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.
Only 3 games on tonight's slate, but we can still find some stacks to use for tournaments.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils were flying high to start the season. They were looking like an unbeatable team and had good underlying metrics to go with it. Now, they've come back down to Earth, but they are still a fun team in a good matchup today.
The Devils have had two good scoring lines that we've been able to stack this season. They've been moving guys around in search of a spark and now have a fully correlated top line. Nico Hischier ($8,200) has goals in three straight games and is on pace for a career-best offensive season. The same can be said for Jesper Bratt ($7,500), who is second on the team in points (37). Tomas Tatar ($5,500) is now on this line and on the first power play, and he is fifth on the team in scoring.
This line doesn't include Jack Hughes ($9,500), the Devils' blossoming star. Hughes leads the team in goals and points but now doesn't have a correlated power-play linemate. You could play him with two or three of the top line to get the power-play connection or not use him as he could be the most popular Devil despite not having good correlation.
New Jersey will face the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings are not known for being stellar defensively and have allowed at least four goals in six of their last seven games. They are also a significantly worse possession team than New Jersey, which could lead to a lot of shots for the Devils.
The Devils carry tonight's highest implied total and are definitely worth stacking on this small slate.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars suffered a loss on Tuesday night but still sit atop the Central Division. This game may be a back-to-back, but Dallas is still in an incredible spot tonight.
We always look at the first line for the Stars when trying to stack them. Jason Robertson ($10,100) has been electric all season long and scored a goal last night to add to his eight-game point streak. Joe Pavelski ($7,400) continues to produce as a 38-year-old, playing at nearly a point-per-game pace and earning a contract extension. Roope Hintz ($8,700) has been excellent, as well, with six goals in his last six games. This line is the most productive line in hockey, and it also gets full correlation on the power play.
The Stars get the matchup we always target, as they play the Anaheim Ducks. Anaheim continues to allow the most shots on goal and most goals per game in the NHL. Their most recent game was a 4-1 loss to the lowly Philadelphia Flyers, so they aren't showing many signs of improvement.
Dallas' implied total only trails New Jersey's on this slate, but the Stars have a correlated line that has a higher ceiling.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are hot, winning eight of their last 10 games. It looked like they were potentially taking a step back this season, but they are once again Central Division contenders and have some exciting players we can roster.
The Wild have stuck with the same first line for a long time now. The two wingers drive the play most, as Kirill Kaprizov ($9,400) and Mats Zuccarello ($8,000) are the top two scorers on the team. If you're making Minnesota a priority, these two should be included in your stack. You can mix and match different pieces around that pair. Sam Steel ($4,700) gets the even-strength minutes with these two and is a fine option at this salary.
You could also add in at least one of Joel Eriksson Ek ($7,500) or Matthew Boldy ($6,800), as they are third and fourth, respectively, in points on the Stars. They both play on the top power play with Kaprizov and Zuccarello and can also contribute on their own at even strength.
Minnesota doesn't get an easy matchup today as they are up against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, Tampa did play last night and didn't look fantastic against a bad Chicago Blackhawks team. The Lightning are a good defensive team, but not unbeatable, as they only rank as the 12th-best team in goals allowed per game.
Minnesota's stars have fairly high salaries, which could keep their popularity down. On this three-game slate, if they can pop in a few goals, the Wild can be a slate-winning leverage play.
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.