3 Daily Fantasy NHL Stacks for Thursday 1/5/23
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.
We've got 10 games on Thursday, and definitely have some interesting options that we can stack.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been very solid since an initial wobble to start the season. They are second in the Atlantic and still can push for the division title, with motivation to avoid a tough first-round matchup. Tonight's game should see some of the Leafs' stars continue to play well.
Not many people would have penciled in William Nylander ($8,900) having more goals and points than Auston Matthews ($10,000), but that is the case currently. Nylander leads the team in both categories and has 12 points in his last seven games. Matthews has a goal and an assist in each of the last two games, and we know he can go on runs of being an unstoppable force. Toronto's best fantasy player in the last two games has actually been Michael Bunting ($6,000), as he's scored twice in each outing. Bunting is now on the top power play with these guys, as well, making him a good value at his salary.
Toronto will play the Seattle Kraken at home tonight. Seattle hasn't been the worst team defensively this season, but they do give up goals in bunches. They've allowed at least five goals in a game 11 times this season. This is accentuated by their poor penalty kill, as their 68.4% success rate is the second-worst in the NHL.
The Leafs carry the highest implied team total on this slate, and with the way this line has played of late, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them be what you need to win tournaments tonight.
Washington Capitals
Due to injuries, the Washington Capitals seemed unlikely to be contenders in a division and conference loaded with potential playoff teams, but a surge up the standings has them right in the thick of the hunt. They're up to seventh in the league in goals and have a great matchup tonight.
Any decision point for stacking the Capitals continues to revolve around Alex Ovechkin ($9,900). He has been on fire, with eight goals in his last five games. He's now tied for third in the league with 28 goals. Evgeny Kuznetsov ($6,400) is now joining him on the first line and is second on the team in points. Their skill sets compliment each other well -- Ovechkin is a volume shooter while Kuznetsov is definitely a setup man. A key element to this stack is Erik Gustafsson ($4,300), who is now on the top power play at defense. He is capable of manning a power play and has 13 points in his last eight games.
Washington is on the road tonight, but they'll face a Columbus Blue Jackets team that is deeply struggling. The Blue Jackets lost their last game 4-0 and have gone 2-8-0 in their last 10 games. They rank next-to-last in both goals against and shots against per game.
This three-man stack won't break the bank too much and comes with huge upside. Washington's team total only trails Toronto's on this slate, and the Caps are a fun team to stack with how they've been playing of late.
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers were struggling to capture the magic that saw them make the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Then, a solid run that included winning seven of their last 10 games has seen them jump back into contention in the Metropolitan. They have some players playing well, and they are guys who could excel in tonight's game.
The duo of Mika Zibanejad ($9,000) and Chris Kreider ($6,600) was separated for a little while, but they're back together on the first line. Zibanejad leads the team with 19 goals and is the triggerman on the power play. Kreider doesn't look like he will match last season's 52 goals, but his current pace of 35 would be the second-best season in his career. Kaapo Kakko ($4,700) has nine points in his last 10 games and has been a solid addition to this line.
The second line also has two players on the top power play. Artemi Panarin ($7,100) leads the team with 44 points and is sixth in the NHL with 33 assists. Vincent Trocheck ($6,600) is finding his feet with the Rangers, totaling 12 points in his last 10 games. Vitali Kravtsov ($3,400) is a nice value addition to this line. He hasn't shown much to this point in his NHL career, but he's a talented offensive player who will play with good linemates.
New York takes on the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. Montreal was better than expected to start the year, but of late, they've turned into what we thought they were. They've lost five games in a row and eight of their last 10. They've also been horrible defensively in recent games and have allowed a whopping 22 goals in their last three outings.
The Rangers have one of the best matchups of the night, which means both of their top two lines are in play. You can also add defenseman Adam Fox ($7,200) to either of these line stacks. Fox is fourth in points for blueliners and will quarterback the top power play.
Others to Consider: Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers
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.
