3 Daily Fantasy NHL Stacks for Thursday 3/16/23
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.
With some of the games going on in the NHL lately, the term March Madness can be applied to hockey, too. Let's look at three teams to stack on this 11-game slate.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers were one of the best teams to stack last season, as they were the highest-scoring team in the NHL since 1995-96. They haven't been scoring as much but are still elite at creating scoring chances, and they should be able to do that in bunches tonight.
The Panthers didn't always have clean lines to stack last year, and that's the case again this season. Their best center, Aleksander Barkov ($7,900), will play on the first line and first power play. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a power-play-correlated linemate, as Eetu Luostarinen ($5,200) and Anthony Duclair ($6,100) both play on the second unit. If you want someone to play with Barkov who plays on the first power play, Brandon Montour ($6,800) makes sense.
The second line might be a little more enticing, as it contains the two leading goal scorers on the team. Matthew Tkachuk ($9,700) and Carter Verhaeghe ($7,700) each have over 30 goals this season. Tkachuk has been excellent in his first season with the Panthers, as he's tied for fifth in the league with 87 points. Verhaeghe leads the team with a career-high 32 goals. They'll play on the wings of center Sam Bennett ($5,900) and play together on the first power play.
Florida will play the Montreal Canadiens at home tonight. Montreal has already played twice this week, and they allowed 12 goals in those two games. Overall, they've allowed the sixth-most goals per game in the NHL.
The Panthers have the highest implied team total on the slate, as it sits at 4.13 goals. They should be a popular team tonight but with good reason.
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings may be going under the radar a bit as one of the better teams in the West. Since February 1st, they have the second-best points percentage in the league and also have scored the second-most goals per game.
The Kings are likely to be without Kevin Fiala, but that actually makes their top line a better stack. This puts Quinton Byfield ($3,800) on the first power play, along with being on the top line. Adrian Kempe ($6,500) has scored over 30 goals for the second straight season. Anze Kopitar ($6,900) is the center of this line and is on pace for his best offensive season since 2017-18.
LA will be at home tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus traded two players to LA before the deadline and has been playing poorly since then. They allowed five goals to a San Jose Sharks team that is at the bottom of the West in their previous game.
The Kings have an implied team total that only trails Florida's tonight. Their first line is very affordable compared to their team total, making them an easy choice to stack on this slate.
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks have taken a lot of heat from the media and fans this season for the way they've managed their team. It is warranted, as they aren't close to competing for a playoff spot for the third season in a row. However, they have won five games in a row and have some players we can feel good about rostering tonight.
We've seen Elias Pettersson ($9,700) re-emerge as one the best young centers in the game this season. He's 10th in the league with 83 points and has 7 in his last five games. He's helped Andrei Kuzmenko ($6,300) have a fantastic season for his first year in the league, leading the team with 33 goals. Anthony Beauvillier ($4,800) has been solid since coming over in the trade with the New York Islanders, with 14 points in 17 games.
Vancouver will face the Arizona Coyotes on the road tonight. Arizona allows the second-most shots on goal per game and will be playing career minor league goalie Ivan Prosvetov for just his eighth game in the NHL.
The Canucks aren't a good team, but they are a fun one to stack in DFS. They are 10th in goals per game, ahead of the likes of the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Colorado Avalanche. Tonight, their implied team total is the fifth-highest on the slate, and they are a great option.
Others to Consider: Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, Seattle Kraken, Colorado Avalanche
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.
