NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 4/20/21

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins have a fantasy-friendly matchup versus the Devils tonight. Who else should you build 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

Spencer Knight ($6,500): How much risk are you willing to take on at goalie tonight? That is the question you have to ask yourself when you are considering rostering Spencer Knight. He is set to make his NHL debut for the Florida Panthers, who are at home and -230 favorites against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Knight is a 2019 first-round pick who posted a .932 and a .931 save percentage in the last two years as the starting goalie for Boston College. Obviously, there isn't much to go on for Knight, but he is the minimum salary for a goalie and is a large home favorite against a weak offensive team.

High-Priced Skaters

Sidney Crosby ($7,900): The Pittsburgh Penguins have a 3.98 implied goal total tonight, which is the second-highest on the slate. The Penguins should be one of the chalkiest teams on tonight's slate because they not only have a high implied goal total but are also -290 favorites against the lowly New Jersey Devils. This season, the Devils are allowing the 10th-most (2.57) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, giving us a team to attack in all formats.

This means spending up for the top line from the Penguins, most notably Crosby, who has 11 NHL points and 29 shots on goal in his last 10 games. If you can afford to stack him with Jake Guentzel ($7,400) and Bryan Rust ($5,800), you should do so, as they have 100% ice time correlation on the first forward line and the first power-play unit.

Mitchell Marner ($7,500): The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost four straight games but are still projected very well tonight because they have a slate-high 4.09 implied goal total. This is due to the fact they are facing off against the Vancouver Canucks, who own a league-worst 60.83 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, along with allowing 2.68 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the sixth-worst in the league.

The Maple Leafs are still scoring the sixth-most (2.73) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, so we should be trusting their offensive potential. This is where Marner comes into play, with his 10 NHL points and 26 shots on goal over his last 10 games. His role on the first forward line and first power-play remain unchanged, making him an ideal target in this matchup.

Value Skaters

Nikita Gusev ($3,200): Gusev has found a nice role on the Panthers after being scooped up on waivers from the Devils. He is skating on the first forward and the first power-play unit, which is a bit of a surprise because he is very new with the team and is only $3,200. However, in his short three games with the Panthers, he has nine shots on goal, which is a level of production we want to keep an eye on since it's so strong. The Panthers have a 3.23 implied goal total, so they should be an offense worth rostering tonight.

Dustin Brown ($4,600): The Anaheim Ducks are in the bottom 10 of the league in both Corsi Against and goals allowed per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. This means you can consider the Los Angeles Kings tonight for some scoring options, and Brown would be among the best options. He only has 5 NHL points in his last 10 games but has 23 shots on goal, as he sees plenty of ice time on the first forward line and the second power-play unit.