NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 2/24/21

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

Darcy Kuemper ($8,200): The Arizona Coyotes come in as -162 home favorites against the Anaheim Ducks in what should be a winnable matchup for Kuemper. That -162 line makes the Yotes the third-largest home favorite on the slate, hopefully putting Kuemper in a spot for cash games tonight as he looks to pick up his third win in his last five starts. The Ducks don't pose too much of a threat on offense, as they are only scoring 1.94 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fifth-lowest in the league.

We also see the Ducks in the bottom half of the league when it comes to Corsi For, further showing they lack offensive pressure or threat. The Coyotes continue to have a strong defense and are only allowing 2.1 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the 11th best in the league. Kuemper should be on cruise control tonight for the win.

High-Priced Skaters

Nathan MacKinnon ($8,600): With a 3.08 implied goal total and as -180 home favorites, we want to be targeting the Colorado Avalanche tonight. MacKinnon is skating on the top forward line with Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen, who stay together onto the first power-play unit, giving us full ice-time correlation. This is what you want when you are looking to maximize upside and these players can certainly bring it.

MacKinnon is, of course, a great play in his own right and brings a solid floor of points, along with the upside previously mentioned. His floor comes from the fact that he is averaging 4.07 shots on goal per game this season, which is simply absurd. His 18 points through 14 games is an added bonus for the consistency he has on a nightly basis.

Auston Matthews ($9,300): It appears 16 was the unlucky number for Matthews two nights ago. Of course, 16 referring to his 16-game point streak that was ended on Monday night. It's time to go right back to the well with Matthews, who leads the NHL with 18 goals scored. The Toronto Maple Leafs come in with a slate-high 3.52 implied goal total and find themselves in the only game on the slate with an over/under of 6.5.

With Matthews on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, he should be one of the most popular players on the slate given their implied total. He is another elite center who is averaging over 4.00 shots on goal per game, making him a clear option in all formats tonight.

Value Skaters

Alexis Lafreniere ($3,600): There are two elite centers on tonight's slate, and if you are building a cash game lineup, getting them both in there should be the goal. That means you'll need some serious value tonight, which can start with Lafreniere. With Artemi Panarin out of the lineup for the New York Rangers, Lafreniere has moved up to the first forward line and is still under $4,000. We don't often see a player with a salary this low on the first forward line and the second power-play unit, so you want to jump on it while you can.

Oskar Sundqvist ($3,100): The St. Louis Blues are home favorites (-164) and have a strong implied goal total (3.02), making them a clear team to target tonight. The forward lines for the Blues have been mixed up a bit recently, and we now see Sundqvist on the third forward line and the second power-play unit. While his role may not be massive, he has been productive with his current ice time, totaling two shots on goal or more in each of his last four games, along with two assists in his last six games. He's certainly a deeper value play, but that might be needed with so many high-priced skaters worth paying for tonight.