NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 1/13/21
Hockey is officially back! The NHL season returns tonight with a five-game slate to kick things off. NHL DFS is similar to MLB in terms of how you build lineups, how you view stacking, and how to value players.
Two main points to always focus on in NHL DFS are what lines the players are on and making sure the goalies you are rostering are confirmed as the starters. Two of the best resources for that are LeftWingLock.com or DailyFaceOff.com. That is where you can find updated forward and power-play lines for each team, along with which goalies are confirmed as the starters.
Let's jump in to take a look at today's slate and some players to consider for your lineups.
Goalie to Target
Andrei Vasilevskiy ($8,600): The Tampa Bay Lightning come in as -250 home favorites tonight, which makes Vasilevskiy a clear option in net. Vasilevskiy is confirmed as the starting goalie for the Lightning tonight and is a clear cash game option since he is taking on the Chicago Blackhawks, who, for lack of a better term, are bad.
The former Vezina Trophy winner should pick up right where he left off last season, allowing under 3.00 goals per game, with a save percentage around .920%. Pay up for the relative safety Vasilevskiy brings to your lineups, even though he is likely to be super chalky tonight.
Carey Price ($7,500): If you are willing to take on some risk tonight, Price could be the answer for some tournament lineups. Price is confirmed as the starter for the Montreal Canadiens, who are on the road in Toronto as +120 underdogs. That isn't a massive underdog and seems to be closer to a coin-flip, which means the win is on the table for Price.
On top of that, his salary is very affordable, which will allow you to pay up for the top stacks on the slate. He also shouldn't be too popular in tournaments, which is always a benefit. Not to mention the fact he is in for a ton of saves since the Maple Leafs are known to shoot the puck plenty, ending last season with a 60.19 Corsi For (Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes, which was the fourth-highest in the league.
High-Priced Skaters
Nathan MacKinnon ($8,700): MacKinnon is always one of the top options anytime he is on the slate and tonight is no different. He skates on the first forward line and first power-play for the Colorado Avalanche, who are -145 home favorites against the St. Louis Blues. MacKinnon totaled 93 points in 69 games last season while leading the league with 318 shots on goal.
MacKinnon is projected for 18.6 FanDuel points tonight, which is the third-highest on the slate. Given the fact he is nearly the same price as Connor McDavid, we should see MacKinnon be less popular in tournaments since the Avalanche game has an over/under of 5.5, while McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are in a game with a total of 6.5. A very similar projection but the likely lower roster percentage is always valuable in tournaments.
Brock Boeser ($6,600): With J.T. Miller out of the lineup for the Vancouver Canucks, Boeser should be on the top power-play unit. Miller is in the NHL's COVID protocol and that means the Canucks will be changing their lines a bit. Boeser is now projected to be on the first forward line and the first power-play, making him a great option at winger tonight.
The Canucks have an implied goal total of 3.08 and are on the road to take on the Oilers, where the over/under is set at 6.5. This should be a very fantasy-friendly game environment since both teams finished in the bottom 10 of the league for Corsi Against per 60 Minutes last season.
Steven Stamkos ($8,400): Stop! Stammer time. Stammer is back for the Lightning and is looking great after his offseason surgery. Stamkos will be one of the top options on Tampa Bay throughout the entire season since they will be without Nikita Kucherov for the entire campaign. Stamkos is right where you would expect him to be and that is on the first forward line and first power-play unit.
The Lightning come in with a slate-high 3.89 implied goal total, putting them in a spot to be one of the chalkiest teams on the slate. You'll have to eat some chalk with Stamkos but it's worth it due to his floor and ceiling potential tonight.
Value Skaters
Jonathan Drouin ($4,600): Drouin should be a decently popular winger tonight since he has a solid role on the Canadiens and they are holding a 3.05 implied goal total versus the Maple Leafs. Drouin skates on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, which should provide him enough opportunities to rack up fantasy points. Last season, the Maple Leafs allowed 2.73 Goal Against per 60 minutes in 5 v 5 situations, which was the fifth-worst in the league. It's a solid matchup for Drouin and he has a great salary.
Alexander Edler ($4,300): Although Edler isn't on a power-play unit, he is still a strong option at defense. Edler is known for his high floor in NHL DFS since he averaged 2.7 blocked shots per game along with 2.0 shots on goal per game. That is very consistent production from a player who is under $5,000, and doesn't play a major role in the Canucks' offense.
