NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 12/15/22
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
Logan Thompson ($8,400): The Vegas Golden Knights are -210 road favorites against the lowly Chicago Blackhawks, putting Thompson in a spot to pick up the win. It's not an exaggeration to say the Blackhawks are the worst offensive team in the league, ranking second in scoring with 1.61 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. On top of that, they have a 44.19 Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created), which is the second-worst in the league.
The Golden Knights continue to be one of the strongest defensive teams in the league, allowing just 2.31 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which puts them as the ninth-best in the league. Thompson has high win equity today and should be viable in all formats.
High-Salaried Skaters
Jack Hughes ($9,600): The New Jersey Devils are one of the best teams in the league, but they come in on a three-game losing streak. It's been a slight dip in production for them in recent games, but they have a great matchup tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers, one where the Devils can get back on track.
The Devils have a 3.71 implied goal total, and it won't be surprising to see them push past that. They score the most Goals (3.28) and own the second-highest (65.74) Corsi For, both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They have an elite offense, and Hughes is always in the middle of it.
He has tallied 13 NHL points and 36 shots on goal over the last 10 games, skating on the second forward line and the first power-play unit.
Nikita Kucherov ($10,000): Kucherov is due for a goal -- there's no other way to put it. This is not to say he hasn't been producing lately. In fact, he's putting up great numbers. Over his last 10 games, he has a single goal, 13 assists, and 28 shots on goal. Putting up more than one NHL point per game is amazing, but he could have an even higher ceiling if he were scoring goals.
The goals could start coming tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are allowing a league-worst, 3.68 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations as well as a league-worst 64.85 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed). Columbus is horrible on defense.
With Kucherov on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, he'll have plenty of chances to rack up points, but the matchup should put him in a spot to finally find the back of the net.
Value Skaters
Kirby Dach ($5,200): By no means are the Montreal Canadiens a great team -- they're not -- but they do have a great matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks are in the bottom five of the league in both Goals allowed (3.47) and Corsi Against (63.83), making them one of the worst defenses in the NHL.
The Canadiens are dealing with a few injuries right now, and that has pushed Dach up to the first forward line and the first power-play unit. He has a modest 4 NHL points, 20 shots on goal, and 4 blocked shots in his last 10 games, but his expanded offensive role in a great matchup presents clear value tonight.
Pavel Zacha ($5,000): The Boston Bruins are the best team in the league, and whenever you can get low-salary exposure to them, you should do so. The Bruins sport a 3.56 implied goal total and are set to take on the Los Angeles Kings, who have allowed the second-most (118) goals in the league. Saying LA is struggling on defense is putting it lightly, and that has caused Kings games to hit the over in 18 of their 30 games this season.
This should create a very solid fantasy environment for all involved. Zacha has 8 assists, 11 shots on goal, and 3 blocked shots over his last 10 games. He's not going to jump off the page with a massive ceiling game but offers solid point-per-dollar value.
