4 Daily Fantasy Hockey Stacks for 2/20/20
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.
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals have always been a great team to stack and tonight is no different.
With a 3.82 implied goal total, the Capitals are at the top of the slate, while the next team is at 3.44 implied total. That is a large difference for totals and clearly sets the Capitals apart tonight, which should bring plenty of ownership. As you would assume, they are also a large -200 home favorite, pointing us in their direction even further tonight.
A few things are always true with the Capitals. They bring slate-winning upside and can score seemingly at will -- but are very expensive. There are eight games on tonight's slate and plenty of value options, though, so you can find the salary to afford them.
A Capitals stack always starts with Alex Ovechkin ($8,800), who is sitting on the doorstep of 700 career goals. He has now gone five straight games without a goal and tonight is when he gets back on the score sheet. Alongside Ovechkin on the first power-play, we have Nicklas Backstrom ($6,300), John Carlson ($7,200), and T.J. Oshie ($6,800). Stack all four if you have the salary open, or mix and match whoever fits in your lineup.
Winnipeg Jets
How much ownership will the Winnipeg Jets see tonight? That is an important question.
We've established the Capitals are in a great spot, and we also have the Tampa Bay Lightning at home with a high team total, and the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins playing each other.
Then the Jets are sitting there, potentially lost in the mix. Why is that? The Jets are on the road but carry a 3.44 implied team total -- higher than all other teams except the Capitals. Home teams, generally, see higher ownership compared to road teams, which puts the Jets in an interesting spot tonight for tournaments. They have a great matchup versus the Ottawa Senators, who are terrible on defense.
The Jets have recently changed their forward lines, where they now have two skaters on the first forward line and two on the second forward line, plus one defender. It's a bit spread out right now, but targeting the second forward line brings everything you need. Andrew Copp ($3,500) is now the center on this line and brings plenty of value. Patrik Laine ($8,200) and Kyle Connor ($6,500) are the wingers on this line and come in with a combined 10 points and 45 shots in their last five games.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils aren't a good NHL team, but they can be stacked in tournaments tonight.
I'm not here to talk about the actual Devils' lineup and their overall quality, but rather what they bring to this slate. They are home favorites, have an implied team total at 3.14, and are cheap tonight.
The Devils make a clear secondary stack that can be fit into nearly any lineup. You want to pay up for the Capitals, Lightning, or Jets? You will need the savings, and the Devils can be that answer tonight. And on top of that, they have a strong matchup versus the San Jose Sharks, who have all three of their defensive pairings rated 15th or worse this season.
Simply from a roster construction standpoint tonight, the Devils make a whole lot of sense. Jack Hughes ($4,200), Nico Hischier ($5,200), and Kyle Palmieri ($6,500) are the first line for the Devils, along with all being on the first power-play together. They have full ice-time correlation and are at a cheaper price tag, in a good matchup, and with an implied team total over 3.00. What more do you want?
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are similar to the Devils tonight as a potential secondary stack.
You can look to the Kings tonight for many of the same reasons you are looking to the Devils -- cheaper prices tags, a good matchup, and an ideal fit for roster construction.
Learning the "metagame" of DFS is super important, and in NHL it comes down to stacking. That has always proven to give you the most upside, which is why we want to target the Kings tonight. They are facing the Florida Panthers, who are on the second night of a back-to-back and come in having allowed three goals or more in eight of their last 10 games.
A weak defense to attack and cheaper price tags on the Kings' skaters make them viable tonight. Anze Kopitar ($7,400) is by far the Kings' best player but also the most expensive. Dustin Brown ($4,700), Alex Iafallo ($5,200), and Adrian Kempe ($3,900) round out the first power-play, bring the necessary savings tonight.
