NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 11/17/22

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 and 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 and take a look at today's slate and some players to consider for your lineups.

Goalie to Target

Linus Ullmark ($9,000): The Boston Bruins find themselves as massive -375 home favorites against the Philadelphia Flyers, and it's one of the more lopsided matchups on the slate. The Bruins have been the class of the NHL to start the season and are sitting in the top five of the league for the most Goals Scored (3.04) and the fewest Goals Allowed (1.97), both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They are dominating on both ends of the ice, and that has led to some easy wins for them.

Tonight, they are taking on a Flyers lineup that is lacking offensive power. Philly sits in the bottom 10 of the league for Goals Scored (2.23) and Corsi For (52.15, Total Shot Attempts Created), both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. A clear lack of offensive pressure puts Ullmark in a spot to come away with an easy win tonight.

High-Salaried Skaters

Jack Eichel ($9,700): Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights are looking to bounce back tonight after two tough losses in their recent outings. Vegas owns a slate-high 4.20-goal implied total and is at home to host the Arizona Coyotes. Eichel, Vegas' top-line center, is cruising right now with 7 NHL points, 20 shots on goal, and 5 blocked shots over his last five games. He provides a stable floor of fantasy points every night, and the multi-point potential gives him a nice ceiling.

The matchup against the Coyotes is very favorable since Arizona is allowing the second-most (3.48) Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. This puts the Golden Knights' offense in a great spot, as they are scoring the ninth-most (2.86) Goals in the same situations. Eichel is worth stacking with Mark Stone ($6,000) and Chandler Stephenson ($6,300).

David Pastrnak ($10,300): With the Bruins being massive home favorites (-375), they are carrying a big 3.82 implied total against the Flyers, a mark they can certainly surpass. Pasta started the season on fire and was scoring goals left and right, but that has cooled down ever so slightly. His rate of scoring a goal every game wasn't sustainable, but Pastrnak tallying only one goal over his last five games is below expectations. He comes in with a strong 23 shots on goal in this last five-game stretch but has only one goal in that span.

His roles on the first forward line and the first power-play unit continue to put him in a spot for multi-point and hat-trick potential every night. The matchup against the Flyers is an easy one, with their defense allowing the second-most (65.6) shot attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.

Value Skaters

Cole Perfetti ($4,900): While the Winnipeg Jets are underperforming on offense but have a great matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. Right now, the Jets are scoring 1.96 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which puts them in the bottom five of the league. However, if we look at their Expected Goals Scored (xGF), they should be scoring 2.60 Goals, which ranks right around the league average.

They should be due for some positive regression, which could start tonight against a Ducks defense that allows the third-most (3.28) Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. This has me interested in the Jets' players, with Perfetti being a solid value option. He is staking on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, and his $4,900 salary is easy to like.

Lucas Raymond ($5,300): Raymond and the Detroit Red Wings have a favorable matchup against the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks allow the fourth-most (3.15) Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, and that's what we've come to expect from their D over the last few seasons.

Raymond is quietly being a bit consistent with 8 NHL points and 20 shots on goal over his last 10 games. Time on the first forward line and second power-play unit gives him a solid role for a modest salary.