NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 11/22/21

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

Elvis Merzlikins ($7,800): The Columbus Blue Jackets are -130 road favorites against the Buffalo Sabres and in a spot to come away with the win. Merzlikins should be in net for Columbus tonight and can not only come away with the win but be a very valuable option for your lineups. Merzlikins is one of the lowest-salaried goalies on tonight's slate, and given the fact there are so many expensive stacks to spend up for, he fits well in roster construction.

The Sabres come in scoring 2.37 Gaols per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is 15th in the league. On top of that, they are only producing a 49.75 Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fourth-worst in the league. They are a below-average offense and shouldn't prove to be too much of an offensive threat to Merzlikins.

High-Priced Skaters

Vladimir Tarasenko ($7,800): Tarasenko is going to find the back of the net tonight. That's my bold call of the night since he has a great matchup and is simply due for a goal. Tarasenko has no goals in his last three games, but he has racked up 18 shots on goal. That is an unbelievable amount of shots to not have a goal -- but that's all going to change tonight.

He is up against the Vegas Golden Knights, who come in with the third-worst (61.24) Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations and are giving up the eight-most (2.72) Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They are a bottom-10 defense right now, and considering Tarasenko is skating on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, he has plenty of chances to light the lamp tonight.

Gabriel Landeskog ($8,500): The Colorado Avalanche come in with a whopping 3.82 implied goal total tonight and should be one of the most popular teams on the slate. You can expect plenty of chalky options from Colorado since they are sitting at -375 on the money line -- a staggeringly high number. This is about as straightforward of a spot as you can possibly imagine.

Part one, Landeskog is on the top forward line and the top power-play unit for the Avalanche.

Part two, he is up against the Ottawa Senators, who are in the bottom five of the league in both Corsi Against and Goals Allowed, both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.

The final part? He is hot right now with 12 NHL points, 28 shots on goal, and 10 blocked shots in his last 10 games. Landeskog is one of the best plays on the slate.

Value Skaters

Seth Jarvis ($3,200): The Carolina Hurricanes are good -- like really freaking good. With 14 wins in their first 16 games, the Hurricanes are borderline unstoppable right now. They are scoring the second-most (3.19) Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations and have the third-highest (61.89) Corsi For. Simply put, whenever they are on the slate, you want some exposure to their offense. That exposure can come via Seth Jarvis, who is only $200 above the minimum salary, yet they have him skating on the top forward line and the second power-play unit. A solid three goals in his last five games should make him a popular value option tonight.

Tage Thompson ($4,500): Thompson is a viable value option for the Sabres tonight, who come in with a 2.88 implied goal total against the Blue Jackets. Even though Merzlikins -- mentioned above -- is in a good spot against the Sabres, we should also be considering some of the Buffalo players for value tonight. Thompson is under $5,000, skates on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, and he has piled up 7 NHL points and 24 shots on goal in his last 10 games. The value is very clear here and makes for a good low-end cash play even with low offensive expectations.