NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 3/12/21

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

Cam Talbot ($7,800): Talbot brings a solid mix of having an affordable salary and being a strong (-194) home favorite tonight. Talbot is coming off of three straight losses, but we should look past that since the matchup he has tonight is favorable against the Arizona Coyotes. This season, the Coyotes are only scoring 2.08 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fourth-lowest in the league. In addition to that, the Coyotes only have a 50.81 Corsi For (Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the 10th-lowest in the league.

This is why we see the Coyotes coming in with the second-lowest (2.38) implied goal total on tonight's slate. They don't pose too much of a threat on offense which should allow Talbot to come away with the win while only allowing one or two goals.

High-Salaried Skaters

Connor McDavid ($9,200): Roster McDavid tonight in all formats. If you want it to be that simple, it really can be. He is the best player in the NHL and he is taking on the Ottawa Senators, who are the worst defensive team in the league. I don't mean that facetiously either. The Senators are allowing a league-worst 3.51 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They are also allowing the second-most (58.19) shot attempts in five-on-five situations. When the Senators are on the slate, you stack against them.

That means spending up for McDavid tonight, who comes in with 16 NHL points and a super-solid 37 shots on goal in his last 10 games. McDavid is now skating alongside Leon Draisaitl ($8,300) on the first forward line, which gives them full ice-time correlation since they were already on the first power-play together. They are the best two-man stack on the slate -- pay up for them both.

Evander Kane ($6,700): The San Jose Sharks have a decent 2.79 implied goal total tonight and are a viable team to stack. The Sharks are a middle-of-the-road offensive team this season but have a plus matchup versus the Anaheim Ducks. This season, Anaheim is in the bottom-11 of the league or worse for goals allowed and Corsi Against, both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.

This puts Kane, who skates on the first forward line and the first power-play, in a great spot to jump on this matchup. He truly isn't that expensive but has been producing as if he is $7,500 or higher. He comes in with 11 NHL points and 35 shots on goal in his last 10 games. The Sharks could be one of the best non-chalk stacks of the night.

Value Skaters

Trevor Zegras ($3,200): The Ducks' rookie comes in with 15 shots on goal and 2 NHL points, but he has played in only 8 games this year. It's modest production for him but this has also led to his salary being very affordable tonight. He is skating on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, which is rarely seen for a player under $4,000, and you want to jump at this opportunity versus the Sharks. San Jose comes in allowing the second-most (3.22) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season and holds the fourth-worst (57.39) Corsi Against.

Devon Toews ($4,700): Toews continues to see time on the second power-play unit for the Colorado Avalanche, who hold the second-highest (3.24) implied goal total tonight. He comes in with 12 FanDuel points or more in three of his last four games and makes a viable low-end cash game option. He is starting to pile up the shots on goal (22) and blocked shots (13) over his last 10 games, giving him a safe floor of points.