NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 11/17/21
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
Ilya Samsonov ($8,300): The Washington Capitals are slight -118 road favorites, and Samsonov is a solid option in goal tonight. The Capitals are on the second night of a back-to-back and had Vitek Vanecek in net last night, meaning we should almost certainly see Samsonov start tonight. The Capitals have a very strong defense this season, allowing only 1.92 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the ninth-best in the league.
We look to the other side to see the Los Angeles Kings scoring 2.33 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which has them sitting at 15th in the league. The Kings are an average offense, and given the solid defense from the Capitals, Samsonov is in a good spot to come away with the win.
High-Priced Skaters
Mikko Rantanen ($8,100): With Nathan MacKinnon out for multiple weeks, Rantanen has shifted to center on the top forward line. We still see him on the top power-play unit, and with the Colorado Avalanche holding a slate-high 3.32 implied goal total, we want to look to stack their offense. The Avalanche are top 12 in Corsi For (57.12) (Total Shot Attempts Created) and goals scored (2.69), both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.
He will be up against the Vancouver Canucks, who are allowing the seventh-most (12.08) High Danger Scoring Chances Against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. We also see the Canucks taking over 10 minutes of penalties per game to start the season, putting the Avalanche and their power-play units in a great spot tonight.
Alex DeBrincat ($7,100): While the Chicago Blackhawks might not be a great team, they have a great matchup tonight against Seattle Kraken. With two terrible defenses going up against each other, this could be the ideal spot to look for a game stack in tournaments. The Kraken are allowing the second-most (3.38) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, and the Blackhawks are allowing a league-worst 3.52 per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.
This means we want some offensive exposure to this game and DeBrincat is a perfect option. He is skating on the top line and the top power-play for Chicago, which has allowed him to rack up 10 points and 43 shots on goal to start the season. Plenty of shots on goal and some scoring upside is what we can get from DeBrincat tonight.
Value Skaters
Marcus Johansson ($4,000): As noted above, Chicago is terrible on defense this year, and getting some players from Seattle in your lineups is a good option tonight. Johansson has only played four games this season, managing to grab three NHL points and eight shots on goal in that time. He is seeing time on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, making his salary very enticing given the role he has.
Daniel Sprong ($3,800): The Capitals have a solid 2.80 implied goal total tonight, and there are a few value options in their lineup. Given some of the injuries on the team, Sprong is now on the second forward line and the second power-play unit. An expanded offensive role, yet his salary is still under $4,000. A solid 32 shots on goal and 5 NHL points through 15 games makes him a good point-per-dollar value.
