NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 10/12/22
Hockey is back! The NHL gets the season underway this week with plenty of action across the league.
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 and 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 and take a look at today's slate and some players to consider for your lineups.
Goalie to Target
Jack Campbell ($7,800): The Edmonton Oilers are -200 home favorites tonight and are ready to take on the Vancouver Canucks to get their season underway. Campbell's salary is a bit cheaper compared to the other goalies who are large favorites, giving him a bit of point-per-dollar value ahead of them.
Campbell is expected to make his first start for his new team with a decent matchup in front of him. The Canucks come into this season with largely the same lineup from last year, where they finished with 2.34 goals scored per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which was the eighth-lowest in the league.
The Oilers' offense should be able to put up plenty of goals via Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, putting Campbell in a spot to come away with the win points.
High-Salaried Skaters
Auston Matthews ($10,100): The Toronto Maple Leafs are carrying a high 3.95 implied goal total, a level we should see them near all season. The expectations are high yet again for the Maple Leafs, and Matthews will continue to lead the way. Coming off a season where he led the league in goals (60), he should be right back near the top this season.
He starts off the season with a very favorable matchup against the Montreal Canadiens, a team that is expected to be among the worst in the league. This is where they were last season, allowing a 59.13 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which was the sixth-worst in the league.
It doesn't stop there, the Habs also allowed the fifth-most (2.98) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. To see them finish in the bottom 10 of the league in both of these categories this season won't be a surprise. We'll be attacking the Canadiens' defense all season, so get on board.
Matthews will find himself on the first forward line and the first power-play for the Maple Leafs, which shouldn't be a surprise. Matthews carries an immense multi-point upside along with the potential to rack up five or more shots on any given night.
Nathan MacKinnon ($9,700): MacKinnon is another high-salaried center to look at tonight and is well worth it. The Colorado Avalanche are coming off a Stanly Cup-winning season and will get things going at home when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks. This gives the Avs a juicy 4.26 implied goal total.
Last season, MacKinnon averaged 4.6 shots on goal and 1.3 NHL points per game. This is a level he should be able to reach or exceed, giving him plenty of fantasy upside every night.
He should be able to show off that upside tonight against Chicago, who finished in the league's bottom 10 last season in Corsi Against and goals allowed, both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.
Value Skaters
Seth Jarvis ($5,500): The Carolina Hurricanes are expected to be one of the best offensive teams this season and we will routinely look to their lineup for some fantasy options. Last season, the Hurricanes finished with a 63.41 Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created) and 2.97 goals scored, both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.
Those marks were both in the league's top six last season, a level they should be able to reach yet again. This gives them scoring upside every night with several options to consider. Jarvis made a decent splash as a rookie last season, and he's expected to take a step forward this year into a larger role.
He should be playing on the first forward line and the first power-play unit for one of the best offensive teams in the league, making him a clear value option at only $5,500.
Artturi Lehkonen ($4,800): As noted above, the Avalanche have a big 4.26 implied goal total tonight and should be a strong source of fantasy points. Given the fact that Gabriel Landeskog is out for the start of the season, there is a clear opening at the top of Colorado's lineup.
Lehkonen played a solid role for the Avs during their Stanley Cup run last season, which has garnered him some trust among the coaching staff. Lehkonen is set to be on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, filling the void left by Landeskog. He's under $5,000 and will be playing alongside MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, making him an elite value option.
