NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 2/14/22
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
Connor Hellebuyck ($8,000): The Jets are -172 home favorites hosting Chicago, and that puts Hellebuyck in a good spot as a pretty average netminder. He's just 15th in goals saved above expected (8.15), but the Blackhawks are the right type of matchup to expect an above-average night.
Chicago is fifth-lowest in expected goals scored this season (120.22), and if you add in Winnipeg's favorable matchup to score themselves, Hellebuyck is the best combination of ceiling and floor on the four-game slate.
High-Priced Skaters
Auston Matthews ($10,200): Seattle is still struggling with issues in net, and that is not a great problem to have with the Maple Leafs coming to town. Matthews, of course, leads Toronto's top line and the top power-play unit, and he's been his usual stellar self with at least 20 FanDuel points in seven straight contests.
He's worthy of consideration in tough matchups -- much less this one. Seattle has allowed the fourth-most goals (166) in the NHL.
Winger Mitchell Marner ($8,700) is back as his high-salaried stacking partner, and Morgan Rielly ($6,600) is amongst the few that can be reasonably trusted on the blue line Monday.
Mark Scheifele ($7,300): My single favorite way to play this slate is to stack Winnipeg without Kyle Connor. At his high salary, Connor has been demoted to the second line -- probably for taking a bunch of empty shots. Chicago's leaky defense is third-worst in Corsi Allowed (2864) at all strengths this season, so we want to be somewhere in this lineup to hunt upside.
Schiefele captains the top line and top power-play unit for the Jets, and Blake Wheeler ($6,200) joins him. Although his production can be sporadic, Josh Morrissey ($5,100) is a lower-salaried option on the blue line, and he skates with this pair, too.
Value Skaters
Evan Bouchard ($5,800): The Sharks aren't a terrible defense, but they are 10th in total Corsi Allowed (2763). That provides enough wiggle room for a potent Edmonton offense. While Connor McDavid ($10,100) and Leon Draisaitl ($10,000) break the bank without even-strength correlation, Bouchard is an effective way to touch both at even strength and on the power play.
Bouchard only saw 13 minutes of ice time Friday against the Islanders for no reported reason, so there is some risk here. However, his salary has dropped significantly to account for it. He's still slated to man the top defensive pairing with Darnell Nurse ($6,300) and work on the McDavid-Draisaitl power play, so that risk comes with great reward.
Alexander Barabanov ($4,700): The Oilers are worth stacking in most games due to their poor defense (147 total goals allowed; 10th-most in the NHL), and San Jose has some options to do so. Personally, it's tough to reach Timo Meier at a McDavid-level salary, but Barabanov and Tomas Hertl ($6,800) both touch Meier on the top even-strength and power-play line at a cost-effective salary.
With massive ice time (at least 27 minutes per game) in his last four, Brent Burns ($6,500) is available on defense, and he joins these three at all strengths as well. This stack can be paired with Edmonton on the other side -- or another high-salaried option of your choice.
