Christopher Day 
This article discusses lineup construction for NHL DFS on FanDuel for December 17th. While there are many different sports and various contests pertaining to DFS along with their respective strategies, we focus on the main approach to build both reliable cash and GPP lineups for a successful NHL night: line stacking. By taking players’ prices, matchups, and recent performance into account, this will offer you an edge over the competition. PLEASE make sure to double-check any last-minute injury news; whether it may be someone coming back from injury or someone that got hurt during the morning skate, as well as changes to a club’s special teams’ units and the starting goalie. GOOD LUCK TO ALL!
TopLine Stacks
Boston1: Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak
On a big NHL slate, I still like to stick to our main strategy when building a core: line stacking. Despite there being many options available to us, the Bruins top line is in a great spot at home looking to get back on track versus the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings are last in the Western Conference and allow 3.14 goals per game; their 29th ranked penalty kill, running at 74%, is one of their main issues. The Bruins’ price tags are high, leaving us scrambling for cheaper options to fill out the rest of our forwards which is why I am prioritizing three 2-man stacks on tonight’s slate; Pastrnak and Marchand are my two favorites with so many options at center tonight.
Tampa Bay 2: Killorn – Cirelli – Stamkos
With NHL all-star winger Nikita Kucherov nursing a lower-body injury, coach Jon Cooper shuffled his lines for tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators. Cirelli is being asked to center the second line with Killorn and Stamkos flanking his wings. Cirelli has proven to have an offensive touch when asked to step up into an offensive role and is considered an elite target at $4,500 on FanDuel. With Killorn and Stamkos seeing time on the top powerplay unit, they are my two favorite targets in what should be an offensive game. Make sure to stay tuned as Kucherov is a game-time decision. Tampa Bay comes in with an implied team total of 4.5 as -425 favorites.
Toronto 1: Hyman – Tavares – Marner
As one of the most intriguing NHL games on the slate, I want my share of exposure to the Toronto Maple Leafs-Buffalo Sabres game. In their two meetings thus far this season, the two clubs have combined for 13 goals, each with one win apiece. John Tavares has been on fire versus Buffalo throughout his career with 40 points in 32 games, including 4 points in 2 games this season. On the flip side, I love the other end of this matchup with Jack Eichel and his linemates Victor Olofsson and Sam Reinhart; Eichel has 20 points in 15 games versus Toronto in his career, including 4 points in their 2 games this season.
Vegas Golden Knights 2: Pacioretty – Stephenson –Stone
Having combined for 17 points over their last four games, Vegas’ second line is an elite NHL stack tonight. Most notably, Max Pacioretty (5 goals and 8 points) and Mark Stone (1 goal and 6 points) are on fire in their last four games and face a Minnesota Wild team allowing 3.26 goals per game on the season that is starting back up goaltender Alex Stalock tonight with starter Devan Dubnyk out for personal reasons. If running a two-man stack, Pacioretty and Stone are my favorites.
Top Defensive Options
VictorHedman, Tampa Bay Lightning ($6,300)
If paying up tonight on defense, Victor Hedman is the man I want in my NHL lineups. After having 7 points in a 4-game span, Hedman has recently cooled off with 1 point in his last four but is in a great bounce-back spot tonight versus the Ottawa Senators. The Senators average the fifth-most penalty minutes 10.1 per game and 16 of Hedman’s 28 points this season have come on the powerplay.
RasmusDahlin, Buffalo Sabres ($5,300)
Dahlin is in his third game back from a concussion and has 2 points in his last two games. Quarterbacking an elite Sabres powerplay bolstering Jack Eichel and Victor Olofsson, I love this play stacked with Buffalo’s top line.
SheaTheodore, Vegas Golden Knights ($4,800)
With 5 points in his last two games and assuming a role on Vegas’ top powerplay unit with Stone and Pacioretty, Theodore is an offensive NHL talent worth considering in your stacks tonight.
JakobChychrun, Arizona Coyotes ($3,800)
I’ll never understand how FanDuel has not yet raised his price. Chychrun offers a tremendous saving on the backend with his salary of $3,800 and has a safe floor with 57 blocked shots and 80 shots in 35 games played this NHL season. In a matchup versus the high-flying Sharks, Chychrun will be in a lot of my lineups.
Top Goalie Options
Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins ($8,500)
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning ($9,000)
Thomas Greiss, New York Islanders ($7,900)
Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins ($8,300)
