RotoBallers, welcome back to our daily fantasy hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings. Below you will find our NHL cheat sheet - DFS lineup picks, sleepers and stacks for Thursday, March 16 of the 2016/2017 NHL season.

Tonight we get a huge 12 game slate featuring eight of the top 10 offenses and all 10 of the bottom defenses. Expect another high-scoring night in daily fantasy hockey.

Four teams(PHI, BOS, DET, STL) are playing a back to back with eight teams playings their third game in four nights. Let's take a look at the three pack of picks and stack of the night.

NHL Daily League Lineup Picks for Thursday, March 16

For those that are new to this, each day we'll be providing you with a few of our top DFS lineup picks for daily league cash games on FanDuel and DraftKings. We will also provide you with one of our favorite teams to stack for GPPs. You can grab the rest of our Premium DFS lineup picks and stacks through the NHL Cheat Sheet and DFS Premium Pass below.

Eric Staal (C, MIN)

DraftKings - $5,700, FanDuel - $5,700

The balanced scoring attack of the Wild helps keep their fantasy players in very affordable spots. Staal leads the way tonight as he comes in red hot with four goals over his last three games with nine shots on goal. Staal gets to return to Carolina where he started his career and will face them for the second time(last with Rangers two years ago). Look for him to be amped up in his old barn and continue that goal scoring streak.

Nikita Kucherov (W, TB)

DraftKings - $8,000, FanDuel - $8,100

He comes at a premium price once again tonight but just can't be faded right now. With 25 points in 18 games since the All-Star break and has already set a career high with 69 points. He has also seen an uptick in shot volume with 40 shots on goal over the last 10 games and is averaging just under 3.5 per game for the season. He gets another top matchup tonight vs. a Leafs team that is coming off an embarrassing 7-2 loss.

Shayne Gostisbehere (D, PHI)

DraftKings - $4,800, FanDuel - $4,800

Ghost Bear has really started to get back in an offensive groove lately and has recorded a point in three of his last four games. His price is still in a value position under $5K on both sites and he has also kept the floor high with 29 shots on goal and 12 blocks over his last 10 games. He is safe in all formats.

Stacking Option

Columbus Blue Jackets PP1 - Alexander Wennberg, Cam Atkinson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Zach Werenski

The Blue Jackets enter tonight's matchup as a -165 favorite and one of four teams projected to score over three goals. Targeting the top powerplay line gives you exposure to all three of their top lines and is a very affordable option that can be used in al formats.

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Lineup Optimizer/Generator & Sleepers Tool

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Premium NHL DFS Lineup Picks & Cheat Sheet

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Bonus: General NHL DFS Strategy Notes

For cash games, look at players who can contribute to your score even when they are not providing offense. Some examples are guys who take a ton of shots and defensemen who block a lot of shots. Also, look for guys who get power play time. You can find value in players who join a new line due to an injury, or just get a promotion and more ice time. It is also recommended to spread out your exposure to three or four different lines, and not put all your eggs in one basket.

For large field tournaments (GPPs), find payers who have multi-point upside and can grab double-digit fantasy points. If you want to stack the most upside in your forwards, a common strategy is to punt the defense position. This doesn't mean just grab anyone - try and look for a defenseman who will get power play time, or a playing time boost due to an injury. For a contrarian approach, paying up at the defense position can be a great strategy - but it also comes with more risk. GPPs bring a great opportunity for goaltenders in the value price range - you can look for backups on good teams.