NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 2/18/22
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
Laurent Brossoit ($8,000): The Vegas Golden Knights find themselves as -172 home favorites tonight up against their Pacific Division rivals, the Los Angeles Kings. Only four points separate these two teams in the standings, and it should set things up for a closer game. Both teams are in the top half of the league for the fewest goals allowed per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.
The Kings aren't known for their offense and sit right around the league average, scoring only 2.34 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. This should put Brossoit in a good spot to build on his recent form. He enters allowing three goals or fewer in five of his last six starts.
High-Priced Skaters
Jonathan Huberdeau ($9,000): Huberdeau is on fire right now with 13 NHL points and 30 shots on goal in his last 10 games. This shouldn't be a surprise; Huberdeau has the third-most (66) NHL points in the entire league. The Florida Panthers come in with a slate-high 3.67 implied goal total, which also shouldn't be a surprise. The Panthers lead the league with 3.53 goals scored per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. This game sets up for an offensive explosion since the Minnesota Wild are the second-best team in the league, scoring 3.24 goals in the same situations. That's why we see a crazy-high 7.0-goal total.
Huberdeau is on the second forward line and the first power-play unit for the Panthers, putting him in a good spot to continue a high level of production -- along with reaching for a high fantasy ceiling due to the matchup.
Jason Robertson ($8,300): The Dallas Stars have a 2.99 implied goal total tonight and a great matchup versus the Chicago Blackhawks. This season, the Blackhawks are in the bottom 10 of the league in both goals allowed and Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed), both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. Chicago has been a defense we've attacked all season, so there's no reason to stop now.
Robertson is viable in all formats since he is on the top line and the top power-play unit for the Stars. He has produced 11 NHL points, 28 shots on goal, and 5 blocked shots in his last 10 games. The Stars have a league-average offense, but it's a clear plus matchup versus the Blackhawks' defense tonight.
Value Skaters
Matthew Boldy ($5,500): Considering the Wild and Panthers matchup has a 7.0-goal over/under, we want to get plenty of exposure to this game. Boldy has only played 14 games this season but has 14 NHL points and has taken 38 shots on goal. The 20-year-old is already seeing time on the second forward line and the first power-play unit.
As noted above, this is a matchup of the two best offensive teams in the league, putting things in a spot where you want to have a game stack for tournaments. Given Boldy's affordable salary and his strong offensive role, he could be a key part of roster construction tonight.
Nino Niederreiter ($4,600): Even though Niederreiter only has a modest 5 NHL points and 14 shots on goal in his last 10 games, he is still a viable fantasy option tonight. The Carolina Hurricanes have a 3.34 implied goal total tonight versus the Nashville Predators, so we should see some offensive production going back and forth.
The Canes hold the third-best Corsi For (63.00) (Total Shot Attempts Created) and the third-most (3.15) goals scored in the NHL, both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They've scored only two goals in each of their last two games and are due for a bounceback given the overall strength of their offense.
