NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 3/22/21

Thomas Vecchio  —  @Tom_Vecchio1 Mar 22nd, 2021
Kyle Connor has been hot as of late and has a soft matchup versus the Canucks tonight. Who else should you build your lineups around tonight?

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

Keith Kinkaid ($7,500): The New York Rangers come in the largest favorites on the slate (-255), and that means looking to Kinkaid in net. The Rangers are hosting the lowly Buffalo Sabres, who are a mess of a team this season and come in with the worst record in the league along with a league-worst (1.47) goals scored per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.

The Sabres also hold the third-worst (48.71) Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, showing they pose very little threat on offense tonight. Kinkaid is only $7,500, which is very cheap for a goalie who is this heavy of a favorite.

High-Priced Skaters

Kyle Connor ($7,100): The Winnipeg Jets have a strong 3.42 implied goal total tonight, which is the second-highest on the slate. They are on the road to take on the Vancouver Canucks, where the over/under is set at 6.5, setting this game up for plenty of scoring. Plenty of scoring is exactly what Connor has been doing as of late with 10 NHL points and 29 shots on goal over his last 10 games.

All of that production should continue tonight, as the Canucks are one of the weakest defensive teams in the league this year. They are allowing a 60.89 Corsi Against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is dead last in the league, as well as allowing 2.68 goals, which is the sixth-worst in the league. Given Connor's role on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, he should have plenty of chances to continue his strong season and should be viable in all formats.

Anze Kopitar ($7,800): The Los Angeles Kings have a 2.61 implied goal total tonight, and that is far too low. I'll preface this part by saying I'm very high on the Kings tonight for stacks, and I went over this on The Daily Deke. That is why I say the 2.61 implied goal total is way too low, and you should be looking to Kopitar and the first forward line. Kopitar has been on fire over his last 10 games, posting double-digit FanDuel points eight times while going for 20 FanDuel points or more in four of those games. He has 4 goals, 10 assists, 25 shots on goal, and even 6 blocked shots during this 10-game stretch.

He has been super reliable in NHL DFS, and that should only continue tonight because he is up against the San Jose Sharks, who have decided to not play defense this season. They are the fourth-worst in both Corsi Against (57.32) and goals allowed (2.86) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They have been a weak defense all year, and with the Kings as slight +114 road dogs, they are a team worth trusting tonight.

Value Skaters

Noah Hanifin ($3,900): With the highest implied goal total on the slate (3.61), the Calgary Flames are a team worth getting exposure to. The Flames continue to mix up their first power-play unit, specifically when it comes to that defender is on it. Recently, we have seen Noah Hanifin on that first power-play unit, making him a very clear value option tonight. He is under $4,000, on the team with the highest implied goal total, sees power-play time, and is facing off against one of the worst defenses in the league, the Ottawa Senators. It's a perfect storm of value, and you don't want to pass up a free square tonight.

Mats Zuccarello ($5,400): The Minnesota Wild scored only one goal in their last two games, but it's time for them to turn things around tonight against the Anaheim Ducks. There's no other way to put it, one goal scored in two games is terrible. Thankfully, the Ducks are allowing the fifth-most (2.86) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season, putting them in a position to put the past two games behind them. They have an opportunity to get back on track, and that means we should be seeing production from their first power-play unit and Zuccarello. He comes in with 9 NHL points and 25 shots on goal over his last 10 games due to his time on the first forward line and the first power-play unit.