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.
The NBA All Star break means an opportunity to play NHL DFS for bigger prizes. Let's see which stacks can help us take down one of those big prizes.
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings have been on a tear lately. They've scored 11 goals in two games since returning from their bye week and the All-Star break. Now, they face a crosstown rival and are in a great spot.
The Kings' first line features one of the hottest players in the league of late -- Adrian Kempe ($7,300). He has been racking up goals, with seven in his last three games. Anze Kopitar ($7,000) has six points in the last three games. Quinton Byfield ($3,700) has points in back-to-back games and now plays on the first power-play unit with Kempe and Kopitar. Byfield's low salary makes this three-man stack very affordable, and you get the benefit of full correlation.
The Kings will be on the road tonight to face the Anaheim Ducks. With this game just a freeway ride away, they don't suffer the same road disadvantage as most teams, but it's still a fantastic matchup for LA.
LA carries the highest implied total on the night. They are scoring lots of goals lately and have the best possible matchup. You could also add Kevin Fiala ($7,400) or Drew Doughty ($5,800) to this stack as a way to get different
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a fun team for DFS purposes. They are lackluster in defense and goaltending, which leads to them having to rely on offense to win. Their offense should feast in tonight's matchup.
The Sens have been led by captain Brady Tkachuk ($8,800), and he owns the team lead in points. Tim Stutzle ($8,000) paces Ottawa in points per game and is an ascending talent in his third season in the league. Those guys are the two best correlating pieces on Ottawa. The third member of this line is Mathieu Joseph ($4,100), who offers salary relief and can chip in with some points.
The second line could also be in consideration. Claude Giroux ($7,100) has been a hit in his first season with Ottawa, as he is third on the team with 49 points. He links up with rookie Ridly Greig ($3,900) on this line and on the power play. Then, you can also roster Alex DeBrincat ($7,600) in a revenge spot, and he can get there with this line or via his role on the top power play.
I'm into the Ottawa Senators today because they will be playing the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago is the worst team in the Western Conference and is playing their third game in four nights. They've allowed the fifth-most goals per game for the year and seventh-most shots on goal per game.
Ottawa's implied total slots in just behind LA's, and they are definitely one of the best stacks on the board.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are in an interesting position in the standings. They are in the first wild card spot in the West but are only two points out of first place in the Pacific. As the team averaging the most goals per game, the Oilers are in play on most slates.
We saw the Oilers go to new lines last game. They now have Connor McDavid ($10,200) playing with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($8,600) and Zach Hyman ($9,000) at even strength. This is a dangerous line. Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins are both on pace for career-high marks in goals, and McDavid leads the league with 99 points. They are all also on the same power play together, and Edmonton hits at an astonishing 31% clip with the man-advantage.
Edmonton will face the New York Rangers tonight. It's not an easy matchup, as the Rangers are the fifth-best team in goals allowed per game. However, they did just allow four goals to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday, and Edmonton was able to score four goals in the third period against them earlier this season. When Edmonton's stars are clicking, no one can slow down the Oilers.
This game has the rare 7.0-goal over/under, and with Edmonton being favored, it's fair to expect them to put some pucks in the net tonight.
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.