DraftKings Daily Fantasy NHL Helper for 2/4/21
We've got an interesting eight game slate with some really good plays at all ends of the spectrum. Let's look at two high salary skaters, two values and a goalie that we can use to build our lineups around on this slate.
High Salary Skaters
Auston Matthews ($8,500): Matthews has somewhat been overshadowed by Connor McDavid's hot start in the same division, but he's been good, as well. Matthews has scored goals in five straight games. Toronto Maple Leafs fans have long called for Matthews to be given ice time that other star forwards see, and now with the first full season of Sheldon Keefe as head coach, Matthews is logging 22:15 per game, third among centers, according to Natural Stat Trick. He's been his typical shot-happy self this season, as he is tied for eighth in shots on goal. Matthews gets a great matchup against the Vancouver Canucks, a team allowing the most shots per 60 minutes and the most expected goals per 60. With Nathan MacKinnon's game being cancelled, Matthews is the clear spend at center. Keep in mind that most of your opponents will know this, so try to get unique at other spots in tournaments if you're using Matthews. You could consider playing Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly in all Matthews' lineups to capture more upside from the Leafs, and it will help if the rest of lineups are not doing the same thing.
Artemi Panarin ($6,800): Panarin has been fairly good to start the season, with 12 points in nine games, but he hasn't been as good as he was last season, when he led the league in even-strength points. Still, his play has been good enough and doesn't warrant the $1,000 salary reduction from opening night to tonight that we see on DraftKings. Panarin is coming off his best fantasy game of the campaign, which was his first time hitting the three-point bonus in 2021. He has yet to hit the five-shot bonus, but a lot of his games have come against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who somewhat surprisingly have been the best team in the league at shot suppression. The New York Rangers' opponent on Thursday night, the Washington Capitals, have not been good at that, allowing the third most shot attempts per 60 minutes. This is a solid opportunity to buy the salary dip on Panarin, as the Rangers have an implied team total of 3.28, the fourth highest on the slate.
Value Skaters
Max Domi ($3,300): The line juggling continues with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but it looks as if Domi will be on the first line tonight. He is listed as a wing on DraftKings, but it appears that he will center Alexandre Texier and Patrik Laine today. He is also playing with those players on the top power-play unit. Domi hasn't found his feet with the Blue Jackets just yet, but we are talking about a player who put up 72 points in 2018-19 and is still just 25 years old. This salary is way too low for the role he has and the talent he Domi has shown in the past, so take advantage.
Corey Perry ($3,000): I didn't think I would need to write about 35-year-old Corey Perry ever again when talking about fantasy hockey, but here we are. He's stepped into the Montreal Canadiens and scored three points in five games, producing 10 shots on goal. He's been playing on the third line with red-hot Tyler Toffoli, and he also plays with emerging center Jesperi Kotkaniemi at even strength and on the power play. With Montreal implied to score a massive 4.05 goals, Perry is the cheapest way to get exposure to their power play.
Goalie to Target
Jordan Binnington ($8,000): Binnington has been off to a great start after last season did not end the way he wanted. He's shown more of his rookie-season form, which led the St. Louis Blues all the way to the Stanley Cup. He's 6-1-1 with a .918% save percentage. His opponents tonight are the Arizona Coyotes, who are tied with the Ottawa Senators for the lowest implied team total. The Sens face off against Montreal's Carey Price, who's $500 more than Binnington and has worse numbers this season. For me, Binnington is a better value than Price, and he is my favorite goalie of the night.
Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
