NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 2/12/21
Hockey is officially back! 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
Jaroslav Halak ($8,500): The Boston Bruins are -190 road favorites against the New York Rangers, which will put Halak in a spot to pick up the win. Halak has been confirmed as the starter for the Bruins and is looking to build on his strong start to the season. He has three wins in his four starts while allowing a total of seven goals in that time. That trend could very well continue tonight since the Rangers are only scoring 2.06 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the ninth-lowest in the league.
Despite the fact he is the most expensive goalie on a small two-game slate, Halak offers the most safety to pick up the much-needed win points.
High-Priced Skaters
David Perron ($7,200): The St. Louis Blues are playing the Arizona Coyotes tonight...for the fifth game in a row. You read that correctly, the fifth time in a row and they still have two more games to play. Because the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild have had games postponed due to COVID protocols, the Blues schedule has shifted. But in this four-game mini-series, we see David Perron taking advantage of the recurring matchup en route to 4 total NHL points and 12 shots on goal.
With Perron seeing time on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, the opportunity for him to produce will always be there and he is clearly taking advantage of it in this -- very familiar -- matchup versus the Coyotes.
Patrice Bergeron ($7,900): With a slate-high 3.11 implied goal total, looking to the Bruins' top line is a no-brainer on a two-game slate. There is no doubt that Bergeron, Brad Marchand ($8,100), and David Pastrnak ($8,500) is the best three-man stack on tonight's slate, it's just a matter of finding the value in order to pay up for those higher salaries.
Since Bergeron is just a tad cheaper compared to the other skaters, he should be a bit easier to fit into some lineups. It's not as if you are giving up production by going to him over Marchand or Pastrnak. Bergeron comes into this game with 16 real NHL points and 4 shots on goal through 12 games this season.
Value Skaters
Alexis Lafreniere ($3,900): With Artemi Panarin out for tonight's game, Lafreniere has moved up to the second forward line and the first power-play unit. While losing Panarin is a big loss for the overall offensive threat of the Rangers, seeing a player with a salary of only $3,900 on the first power-play unit is a clear value option. The 19-year-old rookie only has one NHL point on the year, but given the elevated opportunity tonight, he makes a clear and needed value option for your lineups.
Jakob Chychrun ($4,800): With a consistent floor and a clear ceiling, Chychrun could be the best player under $5,000 on tonight's slate. Chychrun is seeing time on the first power-play unit for the Coyotes, which is what gives him access to a ceiling of fantasy points. Extra opportunities to pick up easy assists should never be overlooked in NHL DFS, and Chychrun brings that on a nightly basis. What he also brings is a very consistent floor of points with his 1.5 blocked shots per game and 2.75 shots on goal per game this season. Take the consistency from Chychrun on a small two-game slate.
