NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 3/25/22

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 ($8,300): The Calgary Flames are staggering -400 home favorites tonight, and they are in need of a bounce-back victory. The Flames lost a somewhat weird game against the San Jose Sharks in their most recent outing, giving them a third loss in their last five games. They are a far better team than this recent string of games suggests and have a very favorable matchup versus the Arizona Coyotes tonight to get things back on track.

The Flames still have the best defense in the league, allowing 2.06 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They should put them in a good spot against the Coyotes' offense, who are scoring 2.41 goals in the same situation (15th in the league). Markstrom has allowed three goals or fewer in 8 of his last 10 starts, and this matchup should allow him to keep that level of consistency going.

High-Priced Skaters

Nikolaj Ehlers ($7,500): The great thing about Ehlers is that he is constantly shooting the puck when he is on the ice. Over the last 10 games, Ehlers has 37 shots on goal and 10 NHL points, making him one of the more consistent fantasy options on tonight's slate. The matchup tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets should allow him to continue that level of production; they hold a 60.31 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-worst in the league. They also allow 3.31 goals in the same situation, which is the worst in the league.

We see Ehlers on the first forward line and the first power-play for the Winnipeg Jets, who come in with a very solid 3.68 implied goal total tonight. This is a winnable matchup for the Jets, who are coming off an ugly loss last night to the Ottawa Senators. That should make them a bit desperate with their Wild Card hopes falling.

Elias Lindholm ($8,200): Lindholm has a favorable matchup versus the Coyotes, and it's time for the Flames' offense to get back on track. The Flames have lost three of their last five games and were shut out twice in that span. The lack of scoring is shown by the fact Lindholm, their top-line center, only has 3 NHL points and 14 shots on goal over these five games. Hopefully, that will all change tonight against the Coyotes' defense, who are allowing 3.04 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is good -- or really, bad enough -- for the third-worst in the league.

Despite a lack of scoring in recent games, the Flames are still the sixth-highest (2.86) in the league when it comes to goals scored per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. With Lindholm on the top forward line and the top power-play unit, he carries a high fantasy ceiling against a very weak defense.

Value Skaters

Marcus Johansson ($4,100): Johansson was traded to the Washington Capitals on Monday and is back where his career began. He's skating on the first forward line alongside Alex Ovechkin, which is a very valuable role to have given his goal-scoring potential. That puts Johansson in a spot to pick up some easy assists. We also see Johansson on the second power-play unit, and those two roles together should put him in a good spot versus the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo is allowing the seventh-most (2.79) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.

Andre Burakovsky ($4,700): Although Burakovsky has only four points and seven shots on goal in his last 10 games, he's still a value option worth considering tonight. The Colorado Avalanche are -420 home favorites and hold a slate-high 4.23 implied goal total against the Philadelphia Flyers. Even with the lack of production, Burakovsky is still on the second forward line and the second power-play unit, which are in too good of a spot to not consider tonight.