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 nine-game Tuesday slate, so let's dig into some of the stacks we should roster.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are the biggest surprise in the NHL. They sit in first place in the entire league and are fourth in goals per game. They have young talent that has produced this season and could do it again tonight.
The Devils have been getting contributions throughout the lineup which makes them a bit tricky to stack. We can look at Jack Hughes ($9,600) as he is the team's leading scorer and has two affordable linemates. Dawson Mercer ($5,800) is an ascending young player with 15 points this season and also plays on the first power play with Hughes. Erik Haula ($4,700) is also on this line and offers salary relief with decent correlation.
The other line you can stack has two of the top three scorers for New Jersey. Nico Hischier ($9,000) has been an excellent player overall and is now adding scoring to his game with 26 points in 24 games. Jesper Bratt ($7,700) is second on the team in points, and this duo will play on the first power play together. Tomas Tatar ($5,300) is also a suitable third member of this line.
The Devils will face the Chicago Blackhawks at home tonight. Chicago allows the ninth-most goals per game and the third-most shots per game. They are 1-8-1 in their last 10 games, and it's clear their plan not to contend this season is working.
New Jersey's implied team total is above four goals tonight -- the highest on the board. They look likely to do some damage in tournaments tonight.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes really need to jump-start their offense this season. They rank 25th in goals per game this season. They still attempt the most shots on goal per game though, so just a bit more finishing ability could go a long way for them.
It's a great spot to buy low on the Hurricanes tonight. The best candidate for that would be Sebastian Aho ($7,500), who is still scoring at a point-per-game pace but has seen his salary fall to below what we saw last season. He's playing with the team's leading scorer Martin Necas ($8,700) at even strength and on the power play. Seth Jarvis ($4,600) is also on this line and can definitely contribute.
The reason we want to buy into the Hurricanes tonight is because of their opponents. They'll face the Anaheim Ducks, and the matchup doesn't get any better. Anaheim is close to -- or at -- the bottom in every defensive metric this season, including allowing the most goals and most shots on goal per game.
The Ducks make every team they play viable in fantasy. The Hurricanes are definitely a team that we want to target against them even if they haven't been great offensively this season. They have an implied team total of 3.71 goals tonight, making them a top stack on the night.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins have already been on a roller coaster ride even just a quarter through the season.
They started off pretty well. Then, Pittsburgh had a seven-game losing streak, but now, they have won seven of 10 and are looking like playoff contenders again. They'll play a divisional opponent tonight that tends to allow a lot of goals.
We still have the same main man to target for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby ($9,500) has been excellent this season. He has 33 points in 25 games to lead the team. He's listed as a game-time decision, but coach Mike Sullivan expects him to play. He's playing with his typical running mate Jake Guentzel ($7,600), who is a decent value for someone who has 12 goals on the season. Rickard Rakell ($6,500) is also a good value for someone on the top line and power play; he's got 10 goals on the year.
Pittsburgh faces off against the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight. Columbus is the Eastern conference version of the Ducks. They allow the second-most shots and goals per game as their injured defense corps struggles to keep them afloat.
The Penguins' top line gives you full correlation in a great matchup. Their implied team total only trails New Jersey's, and they could easily break the slate if they are able to combine on multiple goals.
Others to Consider
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.