NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 12/12/22
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 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
Anton Forsberg ($7,000): A couple of things are true tonight for the Ottawa Senators hosting the Anaheim Ducks, and it points to Forsberg being a solid fantasy option. The first thing that is true is that the Senators aren't a great team and sit in last place in the Atlantic Division. But, the Ducks are even worse and sit in last place in the entire NHL.
The Ducks also come in scoring 2.04 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fourth-lowest in the league, along with a 51.04 Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created), which is the fifth-lowest in the league. This presents an easy matchup for Forsberg to come away with the win while being one of the lowest-salaried goalies on the slate. The Senators may not be elite, but this matchup certainly is. That gives Forsberg clear fantasy value tonight.
High-Salaried Skaters
Brady Tkachuk ($9,200): The Senators have a slate-high 3.79 implied goal total, and as mentioned above, this is a great matchup for them. The Ducks are allowing the second-most (3.37) Goals and have the third-worst (63.44) Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed), both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They are one of the worst defenses in the league and present plenty of upside for every opposing offense.
Tkachuk continues to be a dominant force with 10 NHL points and a staggering 54 shots on goal over his last 10 games. His role on the first forward line and the first power-play will put him in a spot to break his three-game goal drought in a clash with one of the worst defenses in the league.
Nazem Kadri ($7,600): The Calgary Flames are struggling right now but have a soft matchup against the Montreal Canadiens to get back on track. The Canadiens are allowing the fourth-most (3.05) Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, making this a juicy matchup for some offense.
The Flames own a 61.14 Corsi For, which is the fifth-best in the league, but they are scoring only 2.55 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is 16th. The volume of shot attempts is great, and they should be due for some positive regression in the goal-scoring department.
Kadri has 6 NHL points and 24 shots on goal over his last 10 games, which is a bit lackluster for the center on the second forward line and the first power-play unit. This is the time and the matchup for him to turn up the offense and get some points on the board.
Value Skaters
Matt Duchene ($5,800): The St. Louis Blues are struggling in a big way on defense this season and are a great matchup for the Nashville Predators. The Preds have a 3.27 implied goal total, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them push past that since the Blues are allowing the ninth-most (2.85) Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.
Duchene is on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, amassing 10 NHL points, 23 shots on goal, and 7 blocked shots in his last 10 games. He has some solid point-per-dollar upside, and you should look to stack him with Filip Forsberg ($7,500) and Roman Josi ($8,300).
Sam Steel ($3,900): With Ryan Hartman still out for the Minnesota Wild, Steel has taken Hartman's role on the first forward line. To say this is a great role at only $3,900 would be putting it lightly. Steel is skating alongside Kirill Kaprizov ($9,700) and Mats Zuccarello ($7,700), who are the best two offensive players for the Wild. This has allowed Steel to rack up 5 NHL points and 23 shots on goal over his last 10 games, a clear jump in production for him. The matchup against the Edmonton Oilers has a 6.5 over/under and is a game to target for offensive upside tonight.
