NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 3/9/21

Thomas Vecchio  —  @Tom_Vecchio1 Mar 9th, 2021
Aleksander Barkov has put together a great season and has a soft matchup versus the Blue Jackets tonight. Who else should you build around?

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

Carter Hart ($7,800): The Philadelphia Flyers are -240 home favorites and they have Carter Hart confirmed as the starter tonight. The matchup versus the lowly Buffalo Sabres got even easier, as their best player, Jack Eichel, has been ruled out for tonight's game. The Sabres are scoring a league-worst 1.44 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which won't be improving without Eichel.

Although Hart has been struggling a bit recently, his salary at only $7,800 is far too good to pass up when the Flyers are this heavy of a favorite at home, facing the worst offensive team in the league.

High-Priced Skaters

Aleksander Barkov ($7,300): The Florida Panthers have a 2.90 implied goal total tonight versus the Columbus Blue Jackets and that isn't high enough. The Blue Jackets are struggling on defense this season, allowing 2.62 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the seventh-worst in the league. In addition to that, the Blue Jackets also have the seventh-worst (56.33) Corsi Against (Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season. They are a bottom-10 defense, while the Panthers are scoring the eighth-most (2.63) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.

This means we want to be looking to Barkov on the top forward line and the top power-play for the Panthers. So far this season, Barkov has 27 NHL points through 24 games, along with averaging 3.5 shots on goal per game. Those are very impressive numbers for any player and yet Barkov shouldn't be too popular tonight since the Panthers are on the road. He has a super consistent floor of points, while the matchup tonight brings him plenty of upside.

Steven Stamkos ($7,900): The Tampa Bay Lightning are ridiculous -355 road favorites tonight versus the Detroit Red Wings. This line is absolutely insane for the NHL and it means we should be seeing Tampa Bay as a very popular option in all formats. Stamkos is skating on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, both of which are fantastic stacking options tonight. Stammer has been doing his normal thing this season with 22 NHL points in 21 games played, along with a total of 56 shots on goal.

The Lightning are carrying a 3.49 implied goal total which is the third-highest on the slate, and it's for good reason. The Red Wings are allowing the ninth-most (2.52) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season and are taking over three penalties per game. When the Red Wings are on the penalty kill, they are the second-worst team in the league, allowing 11.23 goals per 60 minutes. This gives Stamkos immense upside on the power-play and has him primed for another multi-point game.

Value Skaters

Brett Pesce ($4,000): If you need some value on defense tonight, Pesce could be the answer. He skates on the second power-play unit for the Carolina Hurricanes, who are holding a 3.18 implied goal total at home against the Nashville Predators. Pesce does a bit of everything for the Hurricanes, which is why he is averaging 10 FanDuel points per game, yet he is only $4,000. Over his last 10 games, Pesce has 5 NHL points, 19 shots on goal, and 12 blocked shots. That level of production is comparable with some of the best defensemen on the slate but his salary is far more affordable.

Jakub Vrana ($4,600): With Tom Wilson suspended, the Washington Capitals have mixed up their lines a bit. Vrana is on the second forward line and now up on the first power-play unit with Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and T.J. Oshie. This bodes well for Vrana, who has already been stepping up his offensive game as of late, with 6 NHL points and 26 shots on goal over his last 10 games.