NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 2/19/21

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

James Reimer ($8,500): The Carolina Hurricanes are the largest favorite -- -198 -- on the slate and that puts Reimer in a spot to pick up the win. Reimer and the Canes are taking on the Chicago Blackhawks, who come in with the second-lowest (2.79) implied goal total on the slate. This shouldn't be a surprise since the Blackhawks are only scoring 1.80 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fourth-fewest in the league.

On top of that, the Blackhawks also have the fourth-lowest (48.70) Corsi For (Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, while the Hurricanes have the eight-best (49.99) Corsi Against (Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season. We have two teams at the opposite ends of the spectrum going at it. One team can't generate offensive pressure, while one is great at limiting offensive opportunities. This should put Reimer in a relatively easy spot to pick up the win tonight.

High-Priced Skaters

Kyle Connor ($6,600): The Winnipeg Jets have a super soft matchup tonight against the Vancouver Canucks and we should look to attack them. First off, we have Connor McDavid ($9,100) on this slate, and he is a fantastic option. It's only four games tonight so he should be very popular and it's a given considering what he can produce. For the sake of being a bit different, let's look at Kyle Connor. He is up against the Canucks, who are allowing 3.44 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the second-most in the NHL, along with the second-worst (58.62) Corsi Against in the NHL.

Connor is on the first forward line along with the first power-play for the Jets and comes in with 4 NHL points and 16 shots on goal in his last five games. Given how soft the matchup is for him tonight, we should anticipate another multi-point performance with a handful of shots on goal.

Sebastian Aho ($7,700): As noted above, the Hurricanes are large home favorites and hold a 3.71 implied goal against Chicago. Aho is putting together a very strong start to the season with 14 NHL points in 14 games and over 2.5 shots on goal per game. His role on the first forward line and the first power-play unit will always put him in a good spot to produce consistent fantasy points, along with giving him a high ceiling.

Aho can be used in all formats tonight and if you are looking to stack him with his teammates, add Andrei Svechnikov ($6,500) and Dougie Hamilton ($5,600) for a solid three-man power-play stack.

Value Skaters

Carter Verhaeghe ($4,600): Verhaeghe is skating on the first forward line and the second power-play unit for the Florida Panthers, who hold a 3.13 implied goal total tonight. A player who is under $5,000 and on the first forward line is worth considering every single night since his role should be very secure. The fact we also get some power-play upside from Verhaeghe should make him one of the more popular value plays tonight. He comes in with a solid 12 shots on goal and 3 NHL points over his last five games.

Andrew Mangiapane ($4,700): Mangipane is another example of a player who is under $5,000, is on the first forward line, and the second power-play unit. The Calgary Flames need to get things going in the right direction and tonight's matchup versus the Edmonton Oilers should do just that. Edmonton allows the third-most (2.90) goals against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations and has a league-worst (58.79) Corsi Against this season. This is why we see the Flames holding a 3.33 implied goal total tonight, which is the second-highest on the slate.