3 Daily Fantasy NHL Stacks for Thursday 2/24/22
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, as if one player on a line is scoring goals, it's likely that his linemates are getting assists as well. Ideally, we'll want players that 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're back to normal tournaments in the NHL on Thursday, but there is still some money to be made with some stacks.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins have cooled off since their hot stretch. They've lost two in a row and have gone 4-3-3 in their last 10 games. Luckily for them, they'll get a good matchup tonight, which could see them score a lot of goals.
The Penguins' top line had all missed time early in the campaign, but they've been healthy and together for a while now. Sidney Crosby ($8,400) and Jake Guentzel ($8,700) both have four goals and nine assists in their last 10 games. Bryan Rust ($9,500) has been scoring the goals on this line during that time, with eight in his last 10. All three members of this line are on the top power-play unit, as well.
Pittsburgh will take on the New Jersey Devils at home. The Devils have been struggling for most of the season, sitting last in the Metropolitan Division. They also have allowed the fifth-most goals per game on the year.
The salaries are high on the Penguins, but they are the best stack that offers full correlation on this slate. Their implied team total is close to four, and this line could easily break the slate.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers scored four goals again on Tuesday, albeit in a losing effort. This actually lowered their average goals per game to 4.12. It might be a bit of a disappointment if they don't exceed that total tonight.
The Panthers' lines don't make for the cleanest stacks tonight. Aleksander Barkov ($9,100) is playing with Carter Verhaeghe ($5,500) and Maxim Mamin ($3,700) at even strength. Unfortunately, there is no power-play correlation between anyone on this line.
You could stack Barkov with Jonathan Huberdeau ($8,900) and Anthony Duclair ($5,900) for power-play correlation. We've also seen these guys link up in the third period of close games in the recent past. That would form a dangerous trio that could score goals together. You could also add defender Aaron Ekblad ($6,900), as he has goals in his last four games.
Florida gets a matchup, and it is one they have loved so far this season. They'll face the Columbus Blue Jackets for the third time. They have won 8-4 and 9-2 against Columbus so far this season. The Jackets' will also be without top defenseman Zach Werenski, making things even tougher for them.
Florida could go nuts in this matchup, so you'll definitely want to try to fit them into lineups.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs were pretty good to us on Tuesday. They didn't break the slate, but they did well and generated a ton of chances from the first line. They have a similar opportunity today in a good game environment.
Toronto's first line clicked pretty well in that game two days ago. Auston Matthews ($10,200) did his thing, scoring a goal while adding two assists and 11 shots on goal. Michael Bunting ($5,700) was also productive with a goal and an assist. Mitchell Marner ($8,300) had an assist for his only point in three games, but he does have 14 shots on goal in those three games. There would be more reason for concern if he wasn't getting those chances. Morgan Rielly ($6,400) is also someone you can use in this stack, as he is seventh in points among defensemen with 43.
The Leafs will face the Minnesota Wild in what should be a high-scoring affair. Minnesota isn't the same lockdown defensive team that we've seen them be in the past. They rank in the middle of the pack in most defensive metrics. We just saw them allow four goals to a weakened Ottawa Senators team, and the Leafs have much more firepower than the Sens do.
There is somewhat of a narrative that Toronto is struggling after their third loss in a row. They'll face a tough opponent tonight, but it's still a team they can score against. If the sentiment and matchup scare people away, we can take advantage and roster this line at perhaps lower popularity than it deserves.
Others to Consider: Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames
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.
