4 Daily Fantasy Hockey Stacks for 3/5/20

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.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost one of their best players but their offense isn't slowing down.

That player is Steven Stamkos, who is going to be out for six weeks but it opens up a spot on their top forward line and first power-play unit. A bit of value on a high-powered offense is always good, especially since they have a slate-high 3.68 implied goal total tonight versus the Montreal Canadiens. With their lines changed, we lose full ice-time correlation but they are still worth stacking tonight. Both teams sit in the top 10 of the league in Corsi For (Shot Attempts Created), putting in a spot for plenty of offense tonight.

That top line is now Nikita Kucherov ($8,400), Brayden Point ($7,100), and Ondrej Palat ($5,000), who come in with nine points and 26 shots in their last five games. Both Kucherov and Point are on the first power-play, while Palat is on the second unit. This stack should be good for both formats tonight and it helps you capture three parts of the Tampa offense -- the first forward line, first power-play, and second power-play.

Edmonton Oilers

You almost need some exposure to the Edmonton Oilers tonight.

Leon Draisaitl ($8,700) is making his case to win both the Hart Trophy (League MVP) and the Art Ross Trophy (Most Points) this season, and you want as many shares of him tonight as you can afford. He comes in with 18 points and a remarkable 39 shots in his last 10 games. He could single-handedly win you a tournament, and it can get even better if you stack his entire line. He is on the first power-play unit with Connor McDavid ($8,900), making this one of the most expensive stacks on the slate, and this is only two players.

I'm not saying you shouldn't play McDavid -- he is amazing -- but there is an argument for stacking the Oilers' second line with Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($7,200) and Kailer Yamamoto ($4,600). These two players have 25 points and 42 shots combined in their last 10 games. Simply from a roster construction standpoint, it can be tough to have McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins in the same lineup. You can choose to fade McDavid, but since they are all on the first power-play together, you'd still get some exposure to him tonight.

Pittsburgh Penguins

A road team with a high implied goal total?

The Pittsburgh Penguins put up seven goals in their most recent game and could be on a path to a similar performance tonight. They are on the road to take on the Buffalo Sabres but are holding a strong 3.28 implied team total -- the fifth-highest on the slate. The Sabres will have Jonas Johansson in net tonight, a goalie who has just five NHL games played in his career -- all this season -- and has allowed three goals or more in three of those five games. Yikes. Buffalo could be sending a lamb to slaughter here, and it likely won't end well.

Opposite the rookie netminder will be the Pens' always dangerous power play with Sidney Crosby ($8,600), Evgeni Malkin ($8,100), Bryan Rust ($5,300) and Jason Zucker ($6,600). There are plenty of home teams on tonight's slate who are large favorites and have high implied goal totals -- which has me leaning to the Penguins on the road even more. Aiming for lower ownership plus their upside could pay off big time tonight.

Los Angeles Kings

What if the Los Angeles Kings are actually a viable stack tonight?

They are at home and a +155 underdog, but we could see them scoring some goals. They are taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the over/under is set at 6.5 goals. What's interesting about the Kings' offense this season is that they have the third-highest Coris For (Shot Attempts Created) but have the second-fewest goals scored in the league. It's a weird dynamic to see, because they are good on paper, but in reality, their offense is bad.

Hopefully, they get a few of those shots to go in today since they are taking on Frederik Andersen, who has allowed three or more goals in six of his last eight games.

To recap, we have an offense that creates opportunities, can't normally convert those chances into goals, and is set to take on a struggling goalie. Hmm. Maybe they get a bit of puck luck tonight and some lucky bounces to go their way? It also helps that the first forward line isn't too expensive and can ease roster construction a bit. Anze Kopitar ($7,600) is the only expensive option on the team, and he is their best player. Alongside him, we have Dustin Brown ($4,700) and Alex Iafallo ($5,100), who have a modest 11 points in their last five games.