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.
Just three games to kick off the week, but three teams that we can definitely feel good about stacking tonight.
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are still trying to make things work like they did last season. They are still just holding onto a wild card spot but have the opportunity to move up in the standings over the last month of the season.
A player that has definitely been doing his part to help the Avalanche move up the standings has been Nathan MacKinnon ($10,400). He has 10 goals and 52 shots on goal in his last 10 games. Colorado has made a switch in their lines, putting 42-goal-scorer Mikko Rantanen ($9,200) back on the first line with MacKinnon. Evan Rodrigues ($5,600) is now the left wing on this newly formed line and is a good value for his role. This trio all plays together on Colorado's first power play, which ranks eighth in the league.
Colorado will be on the road tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal sits next-to-last in the Eastern Conference and has injuries making their lineup look like a minor league team. They allow the eighth-most goals per game and also sport the fourth-worst penalty kill.
The Avs have the highest implied team total on this slate, and their first line is arguably the best stack on the slate. It is nice for fantasy players to be able to play MacKinnon and Rantanen at even strength and on the power play; they have been a dangerous duo when playing together over the years.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs made some pretty interesting shake-ups to their team before the trade deadline. Of course, most of their fans will not care unless they are able to do something in the playoffs. Until then, they have the opportunity to fine-tune their game before the postseason.
Toronto has also made changes to its lines. They've gone back to playing Mitchell Marner ($8,500) and Auston Matthews ($10,200) together on the first line. Marner has been excellent lately with 18 points in his last 10 games. These guys are now playing with Alexander Kerfoot ($3,900), an affordable third member of this stack.
The second line has William Nylander ($8,800) and John Tavares ($8,200) playing together on it. They also play on the first power play with Matthews and Marner. Nylander is having a career year, leading the team with 34 goals. Tavares has been playing well lately with seven goals in his last 10 games. Michael Bunting ($5,500) is now playing on this line and has chipped in effectively with 20 goals this season.
The Leafs will take on the Buffalo Sabres at home tonight. Buffalo has had trouble keeping the puck out of their net. They've allowed the third-most goals per game this season and allowed 10 in one outing last week. They also have the second-worst penalty kill in the league.
Toronto's implied team total is only just behind Colorado's tonight, and either of their top two lines has the potential to go off in this spot.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are one of the teams trying to hold off the Avalanche from climbing back into one of the top three playoff spots in the Central. Dallas hasn't quite been the world beaters they were to start the season, but they still have one of the best lines to stack in the NHL.
The Stars have been carried by Roope Hintz ($7,900) of late, as he's scored nine goals in his last 10 games. Jason Robertson ($9,500) hasn't been on a tear lately, but he is still averaging more than a point per game over the last 10. Joe Pavelski ($6,800) has scored eight points in his last five games and looks to be hitting a second wind this season. This line continues to play together on Dallas' top power-play unit, as well.
Dallas is on the road to play the Seattle Kraken. This is a rematch from the game on Saturday night, which the Stars won 4-3. Hintz and Pavelski each had a goal in that game. Seattle isn't a great defensive team and also has a weak penalty kill, which this line can take advantage of tonight.
Dallas ranks third behind Toronto and Colorado for implied team total on this small slate and is certainly one route you can explore when building lineups for this slate.
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.