NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 5/13/22
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
Jacob Markstrom ($8,000): The Calgary Flames have a chance to close out their series against the Dallas Stars tonight and will need a big game from Markstrom. The Flames are -170 road favorites and have looked dominant in the last two games on defense. Markstrom has allowed just one goal in each of the last two games, which is the best of any goalie on this slate.
This game against the Stars has a 5.5 over/under, which is the lowest of any game tonight. Four of the five games in this series have ended with five goals or fewer, making it the lowest-scoring series in the first round. We shouldn't see too much scoring in this matchup, putting Markstrom in a safe spot tonight.
High-Salaried Skaters
Alex Ovechkin ($9,400): Ovechkin has been good against the Florida Panthers, but he hasn't been "The Great 8." Through the first five games of this series, Ovechkin has five assists and only one goal. We don't often see one of the best goal-scorers in the history of the NHL piling up the apples over the goals, but that needs to change. The Washington Capitals are down 3-2 and facing elimination tonight, which should them in a spot to push the offense into high gear.
Ovechkin does have a total of 18 shots on goal in this series, and it's encouraging that he continues to fire the puck. He is always on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, which will continue to put him in a spot to reach for a high fantasy ceiling when the Capitals need it the most.
Evgeni Malkin ($7,500): With Sidney Crosby not expected to be in the lineup tonight, Malkin will jump up to the first forward line. Crosby was not at the Pittsburgh Penguins' morning practice, and that means their lines are going to be changing. This also puts Malkin in a spot where he's expected to do a bit more on offense. Malkin has 5 NHL points and 14 shots on goal through the first five games against the New York Rangers, which is good and a consistent level of fantasy production.
Ideally, you'd look to stack him with Jake Guentzel ($8,800) and Bryan Rust ($7,300) because they are all on the first forward line and the first power-play together.
Value Skaters
Alexis Lafreniere ($4,500): The Rangers' "Kid Line" has been putting up plenty of points and is a spot to look for some fantasy production tonight. The Rangers are facing elimination down 3-2 to the Penguins and have seen a line of three players all 22 years old or younger post a total of five NHL points in the last two games. They will need that depth scoring that has been prevalent on both sides in this series, which has led to every game finishing with seven goals or more.
Mikael Backlund ($4,500): The Flames and Stars haven't been scoring a ton, but Backlund still offers some point-per-dollar value tonight. He has 15 shots on goal and 3 NHL points in this series, which are the highest and third-highest for the Flames this postseason. A depth player under $5,000 is one of the Flames' best players, nearly outpacing their top three stars, who are all over $7,500. If the production is coming from the depth players, simply look there and save the salary.
