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.
It's a small slate on Wednesday, but there are still some fun teams that we can stack.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are in desperation mode for the stretch run in an effort to make the playoffs. They are currently three points out of the last wild card spot in the East. These aren't the same high-flying Panthers, but they are up to fifth in goals per game.
Florida's lines can be a bit tricky to stack. They have Aleksander Barkov ($7,700) playing on the first line but not with anyone who will give you power-play correlation. You can use him with Eetu Luostarinen ($4,900) and Anthony Duclair ($5,100) if you want to have affordable exposure to the Panthers.
The second line brings more goal-scoring and power-play correlation. It has Matthew Tkachuk ($9,800) and Carter Verhaeghe ($7,600) playing together, and they are the team's top two scorers. They'll play on opposite sides with Anton Lundell ($4,100), but you can also just use Barkov with these guys to get Florida's three best forwards in a stack.
The Panthers will face the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have been a mixed bag of late. In the month of March, they've allowed at least four goals in seven of 13 games, as goaltending remains a question. That doesn't bode well for them as they face this Panthers team.
Florida's implied team total is the second-highest on the slate, and this is definitely the game you'll want to target on this small slate.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs sit firmly in the second spot in the Atlantic. There aren't many questions regarding their forwards going into the playoffs, and tonight's game is the kind of game that usually sees them perform well.
Toronto's top line contains the duo of Auston Matthews ($10,100) and Mitchell Marner ($8,200). Matthews is tied for the team lead in goals with 36. Marner leads the team with 94 points and should be able to reach the century mark for the first time in his career. Playing with these guys at even strength will be Calle Jarnkrok ($4,500), who has chipped in nicely with 18 goals this season.
You can also use the second line as a stack, with William Nylander ($8,300) and John Tavares ($8,600) being the main attractions. Nylander is tied with Matthews for the team lead in goals, while Tavares just netted two in Toronto's most recent game to bring him to 32 on the season. Then you can play Alexander Kerfoot ($4,400) as salary relief for this stack.
Florida really struggles to keep the puck out of their net, and the Leafs can take advantage of that. The Panthers have allowed 21 goals in their last four games, including six against Toronto last Thursday.
Toronto has the highest implied team total -- by far -- on this slate, and either of their top two lines should be able to play well in this game.
Washington Capitals
The first two stacks on this list are fairly obvious, but we are going a little off the board for the third. The Washington Capitals have virtually no shot at making the playoffs, and this matchup might scare away some fantasy players. However, the Caps still have some things going in their favor that we can use to our advantage.
As usual, a Capitals' stack revolves around Alex Ovechkin ($8,500). He's seventh in the NHL in goals with 42 on the season. Dylan Strome ($6,300) has turned out to be a good signing for Washington, as he's second on the team in points. He'll play with Ovechkin on this line and on the top power play.
Tom Wilson ($5,300) will also play on this line, and he's been solid with 16 points in just 25 games this season.John Carlson ($7,700) is back in the lineup and has three points and 10 shots on goal in his two games since returning from injury. He's a priority option to stack with Ovechkin if you want power-play correlation.
Washington is at home tonight against the New York Islanders. The Islanders have a reputation for being a great defensive team, but they actually give up quite a lot of shots and chances. They allow the 10th-most expected goals per 60 minutes. If Ilya Sorokin isn't on his game for New York, they could allow some goals in this game.
The Capitals likely won't be popular, but they are in a spot that is better than most realize. Whenever you can access a goal-scorer like Ovechkin when he's a bit under the radar, it's a great opportunity to play him.
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.