Daily Fantasy Stacking: 03-23-18
With only four games on the slate tonight there’s limited stacking options available. To each their own, but I can’t imagine building a lineup tonight around anything but one of the two high-priced options I’ve highlighted below. Good luck!
Carl Hagelin ($5,000)-Evgeni Malkin ($7,900)-Patric Hornqvist ($7,100)
Malkin and Pittsburgh 2 have been DFS darlings of late, largely, if not entirely, thanks to the play of the big Russian. Malkin has three multi-point games in his last six outings, and Friday night’s matchup with the Devils should bring more of the same.
While the Sidney Crosby line might be their number 1 on paper, there really is no practical difference in head coach Mike Sullivan’s utilization of his top two lines. They receive almost identical ice-time, and when he has the last change available to him he opts against strict line-matching and instead chooses just to match top-six against top-six. What that means for Pittsburgh 2 tonight is they’ll see a mix of New Jersey 1 and 2 at 5v5. Both of the Devils’ top two lines surrender around 30 scoring chances per 60, so either makes for a strong matchup.
Pittsburgh prices have skyrocketed of late which will likely scare a lot of DFS players from playing the full line. Keep in mind that there’s not a lot of value to be found anywhere in the Penguins’ lineup. If you’re looking to build around Malkin there really isn’t a cheaper option available than Hagelin for $5,000.
Jaden Schwartz ($6,600)-Brayden Schenn ($6,500)-Vladimir Tarasenko ($7,000)
Tarasenko is expected to play Friday night after missing the last couple of games with an upper-body injury. He’ll slide right back onto the top line alongside the red-hot Schwartz and Schenn, who have combined for 9 points (3G/6A) and 39 shots on goal in their last five games. The three of them boast a 58.73 CF% together on the season and average over 40 scoring chances per 60.
With the last change in their favour tonight, St. Louis 1 should spend the majority of their ice-time tonight in an advantageous matchup with the Sedins. Henrik and Daniel currently make up the Canucks’ second line with Sam Gagner. While the three have strong offensive numbers together this season, they’ve given up opportunities at an alarming rate, surrendering over 37 scoring chances per 60. The Canucks don’t have the strongest goaltending, so that many projected opportunities for shooters of Schenn and Tarensko’s caliber should have DFS players chomping at the bit to play them. If you want to add a defenceman to this stack, I suggest finding a way to fit Alex Pietrangelo ($5,900) into your budget.