NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 2/23/21

Patrick Kane has a fantastic matchup tonight versus Columbus and should be a key part of lineups. Who else should you build around on Tuesday?

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

Carey Price ($8,600): With Price confirmed as the starter for the Montreal Canadiens, he is the clear top option among goalies tonight. The Habs come in as massive -230 road favorites against the Ottawa Senators, which shouldn't be a surprise since the Senators are the worst team in the league. Price comes in with 5 wins in 10 starts this season and is allowing 2.90 goals per game.

Even though he is the most expensive goalie on the slate, he has the safest win equity tonight since the second-largest favorite on the slate is sitting at -164 compared to the Canadiens at -230. Price is worth the price of admission tonight.

High-Salaried Skaters

Patrick Kane ($8,600): I'll put my hand up on this one, the Chicago Blackhawks aren't as bad as I thought they would be this year. That's on me. In fact, the Blackhawks are actually looking pretty good. They have surprised some people this season and have a chance to put together another strong game tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are struggling on defense this season. The Blue Jackets have the third-worst (57.44) Corsi Against (Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season, along with allowing the fourth-most (2.81) goals at even-strength per 60 minutes.

That's not good in any capacity and with an offensive talent such as Kane on the other side, so you want to be looking to him in all formats. Kane comes in with 26 real NHL points in 19 games this season, along with 3.6 shots on goal per game. He is an elite scorer and has plenty of potential in this matchup.

Connor McDavid ($9,200): This is the legitimate definition of a "smash spot" tonight for McDavid versus the Vancouver Canucks, it's really that simple. Pay up for McDavid and find the value elsewhere. The Canucks are allowing the second-most (3.29) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season and have the fifth-worst (57.34) Corsi Against. They allow far too many offensive opportunities for their opponents and those opportunities often lead to goals.

This is where McDavid, the best player in the league, comes into the conversation because the matchup is just so juicy. He has a league-leading 37 NHL points in 20 games and is averaging 3.9 shots on goal per game. You essential pay up for McDavid and wait for the multi-point game to follow, which should be the exact case tonight.

Value Skaters

Jonathan Drouin ($4,300): Despite not having a single NHL point over his last four games, this is a fantastic spot for Drouin. He is up against the Senators, who are allowing the most (3.58) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season and hold the sixth-worst (56.82) Corsi Against. This is why we see the Canadiens coming in with a slate-high 3.82 implied goal total. Drouin is on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, which should give him plenty of chances to rack up some fantasy points and get back on the scoresheet.

Jakub Vrana ($4,500): The Washington Capitals are taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 6.5 over/under and you want some exposure to this game. We should be in for plenty of scoring tonight as 7 of the last 10 games played between these two teams have hit the over, according to KillerSports. If that is the case, you want to get your hands on this game, and doing so through some value is always a good option. Vrana is skating on the second forward line and the first power-play unit for the Capitals, which has helped him produce 3 NHL points and 18 shots on goal over his last 5 games.