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.
There are some big prize pools tonight in the NHL, so let's look at some stacks that can help us win money on Tuesday.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning have become a benchmark team for others to compare themselves to as they head to the playoffs. They look set to make another run toward making the Stanley Cup Final for a fourth consecutive season. They are fourth in goals per game and will be in a fantastic spot tonight for DFS.
The top line for the Bolts has scored the third-most goals of any line at five-on-five this season. It also has the benefit of being fully correlated on the top power play. Nikita Kucherov ($9,700) is third in the NHL in points with 79. Brandon Hagel ($7,100) has more goals than Kucherov, surprising everyone by scoring 22 so far this season. Brayden Point ($8,100) leads the team with 32 goals this season and has an outside chance at netting 50 for the first time in his career.
Tampa's matchup couldn't possibly be any better. They'll face the Anaheim Ducks at home after Anaheim played yesterday afternoon. The Ducks allowed 55 shots on goal in that one and continue to allow the most goals and shots in the league on a per-game basis.
This line has the best matchup, is one of the most productive in the league this season, and is fully correlated. Spots do not get much better than that, so we should take advantage.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Tampa's first-round opponent in the playoffs likely will be the Toronto Maple Leafs. Knowing they are likely going to face a big test early in the playoffs, Toronto made a trade on Friday that they hope will help get them over the hump. For now, it helps us with wanting to stack either of their first two lines.
While he might not get the most attention on the team, William Nylander ($8,800) continues to be the Leafs' most productive player. He has seven points in his last four games and leads the team with 31 goals. He's playing on the first line with Auston Matthews ($9,900) since the star center has come back into the lineup. These two will play on the top power play and will be joined by the team's fifth-leading scorer, Michael Bunting ($6,200), at even strength.
The addition of Ryan O'Reilly ($4,700) is interesting from a real-life and DFS perspective. O'Reilly was not having the most productive campaign, but he can still drive play and get the puck to John Tavares ($8,000) and Mitchell Marner ($8,100) in dangerous areas. The two wings on this line will also play together on the first power play, and the team has the fourth-best success rate with the man advantage this season.
Toronto will be on the road tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo is in the bottom 10 in the league in both goals allowed and shots allowed per game. They also have the third-worst penalty kill in the NHL.
On a night with a lot of high implied team totals, Toronto's ranks only sixth. But most of their production should come from these top two lines, and their popularity probably won't get out of control with many good options on this slate.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils look very likely to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018. They've assembled a great team and have lots of exciting players we can use in stacks.
The Devils welcomed back young star Jack Hughes ($10,000) last week. He's been excellent of late, with 13 points in his last six games. He now gets to play with Jesper Bratt ($7,200) at both even strength and on the power play. Bratt is second on the team in points, behind only Hughes. The third member of this line is Yegor Sharangovich ($4,500), who has been a good contributor at even strength this season.
You can also consider playing Dougie Hamilton ($7,600) as part of this stack. The defenseman is second among blueliners this season with 16 goals.
New Jersey will get a home game against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Montreal allows the second-most expected goals per 60 minutes in the NHL. They are also in the bottom five in goals and shots allowed per game.
This Devils line has the potential to go off. New Jersey's implied team total is 4.14 goals, the third-highest on the slate.
Others to Consider: Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights
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.