NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 2/2/22
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
Semyon Varlamov ($8,100): The New York Islanders are strong -182 home favorites against the Seattle Kraken and have a chance to pick up an easier win to close out the first half of the season. The Kraken are only scoring 2.14 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the seventh-lowest in the league. The Isles have one of the stronger defenses in the league -- which is nothing new for them; they are only allowing 2.12 goals in the same situation, putting them as the fifth-best team in the league.
Varlamov comes in with three wins in his last five starts, and he's allowed three goals or fewer in each of those five starts. Varly also has had 31 saves or more in three of those starts. A strong level of consistency for Varlamov should put him in a good spot to come away with the win tonight.
High-Priced Skaters
Johnny Gaudreau ($8,800): With a strong 3.37 implied goal total, the Calgary Flames should be a popular option on a smaller five-game slate. After an impressive, come-from-behind win last night in Dallas, the Flames have a chance to keep that rolling against the weak Arizona Coyotes' defense. Speaking of their defense -- or lack thereof -- the Coyotes are allowing 3.01 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-worst in the league.
The Flames' offense is hot right now with at least three goals in six of their last 10 games, and they can certainly keep that going tonight with this favorable matchup.
Gaudreau has played a large part in that recent success with 16 NHL points and 37 shots on goal over the last 10 games, which has boosted him up to 53 total points this year (seventh-most in the league). His role on the first forward line and the first power-play unit will always keep him in a good spot to reach for a high fantasy ceiling.
Kirill Kaprizov ($9,400): The Minnesota Wild carry the highest implied total on the slate (3.58) and have an offense that can surpass that mark quickly. A five-game winning streak with at least three goals in each of those games has become the norm for the league's second-best offense, who score 3.28 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.
Kaprizov has 19 NHL points and 38 shots on goal in his last 10 games, putting him near the top of the list when it comes to priority options tonight. With the Chicago Blackhawks in the bottom half of the league in both goals allowed (2.55) and Corsi Against (57.79) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, the Minnesota offense is in a favorable matchup to keep their goal-scoring streak alive.
Value Skaters
Dustin Brown ($5,200): Although the Los Angeles Kings are an average offensive team, they have a plus matchup tonight and are due for a bit of positive regression when it comes to the number of goals they are scoring. The matchup against the Detroit Red Wings is an easy one, with Detroit's defense in the bottom 10 of the league for the most goals allowed. It's the Kings' offense that we want to focus on and get some exposure to on this slate.
They come in only scoring 2.31 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is 18th in the league. It's nothing to write home about.
But, if we look at their Expected Goals For (x/GF), they are sitting at 2.83, which would put them as the fourth-best team in the league. The Kings are maintaining a strong Corsi For (60.03) (Total Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, but they aren't scoring a ton. This puts them in somewhat of a 'buy-low' spot against a weak defense. This means targeting someone like Dustin Brown could bring you point-per-dollar value, especially with his role on the first power-play unit.
Kailer Yamamoto ($4,000): It's no secret that Connor McDavid ($10,200) is amazing, but he is also very expensive and can be tough to fit into your lineups. You may want to consider going to Yamamoto, who is on the first forward line alongside McDavid, getting you some lower-salaried exposure to him. Yamamoto has 3 NHL points and 12 shots on goal over his last five games. While that isn't amazing, simply being on the ice with McDavid is a valuable role to have, and Yamamoto can fall into an assist tonight to be worth the roster spot.
