NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 1/18/23
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
Jake Oettinger ($8,300): The Dallas Stars are solid -162 road favorites tonight against the San Jose Sharks, which is a clear winnable matchup for Oettinger. The Stars have an elite defense this season, allowing 2.13 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations (seventh-best in the league). That has somehow gotten even better over the last two weeks; they've only allowed 1.25 goals in that time, which tops the league.
This means Oettinger has allowed two goals or fewer in 8 of his last 10 starts. That's something not many goalies across the league can match -- let alone a smaller five-game slate. He's the third-highest-salaried goalie on the slate and is viable in all formats tonight due to his consistency and upside.
High-Salaried Skaters
Jason Robertson ($10,000): With the Stars being heavy road favorites, it's no surprise to see them with a 3.28 implied goal total, making them a clear team to target tonight. The matchup against the Sharks is one of the easiest you will find tonight, putting the Stars' players in a spot to reach for their fantasy ceilings.
Over the last two weeks, the Sharks are allowing the third-most (3.68) goals and the eighth-most (59.94) Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. Their defense is getting worse as the season has gone on, and until that changes, we are looking to stack against them any time they are on the slate.
Robertson is on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, coming in with 10 NHL points and 32 shots on goal over his last 10 games. However, he hasn't scored a goal in any of his last three games and is looking to break that drought against one of the worst defenses in the league.
Nikita Kucherov ($10,200): The Tampa Bay Lightning lead tonight's slate with a 3.64 implied goal total with a very favorable against the Vancouver Canucks. To no one's surprise, the Canucks are still one of the weaker defenses in the league, allowing the fourth-most (3.59) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations over the last two weeks.
Kucherov continues to produce with 13 NHL points and 35 shots on goal, while seeing time on the first forward line and the first power-play unit. This is as straightforward of a matchup as you can imagine. Tampa's offense is producing 2.73 goals and a 62.27 Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes at five-on-five, both of which are in the top 13 of the league over the past two weeks.
Value Skaters
J.T. Compher ($5,200): The Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames have a total set at 6.0 tonight, and we could be in for plenty of scoring. The Avalanche have seen a dramatic improvement in their offense over the past two weeks, and we want to capture that production. On the season they are scoring 2.15 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, but that has jumped to 3.80 over the last two weeks.
That production has been coming from all over the place, and Compher is playing a key secondary scoring role. He has 9 NHL points, 29 shots on goal, and 9 blocked shots in his last 10 games while seeing time on the second forward line and the second power-play unit.
Ty Smith ($4,100): Smith continues to be the defender on the first power-play unit for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who come in with a solid 3.05 implied goal total tonight versus the Ottawa Senators. If we're talking about bad defenses, the Senators are the team to mention over the past two weeks. They are allowing a staggering 5.18 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is last in the league.
Not only is it the worst in the league, but the next worst team is allowing 4.12 goals, meaning the Senators are a full goal worse than the next team. Smith has only played eight games this season for the Pens, coming in with 26 shots on goal, 3 NHL points, and 4 blocked shots. However, he is on the first power-play unit with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin -- a spot I always want to get exposure to.
