NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 2/25/22
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
Ville Husso ($8,300): There are several massive favorites on tonight's slate, and the St. Louis Blues are one of them, sitting at -345 versus the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres come in as one of the weaker offensive teams in the league, scoring 2.24 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the 12th lowest in the league. The Blues' defense finds themselves in the top half of the league for the fewest goals allowed in the same situations, making this a truly solid matchup overall.
Husso has been stellar for the Blues, allowing three goals or fewer in each of his last 10 games. Given the soft matchup versus the Sabres, Husso should be able to continue that streak and come away with the win tonight, putting him in a great spot for cash games.
High-Priced Skaters
Sebastian Aho ($9,200): The Carolina Hurricanes have a slate-high 4.12 implied goal total and should be one of the most popular teams in all formats tonight. They are at home and taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets, who sit as the third-worst team in the league in Corsi Against (59.71) and dead last in the league in goals allowed (3.31), both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. To say they are a bad defense would be putting it lightly, and this should lead to a big game for the Canes' offense, which is one of the best in the league.
They are scoring 3.19 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, putting them as the third-highest in the league. We turn to Aho, who has 9 NHL points, 29 shots on goal, and 5 blocked shots in his last 10 games. Aho skates on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, making him a great high-upside player tonight.
Mikko Rantanen ($9,200): The Colorado Avalanche are another heavy home favorite tonight (-285) and carry a 3.98 implied goal total. It's a similar situation to the Canes, giving us another one of the league's best offenses to target in a solid matchup. Rantanen is one of the most consistent players in NHL DFS, coming in with 17 FanDuel points or more in 7 of his last 10 games. That is powered by the fact he has 12 NHL points, 40 shots on goal, and 6 blocked shots in his last 10 games.
His role on the first forward line and the first power-play unit are 100% guaranteed, just as the blue shell in Mario Kart is 100% guaranteed to hit the player in first place. Lock in Rantanen and look to stack him with Gabriel Landeskog ($8,900) and Cale Makar ($7,100).
Value Skaters
Chandler Stephenson ($5,100): The Vegas Golden Knights are set to be another chalky team tonight as -310 road favorites with a 3.71 implied goal total versus the Arizona Coyotes. At this point in the season, it isn't a surprise to see a player going against the Coyotes listed as a viable fantasy option, simply due to the fact the Coyotes are going with a "defense optional" approach this season. I, for one, commend them on their attempt to innovate the game, so, until something changes, we should be targeting players against them.
This is where we turn to Stephenson, who is on the top forward line for the Golden Knights, along with seeing time on the second power-play unit. A very modest 3 NHL points, 15 shots on goal, and 9 blocked shots in his last 10 games may limit his ceiling, but he's a solid point-per-dollar option tonight.
Ethan Bear ($3,700): As noted above, the Canes are massive home favorites with a high implied goal total and facing a weak Blue Jackets defense. The one note for them is that Tony DeAngelo is going to be out for about a month. He normally skates on the first power-play unit, so we now see Jaccob Slavin moving up to the first power-play unit from the second unit, leaving an opening there. Ethan Bear has stepped into the open role on the second power-play unit and is under $4,000. It's a clear upgrade in his offensive role and his salary isn't adjusted yet.
