4 Daily Fantasy Hockey Stacks for 1/7/20
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
We have a massive 12-game slate tonight, and there are great options across the board, but the Washington Capitals set themselves apart.
The Capitals are coming off a near-historic comeback on Sunday, scoring two goals in the final minute of the third period, then winning the game in overtime. They have an amazing offense -- the third-highest scoring in the league -- and now face one of the worst defenses in the Ottawa Senators. This leads to the Capitals coming in with a massive 3.99 implied goal total, the highest on the slate.
The Capitals have a rolling shot differential per 60 minutes which has been positive since November 15th. They are great at generating offensive pressure every game. On the other hand, the Senators have a rolling shot differential per 60 minutes which has been negative the entire season -- yes, every game.
Alex Ovechkin ($8,500) has been in a slight 'slump' lately, with only one goal in his last five games and three in his last 10 games. He isn't cheap by any means, but he's under $9K, which is nice. He is on the first power-play unit with Nicklas Backstrom ($6,500), T.J. Oshie ($6,900), Evgeny Kuznetsov ($7,800), and John Carlson ($7,100). Mix and match them any way you see fit -- they are all viable and it only comes down to salary constraints tonight.
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are on the second night of a back-to-back, but there is no travel for them.
I was big on the Avs last night against the New York Islanders, and they didn't do anything. Now, they are up against the New York Rangers, who will have Igor Shesterkin in net to make his NHL debut. Shesterkin was called up from the AHL but comes from the KHL and is the all-time leader in save percentage and goals-against average. That is certainly great, but he is now facing the Avalanche, who are the second-best team in the Western Conference and have scored the second-most goals in the league.
The Avalanche have scoring from all over the place, and this will be a tough test for the rookie. The top power-play unit for the Avalanche consists of Nathan MacKinnon ($9,200), Joonas Donskoi ($4,500), Mikko Rantanen ($7,700), Andre Burakovsky ($3,900), and Cale Makar ($5,600). Considering the Rangers are at the bottom of the league when it comes Corsi Against, expected goals against, and the number of High-Danger-Scoring-Chances allowed per 60 minutes, the Avalanche are in a great spot tonight.
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are on the road to take on the Chicago Blackhawks and could be in for a wild game.
The over/under is set at 6.5 in this game and that could be too low. We saw these teams play one week ago, with the final scoring being 5-3 in favor of Chicago. Plenty of goals, plenty of fantasy points, and plenty of chances to stack players up. Despite winning 7 of their last 10 games, the Blackhawks aren't a good team and have one of the worst defenses in the league. They hold a 60.06 Corsi Against -- the fourth-worst in the league -- and allow 12.62 High-Danger-Scoring-Chances per 60 minutes -- the second-worst in the league.
Look towards the second forward line with Elias Lindholm ($6,200), Matthew Tkachuk ($6,900), and Andrew Mangiapane ($3,800), who have 11 points and 33 shots in their last five games. This is also a very viable spot to do a game stack and run it back with some Chicago players.
St. Louis Blues
With a 3.42 implied goal total, the St. Louis Blues should be a popular team tonight.
I don't write about the Blues often since they aren't the ideal team when it comes to NHL DFS. They have the second-lowest Corsi For this season and simply don't generate a ton of offensive pressure. They are a great real-life hockey team, but that doesn't always translate to fantasy points.
However, they are in a great spot to attack the San Jose Sharks tonight, so we should view this as an opportunity for both cash games and tournaments. The Blues' most expensive skater is only $6,600, which is always nice to see when a team is a -195 home favorites -- not too expensive and in a spot to pick up the win.
The first forward line consists of Jaden Schwartz ($6,000), Brayden Schenn ($5,200), and Jordan Kyrou ($3,200). Kyrou is a bit of a punt play, but the first two players are on the first power-play together, and they help ease the process of roster construction overall tonight.
