NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 11/8/21
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
Ilya Samsonov/Vitek Vanecek ($8,200): There hasn't been an indication on which one of the Washington Capitals' goalies will be getting the start tonight, but either is a solid option. It's not so much the skill of either goalie, as it's more about the fact that they are -275 home favorites going up against the Buffalo Sabres. While the Sabres got off to a bit of a hot start, they still aren't a good team and are one you should be willing to attack every single slate.
The Sabres come in with a 51.28 Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the seventh-lowest in the league. They are also scoring the ninth-fewest (2.01) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, making them an offense that presents a lower risk to either of the Capitals' goalies tonight.
High-Priced Skaters
Mitchell Marner ($7,500): While many will be looking to pay up for Auston Matthews ($9,500), Marner is a bit cheaper and brings you plenty of scoring potential. Marner started the season very slow with only a single point through his first seven games, but since then, he has turned things up to another level. Marner comes in with 11 points in his last five games and has added 21 shots on goal.
That is exactly the level of production we want to see from Marner, who is skating on the second forward line and the first power-play unit for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto comes in with a very solid 3.58 implied goal total against the Los Angeles Kings, and if they are going to hit that total, Marner will likely be heavily involved.
Evgeny Kuznetsov ($7,800): After a few slow games, Kuznetsov is primed to find the score sheet tonight versus the Sabres. The Capitals have a slate-high 3.63 implied goal total, and we should see them as one of the chalkiest teams on the slate. I say that half-jokingly because it's a three-game slate, and the Capitals are the largest (-275) home favorite on the slate -- so yeah, they're going to be popular.
More importantly, Kuznetsov is still skating on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, which is where you should be looking to stack tonight. Despite not having any points in his last two games, he still had six shots on goal while seeing 20-plus minutes of ice time in each game. With the Capitals scoring 2.97 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-most in the league, you can expect Kuznetsov to find the score sheet tonight.
Value Skaters
Jeff Skinner ($4,500): Even though the Sabres aren't a good team and are large (+220) road underdogs, we can still look to Skinner tonight. This is a clear example of his salary not matching his current offensive role for the Sabres. Skinner is on the first forward line and the first power-play unit while being only $4,500. He's averaging over three shots on goal per game this year and has picked up three NHL points in his last three games. I'm just taking the savings with Skinner and moving on.
