Debate Team - Which High Scoring Team is the Best Stack Option?
Each week, two of theScore's Fantasy experts weigh in on a contentious topic. This week: Which team offers better offensive stacking options: the Washington Capitals or Boston Bruins?
Josh Ghatak: My choice here is the Boston Bruins for two main reasons.
The Bruins possess great depth. Specific to goal scoring, the Bruins have seven players with more than 10 goals and three with more than 20. With respect to overall points, the Bruins have 14 players with 10 or more points and five with more than 40.
Your first counterattack will be that these numbers are similar to Washington'stotal, which I'm not denying, but that leads me to my second point: value.
The depth of the Bruins scoring stretches throughout the lineup to names like Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleskey, Jimmy Hayes, Brett Connolly, and David Pastrnak. These players come much cheaper in DFS and in season-long (as a hypothetical trade trade), but are providing production similar to names like Justin Williams, T.J. Oshie, and Marcus Johansson.
This robust production is a huge asset especially in DFS as players constantly try to extract maximum value from their picks.
There is no Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Backstrom combination in Boston - and therein lies the Bruins' advantage. Washington may have similar scoring numbers, but the Bruins provide it at a discounted rate in DFS.
Jason Wilson: You mentioned the Bruins' depth and didn't mention either Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci or Brad Marchand - and yet you cherry pick the most expensive Capitals.
The Bruins don't have the high octane attack found atop the Capitals' depth chart. The only knock against Ovie is his salary, which is lofty. But Kuznetsov and Backstrom are in the same ballpark as Bergeron and Marchand.
Ovechkin tilts it slightly over to Washington being the more expensive choice in DFS, but if you want the most bona fide goal scorer in the game, you're going to have to pay.
If you're gun shy when it comes to Ovechkin, stacking Backstrom or Kuznetsov with Oshie or Williams will get the job done as often as any combo on the Bruins past the top tier. Since most of them skate with Ovechkin at least some of the time, there's a higher possibility of return on investment.
Josh Ghatak: My friend, I'm attempting to highlight the depth of the Boston offense - not the top three scorers.
While Boston does not have an Ovechkin on the roster, the Capitals don't have a 20-goal scorer aside from their captain. The significant drop from Ovechkin's 39 goals to Justin Williams' 19 is exactly what Boston can help fantasy players avoid.
If you're going to stack Washington, you absolutely need to roster Ovechkin (and his monster salary) in order to achieve the upside you're looking for. Otherwise, you may just end up with a bunch of assists. And once you load up on Ovechkin, DFS roster construction can become a massive headache.
On the other hand, Boston provides three options in Marchand (31 goals), Loui Eriksson (23) and Bergeron (22). A stack option on Boston is not only more feasible in terms of salary, but you also have more to pick from.
Jason Wilson: Incorrect. I'll admit that Boston has incredible roster depth, but so does Washington. It's often wise to stack a roster without Ovechkin. He's a virtual guarantee, but that salary is a hindrance. But, you know who actually has more points? Kuznetsov. He has 62 to Ovechkin's 56. Goals may be weighted more in DFS, but the volume is there.
Meanwhile, Backstrom has 54 points, just behind them both. But that's only the tip of the iceberg. LW Andre Burakovsky is coming into his own. His low averages are heavily skewed based on a poor early-season showing. He has eight points in his last 10 games - four goals and four assists - and costs a fraction of the price you'll pay for the elite.
Even less expensive is Jason Chimera, tied for fourth on the team with 17 goals - the same as the more expensive Backstrom and Oshie. As the season progresses to the stretch run, DFS owners may see the emergence of bargain fliers like C Mike Richards, who finally scored his first goal on the team.
Josh Ghatak: If you're looking for DFS bargain fliers, Boston is the place to shop. Boston boasts six players between 18-30 points in Pastrnak, Beleskey, Hayes, Connolly, and Spooner. In comparison, Washington has two forwards who qualify: Burakovsky and Tom Wilson.
Furthermore, these six players are already showing progress down the stretch. Their stats from the last ten games are shown below.
| Assits | Goals | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Pastrnak | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Jimmy Hayes | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Brett Connolly | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Matt Beleskey | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Ryan Spooner | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Bargain salaries and production like that can be the difference in DFS tournaments - especially when paired with top options like Marchand, Bergeron, Eriksson, and Krejci.
Washington simply doesn't have the wealth of value plays that Boston does.
Jason Wilson: At best, Boston's depth is on par with Washington's. That's being a little generous. Spooner and Beleskey, with four and five points over their last 10, don't exactly inspire confidence.
Reel it back a bit, though. When you're looking to stack teammates, who offers the best variety of top scoring? Washington. The Capitals feature three players with 15 or more power-play points. The Bruins feature one.
Despite Ovechkin's price, the Capitals have inexpensive supporting players that have been able to consistently tally points. Going for a full bargain stack is not a winning strategy. You want some heft. When you have the chance to roster the most prolific goal scoring talent of a generation, you take it.