NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 10/12/21
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
Andrei Vasilevskiy ($8,700): The two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning open the season as large -250 home favorites against the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. Andrei Vasilevskiy has been one of the most consistent goalies in the league for several seasons, and although his salary is expensive, he comes with plenty of win equity.
This is due in part to the Lightning having one of the best defenses in the league providing Vasilevskiy with plenty of safety. Tampa held a 48.69 Corsi Against (Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-versus-five situations last season, which was the fourth-best in the league. An elite defense in front of Vasilevskiy should be able to handle the Penguins, who are without their three best players: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jake Guentzel. This puts Vasilevskiy inside one of the best spots to start the season.
High-Priced Skaters
Nikita Kucherov ($8,600): The Lightning come in with a solid 3.28 implied team total tonight, and we should anticipate them being one of the chalkiest teams. Kucherov is one of the best offensive players in the league, and we see him skating on the top forward line and first power-play unit. Although he didn't play in the regular season last year, we can look back to his 2019-2020 season where he averaged 1.25 NHL points per game and 5.6 shots per game.
Look to pair Kucherov with Brayden Point ($7,600), who skates alongside him on both the first forward line and first power-play unit. That correlation offers significant upside if they are able to pour in some goals tonight.
Mark Stone ($7,000): With a slate-high 3.30 implied goal total, the Vegas Golden Knights are primed for some scores tonight. This is nothing new for the Golden Knights, as they posted 2.96 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations last season, which was the second-best mark in the league. They have an elite offense, and Mark Stone is often in the middle of it.
His role on the first forward line and the first power-play unit is as secure as you could possibly imagine, giving him a solid floor and ceiling of fantasy points. A matchup against the new Seattle Kraken presents a bit of an unknown, but trusting Stone is the consistent option.
Value Skaters
Alexander Wennberg ($3,400): Speaking of the Kraken, they offer a good source of value tonight. That is desperately needed on a two-game slate with Tampa Bay. With a number of players listed as questionable for Seattle, we could see Alexander Wennberg on the top forward line and the top power-play unit. To put things simply, it's extremely rare to see a player at $3,400 who has that offensive role. Wennberg doesn't have to do all that much to reach value, which is certainly obtainable given his expanded offensive role.
Kasperi Kapanen ($4,200): Although the Penguins are +205 road underdogs, they have some viable options tonight. As noted above, the Penguins are going to be without their three top players, and that changes their forward lines in a major way. Kapanen is now projected to be skating on the second forward line and the first power-play unit. Kapanen averaged 1.7 shots on goal per game last season, and with the Kraken's offense a bit thinner, there should be extra opportunities for Kapanen.
