NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 11/3/21
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
Jonas Johansson ($8,000): With a soft matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Johansson should be a viable option in all formats. The Colorado Avalanche are -184 home favorites tonight, and it sets up to be a good matchup since the Blue Jackets' offense is so weak this season.
Columbus comes in scoring only 1.89 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the seventh-lowest in the league. It won't be a surprise to see Johansson as one of the chalkiest goalies on the slate, but you should be willing to eat that chalk given the matchup and the win equity he has.
High-Priced Skaters
Nathan MacKinnon ($9,000): The Avalanche have a solid 3.09 implied goal total tonight and are a clear team to target on tonight's four-game slate. Colorado is dealing with a number of injuries right now, and it has thinned out their top-six forwards. They are moving depth players up to the top of the lineup, and ultimately, it should just mean more opportunities for MacKinnon. Instead of that one extra pass, it won't be shocking to see him take a few more shots. This should raise his floor of points until those players return from their injuries.
He will be up against the Blue Jackets, who hold a 59.83 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fifth-worst in the league. This is a very soft matchup for MacKinnon, who also has plenty of upside with his role on the first power-play unit.
Andrei Svechnikov ($8,700): The Carolina Hurricanes have one of the easiest matchups on the entire slate, and you should be looking to fully stack them tonight. This is clearly one of the most lopsided matchups on the entire slate, all pointing in the direction of the Canes scoring plenty of goals.
The Canes have the fifth-best (61.71) Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created), while the Blackhawks have the seventh-worst (58.55) Corsi Against. The Canes are scoring a league-best, 3.41 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, while the Blackhawks are allowing a league-worst 3.90 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.
These two teams legitimately could not be further apart in what they bring on offense compared to defense, so it's all Canes tonight.
Value Skaters
Jordan Kyrou ($5,100): Kyrou has been bumped up to the first forward line and the second power-play unit for the St. Louis Blues, making him a clear option tonight. The Blues are -130 road favorites with a 2.86 implied goal total and given the context of the other heavy favorites on the slate, I don't expect them to be super chalky.
They are a great tournament option, and it comes with plenty of upside because they are scoring 3.22 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the second-best in the league, behind only the Hurricanes.
Evan Bouchard ($4,200): With a slate-high 3.47 implied goal total, the Edmonton Oilers are going to be a popular option tonight. You should try to get some exposure to the Oilers' offense tonight, but if you can't afford to pay up for Connor McDavid ($10,000) or Leon Draisaitl ($9,300), taking some value around them is a viable option.
Bouchard is on the first defensive pairing and the second power-play unit, which is certainly very solid for a player at only $4,200. He comes in with only 4 NHL points in eight games but has added 20 shots on goal and 16 blocked shots.
