4 Daily Fantasy Hockey Stacks for 1/2/20
When playing NHL DFS -- much like MLB DFS -- stacking is key. Having multiple players from the same team, who correlate together, can give your lineup upside and help you maximize potential points.
You can roster up to four players from the same team in NHL, and you should look to have players from the same forward line or power-play unit together. Shared ice time is the key, as it will maximize their ability to contribute to real-life goals with each other, ultimately leading to more fantasy points for us.
Generally, we don't see late scratches in the NHL, and the team's lines are confirmed at practice or before the game. Two of the best resources for that are LeftWingLock.com or DailyFaceOff.com. That is where you can find updated forward and power-play lines for each team.
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are looking to be one of the more popular teams on tonight's slate. Let's take a look at why.
Calgary is a large home favorite -- -180, the third-highest on the slate -- and has the highest implied goal total (3.65). This is a very natural spot to look, and it should make the Flames chalky in both cash games and tournaments tonight. They are hosting the New York Rangers, who have proven to be a profitable to stack against. They are dead last in the league when it comes to Corsi Against, expected goals against, and the number of High-Danger-Scoring-Chances allowed per 60 minutes.
The Rangers are bad on defense. They were last year, and not much has changed for them. You want to be stacking against them whenever they are on the slate for both a floor of points and a potential ceiling.
Thankfully, the Flames have reunited their top forward line of John Gaudreau ($7,100), Sean Monahan ($7,100), and Elias Lindholm ($6,200). They are all on the first power-play unit together and aren't too expensive when it comes to first-forward lines. They have modest production over their last five games -- 13 points and 31 shots -- but this is the ideal matchup for them to get things going in the right direction.
Florida Panthers
If the Flames are going to be one of the most popular teams on the slate, the Florida Panthers shouldn't be too far behind them.
The Panthers are on the road but still carry a strong 3.39 implied goal total as they are up against the Ottawa Senators -- another team we've been attacking all season. If the Panthers were are home instead of on the road, you could make the argument that they would be the top overall stack on the night for any format. That is the type of upside they have, considering how well they've been playing combined with the Senators' weak defense. The Senators are sitting right between being 'bad' and being 'fun'. They simply aren't strong on defense, but they also play at a very fast pace -- which enables the opposing team to produce scoring chances.
This is the ideal scenario for DFS, since we should see shots and scoring chances coming early and often for the Panthers. If you are looking to stack Florida, you want to go right up to their top line with Jonathan Huberdeau ($7,700), Evgeni Dadonov ($5,900), and Aleksander Barkov ($7,700), a trio that has 32 points and 71 shots in their last 10 games. Huberdeau accounts for 17 of those 32 points and is on fire right now. He's a near must-play tonight.
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders come in as the largest home favorite on the slate. Do we have to stack them?
Sitting at -210 favorite, the Isles are the largest home favorite and carry a 3.17 implied goal total -- the eighth-highest on the slate. The Isles certainly aren't one of the better offensive teams in the league, but they are expected to come away with the win in a soft matchup against the New Jersey Devils. The Devils have been carrying a negative expected goal differential since the middle of November, along with a negative shot differential the entire season. The Isles aren't amazing on offense, but this is a matchup you want to attack every chance you can.
Part of what makes the Islanders appealing tonight are their cheaper salaries, which help with roster construction and fitting in those top stacks. The second forward line with Brock Nelson ($5,800), Derick Brassard ($4,500), and Anthony Beauvillier ($4,300) is very affordable and gets you exposure to both of their power-play units.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins suffered another big injury on Monday night. They lost Jake Guentzel for the year -- another major injury to their already watered-down lineup. Guentzel has been their second-best player this season behind Evgeni Malkin ($8,600) and leaves some big shoes -- err, skates -- to be filled.
Their top line now has Alex Galchenyuk ($4,200) and Bryan Rust ($6,100) alongside Malkin. The Penguins are carrying a 3.60 implied goal total tonight -- the second-highest on the slate -- so we should be looking toward them despite the loss of Guentzel.
The Pens are up against the San Jose Sharks, who will have Aaron Dell in net tonight, which is why the Penguins implied is so high. Dell is the 65th-rated goalie this season, simply not good at all. You want to attack him even with the current Penguins' lineup.
