NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 4/22/21

Mika Zibanejad has destroyed the Flyers this season and faces them tonight. 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

Jeremy Swayman ($8,000): Although the Boston Bruins are on the road, you should still be looking to them for a goalie option tonight. Swayman has been confirmed as the starter tonight and is a -330 favorite on the road to take on the Buffalo Sabres. Swayman sits behind the Bruins' defense, which has yet again proven to be one of the best units in the league. They're only allowing a 49.90 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the seventh-best in the league. This has helped Swayman pick up four wins in his first five starts with the Bruins, something he should be able to continue tonight versus the lowly Sabres.

High-Priced Skaters

Mika Zibanejad ($7,800): I'm pretty sure if you look up the Philadelphia Flyers on Wikipedia and look at the 'owner' section, it says Mika Zibanejad. In six games against the Flyers this season, Zibanejad has 15 NHL points and 19 shots on goal. The Rangers' top-line center is getting it done in this matchup, and there is no reason we shouldn't be going back to the well. The Flyers have taken a massive step back when it comes to their defense this season, as they are allowing 3.07 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the second-worst in the league.

This makes them a team we can attack every single slate because the fantasy point expectation is so high. With Zibanejad on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, he will see plenty of ice time to continue his strong streak against a weak defense.

Jake Guentzel ($7,700): The Pittsburgh Penguins should be one of the chalkiest teams on tonight's slate, and you can look to roster them in all formats. With a massive slate-high 4.07 implied goal total, the Penguins are going to be popular in all formats, and that likely means paying up for the first forward line with Guentzel, Sidney Crosby, and Bryan Rust.

This is an ideal three-man stack tonight and one that has been producing plenty of points recently, most notably Guentzel. In his last five games, he has 6 NHL points and 14 shots on goal. That production is exactly what we want to see when you are paying up for a top-line skater who can recreate that tonight versus the New Jersey Devils. The Devils are allowing 2.68 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.

Value Skaters

Andre Burakovsky ($4,000): With Mikko Rantanen out due to COVID protocols, we should see Burakovsky on the top line for the Colorado Avalanche. Not only will Burakovsky be taking Rantanen's spot on the first forward line, but he will also take his spot on the first power-play unit, making him an obvious value play tonight. The Avalanche have the third-highest (3.58) implied goal total tonight, making them a top option for all formats. Colorado leads the league with 3.03 goals scored per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, so anytime you can get cheaper exposure to their team you take it.

Jason Robertson ($5,100): The Dallas Stars are -200 road favorites against the Detroit Red Wings tonight, and we want to look for some fantasy options here. The Red Wings are in the bottom half of the league in both Corsi Against and goals against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is why we've been attacking them all season, giving us no reason to slow down tonight. The rookie comes in with an impressive 11 NHL points and 30 shots on goal in his last 10 games, giving us plenty of consistency at an affordable salary.