NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 1/20/21
Hockey is officially back! 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
John Gibson ($7,400): The Anaheim Ducks are +116 home underdogs tonight, and you should look to Gibson in net. Gibson isn't confirmed as the starter, but the Ducks had a full day off and should be good to go. He is up against the Minnesota Wild, who have a total of eight goals in three games this season and come in with a very modest 2.90 implied team total tonight.
Surprisingly, the Ducks are looking solid on defense to start the year, and are only allowing 1.6 Goals Against per 60 minutes this season in five-on-five situations, which is the seventh-best in the league. Given the high-priced skaters on the slate you should be aiming to pay for, getting some savings at goalie is huge, especially when this game only has an over/under of 5.5.
High-Priced Skaters
Connor McDavid ($8,700): McDavid is elite, It's a simple as that, and paying up for him is always a good option. Tonight is no exception, and when you see an over/under of 6.5 between the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs, you should buy-in even more. McDavid is skating on the first forward line and the first power-play for the Oilers, which is a great stacking option if you have the salary.
As you would assume, McDavid is piling up the stats quickly this season and has 17 shots on goal and 5 total points through four games. That is all great to see against the Maple Leafs, who are allowing the ninth-most Goals Against (2.66) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season.
Brendan Gallagher ($7,100): The Montreal Canadiens are taking on the Vancouver Canucks tonight and this is a game you should be very interested in. First off, we have a 6.5 over/under. Second, we see both teams in the top-10 of the league in Corsi For (Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. And third, both teams are in the bottom-10 of the league in Corsi Against (Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. This is setting up to be an explosive fantasy environment -- all offense, no defense.
Gallagher is on the top line for the Canadiens and their second power-play unit but has yet to find the back of the net this season. He comes in with 11 shots and 2 assists, which is good, but he is due for a goal. Gallagher currently leads the team with a 63.85 Corsi For per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. He is an elite shot-creator and is facing a defense that allows far too many shot attempts.
Value Skaters
Alexander Romanov ($4,100): The rookie defender has looked solid for the Canadiens and is seeing time on the second power-play unit. He makes for a nice correlation play with Gallagher on the second power-play while offering a bit of value. His nine shots and six blocked shots through three games is very encouraging, as that will provide him a solid floor of points on a nightly basis. As mentioned above, this game has an over/under of 6.5 and features two teams with strong offenses, setting up for plenty of fantasy scoring.
Kirill Kaprizov ($4,800): While this game has an over/under of only 5.5, we can look to Kaprizov for value. The rookie has seven shots on goal and four points through his first three games, and that shouldn't come as a surprise. Kaprizov led the KHL in goals in each of the last two seasons, so we know he has the scoring potential at any time. He is skating on the first forward line and first power-play unit, so there is some upside tonight, it's just not massive in this game.
