NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 10/27/21

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 ($8,300): The Washington Capitals have Vancek confirmed as the starter tonight, and he should be a popular option in all formats. The Capitals enter as the largest favorites on the slate (-220), and it gives Vanecek plenty of win equity against the Detroit Red Wings. Vanecek has four games under his belt this season and has allowed two goals or fewer in three of those games. However, he has only picked up a high of 25 saves in those four contests.

This may limit his ceiling; he won't have a massive volume of saves, which is great in terms of real-life hockey, but his fantasy production could be capped at a certain point. That should be offset by the Capitals' offense ability to score goals, putting him in a spot to pick up win points tonight.

High-Priced Skaters

Connor McDavid ($9,500): McDavid is the best player on the planet. It's really that simple when it comes to McDavid, who has posted 13 NHL points in only five games this season. When you add in 21 shots on goal in those five games, we have one of the best fantasy options you could possibly imagine. His role on the first forward line and the first power-play set him and Leon Draisaitl ($9,200) up to be the best two-man stack you can find. Better yet, Edmonton has a slate-high 3.96 implied goal total.

That is because McDavid will be up against the Philadelphia Flyers, who come in with the fourth-worst (60.27) Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They also have allowed the fifth-most (12.82) High Danger Scoring Chances Against in the same situation. This is an ideal spot for McDavid to add another multi-point game for the sixth time in as many games.

Alex DeBrincat ($7,200): The Chicago Blackhawks have both Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in the COVID protocol, and that changes their forward lines in a big way. Removing two players from their top-six forwards leaves a massive hole for the Blackhawks, and DeBrincat should be able to pick up some of the slack. DeBrincat has only posted 3 NHL points in six games this season but has piled up 19 shots on goal. His floor of shots should be higher with both Kane and Toews out of the lineup.

DeBrincat is skating on the top forward line and the top power-play unit, granting him a ceiling of fantasy points. That could be on full display tonight since he is up against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are allowing 3.05 goals against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations (fifth-worst in the league).

Value Skaters

Mackenzie Weegar ($5,200): Weegar isn't a pure value play, but he is producing more fantasy points than his salary suggests. He has only 4 NHL points in six games this season, but he has added in 13 shots on goal, and 13 blocked shots. He has a very strong floor of points, and with his role on the first defensive pairing, he has plenty of fantasy upside inside 20 minutes of ice time per game.

James van Riemsdyk ($4,500): You are going to want some exposure to the Flyers-Oilers game tonight with a 7.0-goal over/under. That is very high for the NHL, and the offensive potential is nearly unmatched on the slate to target for stacking. JVR is on the third forward line for the Flyers but is skating on their top power-play unit. That offensive role has allowed him to rack up 15 shots on goal through four games, and, hopefully, it will allow him to find the back of the net for the first time this season.