NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 4/15/21

Thomas Vecchio  —  @DFS_Tom Apr 15th, 2021
John Tavares is now on the first forward line for the Maple Leafs and has a matchup worth attacking. Who else should you build your lineups around?

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

Vitek Vanecek ($8,700): Vanacek will be getting the start for the Washington Capitals tonight, who are -360 home favorites against the lowly Buffalo Sabres. They are the largest favorites on the slate and Vanecek is the most expensive goalie, but he is well worth paying up for in this matchup. The Sabres come in scoring 1.82 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the worst in the league. Vanecek has 24 FanDuel points or more in four straight games, has three wins in his last four games, and has allowed only a single goal in three of his last four games.

High-Priced Skaters

John Tavares ($6,600): With Auston Matthews out tonight, Tavares will be moved up to the first forward line and the first power-play unit. This is a clear spot to target Tavares since the Toronto Maple Leafs are carrying a 3.64 implied goal total and are -162 home favorites. They are going up against the Winnipeg Jets, who are allowing a 51.29 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They are also allowing 11.98 High-Danger Chances Against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the second-worst in the league.

Over his last 10 games, Tavares has posted 9 NHL points, 30 shots on goal, and 6 blocked shots. While those numbers are modest overall, he has an expanded offensive role tonight and has a soft matchup against the Jets.

Jake Guentzel ($7,700): The Pittsburgh Penguins are hosting the Philadelphia Flyers tonight, and that means plenty of scoring. All five of the games between these two teams this season have hit the over, and that is exactly what we should be expecting tonight, mainly from the Penguins side. The Flyers are allowing a staggering 3.17 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the second-worst in the league and a big departure from where they were last season.

That means we want exposure to the Penguins' top line and someone like Guentzel, who has 15 NHL points and 22 shots on goal over his last 10 games. He is paired up with Sidney Crosby on both the first forward line and the first power-play unit, which make great stacks tonight.

Value Skaters

Vitali Kravtsov ($3,000): While we wait on the final confirmation, the morning practice lines for the New York Rangers show Kravtsov on the first forward line, which is a massive change considering he was on the fourth forward line in their most recent game. Kravtsov recently joined the Rangers after his season in the KHL ended and have been getting him up to speed with the team. He is the minimum salary and potentially skating on the first forward line for a team with a 3.21 implied goal total and -220 home favorites. This is a clear value spot, but double-check the lines before the game.