NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 1/15/21
Hockey is officially back! The NHL season returns tonight with a 10-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
Philipp Grubauer ($8,300): The Colorado Avalanche come in as -160 home favorites against the St. Louis Blues and present a solid option in net. Grubauer got the start in their season opener and allowed four goals in a loss to this very same Blues' team. Grubauer is a better goalie than what he showed the other night. Last season, he posted a .916 save percentage and only allowed 2.63 goals per game. Grubabuer should also be less popular compared to Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is a -290 home favor with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
High-Priced Skater
Auston Matthews ($8,400): Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs are holding a 3.75 implied goal total tonight, which is the second-highest on the slate. They are on the road to take on the Ottawa Senators, who were one of the worst teams last season and are expected to be back in the same spot this year. Last year, the Senators allowed a 60.19 Corsi Against (Shot Attempts Allowed) in 5-on-5 situations, which was fifth-worst in the league. Matthews is on the top forward line and the top power-play unit for the Leafs and should be able to find the back of the net for the first time this season.
Jake Guentzel ($7,500): Guentzel and the Pittsburgh Penguins got off to a rough start this season with a 6-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers but come in with a chance to grab a win tonight. Both the Penguins and the Flyers are sitting at -110, so we should be in for a close game, as well as seeing plenty of scoring. Both teams are holding 3.25 implied-goal totals, a signal the scoring will be back and forth.
Guentzel only managed one shot on goal in the first game but held a solid 60.87 Corsi For Percentage, which was the fourth-highest on the Penguins in that game. In short, he generated plenty of offensive chances but didn't see that come to fruition. It's similar to a hitter in the MLB with a ton of hard contact but no home runs to show for it. Guentzel should fill up the shot category tonight and his role on the first power-play gives him scoring upside.
Value Skaters
Tim Stuetzle ($3,000): Sitting at the minimum salary, Stuetzle makes a clear value play tonight. The third overall pick from the most recent draft, Stuetzle is set for a second-line and second power-play for the Senators. Even though Ottawa won't be great this season, this is a solid matchup for them against a lackluster Maple Leafs' defense. Stuetzle comes in at the minimum salary and is set for a large role in the offense -- it doesn't get easier than this.
Mikhail Sergachev ($4,700): Even with Seragchev on the third defensive pairing for Tampa Bay, he still has plenty of offensive upside. The Lightning are at home with a slate-high 3.99 implied goal total against the Chicago Blackhawks. These two teams played two nights ago and saw Tampa Bay win 5-1. We could be in for an exact repeat of that since the Blackhawks are so bad. Sergachev is skating on the second power-play unit, and at $4,700, he makes for a viable value play for GPPs tonight.
