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.
With 13 NHL games scheduled tonight, we have a plethora of options that we can stack.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars have gotten off to a good start to the season. Despite making the playoffs last year, they made a coaching change in the summer. Pete DeBoer came in and installed a new offensive style that has benefitted the team at the beginning of the season.
One thing DeBoer didn't change was the first line, and rightfully so. The line of Roope Hintz ($6,900), Jason Robertson ($8,100), and Joe Pavelski ($7,000) has been the league's most productive early in the season. Robertson got a new contract in the offseason and has lived up to it early with 13 points in 10 games. Hintz only trails him by one point for the team lead, and Pavelski is tied with both of them with five goals.
Dallas will be on the road tonight, but it's against the lowly Arizona Coyotes in their new arena that holds fewer than 5,000 people. The Coyotes won on Tuesday, but they still have allowed the second-most shots and third-most goals per game.
The Stars have a 3.53 implied team total in a game with a 6.0 over/under because of Arizona's ineptitude. Miro Heiskanen ($5,800) is a good option on defense with this stack, as he will play with all of them on the top power-play unit.
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings aren't known as one of the most dynamic offensive teams in the NHL. They have started the season well in that department, though, as they are eighth in goals per game (3.5). They get a juicy matchup tonight to continue to put up goals.
The Kings' top line is fully correlated and relatively affordable on this slate. Gabriel Vilardi ($6,500) is having a breakout season, with 8 goals and 13 points in 12 games. He's been bumped up to the top line and first power-play unit with Adrian Kempe ($5,900) and Anze Kopitar ($6,400). Kempe is second on the team with 6 goals, and Kopitar is third on the team with 10 points.
The Kings are on the road to face the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks have allowed the fourth-most shot attempts per 60 minutes and are starting Arvid Soderblom in net for just his sixth NHL game. In his five previous games, his goals against average is an abysmal 4.19.
LA provides important value that's necessary on this slate while also being a correlated first line. They rank fourth in implied team total, making them one of the better options tonight.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are back as the Pacific Division's best team to start the season. Only the Boston Bruins have a better points percentage than Vegas. Their star players are mostly healthy and playing great to start the year.
It's good to see Jack Eichel ($8,200) back to something close to his best. He has 5 goals and 12 points in 11 games and looks very healthy. Mark Stone ($6,600) is also back and healthy, playing on the top line with Eichel. Chandler Stephenson ($5,200) is second on the team with nine points and led last year's injury-riddled squad in scoring.
On a slate this large, getting the full correlation on the power play is big, and that's what this line offers.
Vegas is in Canada to face the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa still has a weakness on defense despite their offseason improvements. They are bottom 10 in shot attempts against, high-danger chances against, and expected goals against.
The Golden Knights are another team that you don't have to break the bank for to stack, but they still have enough upside to warrant consideration.
Others to Consider: Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets
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.