NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 4/20/22
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
Darcy Kuemper/Pavel Francouz ($8,400): As -320 road favorites tonight, the Colorado Avalanche are the clear team to target for their goalie. Whether it's Kuemper or Francouz in net is yet to be determined, but the win equity is what we are after against the Seattle Kraken. Over the past three weeks, the Kraken are scoring 2.04 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fifth-fewest in the league. Throughout the season, they haven't had a strong offense. That hasn't changed now, so we'll continue to target goalies against them.
While the Avs have already clinched a playoff spot, they are still in the hunt for the Presidents' Trophy, so they still have the motivation to give full effort and win games to close out the season.
High-Salaried Skaters
Patrick Kane ($8,700): While the Chicago Blackhawks aren't a great team, they have a very soft matchup against the Arizona Coyotes, who are giving out goals to their opponents like free samples at the grocery store.
Over the past three weeks, the Coyotes are allowing a staggering 4.87 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the most in the league. It's also much worse than their season rate of 3.29 goals allowed in the same situations,
The worst defensive team in the league found a way to get even worse as the season has gone on, and, I, for one, am legitimately shocked this was even possible. This puts every single one of their opponents in a great spot, and tonight that is the Kane and the Blackhawks. Kane is hot right now with 10 NHL points and 38 shots on goal over his last 10 games, making him an ideal option versus this weak defense.
Mikko Rantanen ($8,000): The Avalanche have a slate-high 4.04 implied goal total and an offense you should want plenty of exposure to. The Kraken are in the bottom 10 of the league (2.77) for the most goals allowed per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, while the Avs are in the top four (3.06) of the league for the most goals scored in the same situations. It's a lopsided matchup, and the Avs are a team to stack on this slate.
Rantanen is on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, coming in with 12 NHL points, 27 shots on goal, and 9 blocked shots in his last 10 games. He's a quality option in any format, and on a smaller four-game slate, he offers one of the best fantasy ceilings.
Value Skaters
Chandler Stephenson ($5,400): The Vegas Golden Knights are running out of time to pick up wins and clinch a playoff spot. With losses in three of their last four games, it's time to put up or shut up for Vegas. They need to step up the scoring and come away with a win against the Washington Capitals, where the over/under is sitting at 6.5 goals. We could certainly be in for a high-scoring game, and I'll look to find some value options in it and get some exposure that way. Stephenson enters with a surprising 9 NHL points, 14 shots on goal, and 5 blocked shots in his last 10 games. A role on the second forward line and the first power-play unit is paying dividends for the low-salary center.
Phil Kessel ($4,300): As noted above, the Coyotes haven't been good on defense of late, but neither have the Blackhawks. Over the last three weeks, Chicago is allowing 3.80 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, the most-worst in the league. This could very well turn into a sloppy back-and-forth game with very little defense being played. Kessel is on the second forward line and the second power-play unit. He's totaled 6 NHL points and 23 shots on goal over his last 10 games.
