
Minnesota is on the road to face the Montreal Canadiens tonight. The Canadiens aren't as bad as people thought they might be, but they still have allowed the fifth-most expected goals per 60 minutes.
With the second-highest implied team total on the slate, Minnesota's top line is definitely worth playing in tournaments tonight.
Seattle Kraken
A low-salaried line stack that will go overlooked tonight is the Seattle Kraken. They haven't taken a huge step forward in their second season, but they do seem to have improved. We can see that on the offensive side of the puck, which is great for fantasy.
The Kraken actually have two lines that are made up of top-six NHL talent. The first line has rookie Matty Beniers ($6,100) playing with veterans Jordan Eberle ($4,700) and Jaden Schwartz ($5,200). Schwartz is tied for the team lead with six points and will play with Eberle on the power play.
The second line is definitely interesting, as well. It has Alexander Wennberg ($4,600) with Andre Burakovsky ($6,000) and Oliver Bjorkstrand ($5,800). Bjorkstrand is arguably the best winger on the team and links up with Burakovsky on the power play. Burakovsky has six points in seven games, which is tied for the most on the team.
This game between Seattle and the Buffalo Sabres doesn't look remarkable on paper, but there are things to take notice of with how Buffalo has played so far. They have allowed the second-most shots and third-most scoring chances per 60 minutes this season.
Buffalo has been able to win because of good goaltending, but it's hard to expect that to continue from journeyman goalie Eric Comrie. Seattle's implied team total gets lost in the shuffle on this large slate, but 3.42 goals is still pretty healthy, and the value on these stacks is very good given that total.
Others to consider: Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings
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.