NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 1/17/23

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

Craig Anderson ($7,400): The Buffalo Sabres are -178 road favorites against the Chicago Blackhawks, putting them in a spot to rebound after a tough loss yesterday. To put things simply, the Sabres have been an absolute rollercoaster this season. There are peaks and valleys throughout the season, and right now, they are in a valley.

For the entire season, they are scoring 2.87 goals Per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fifth-best in the league. However, since the start of January, they are only scoring 2.10 goals, which is the ninth-lowest in the league. If we look at their expected goals scored (xGF), they should be scoring 2.94 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations since the start of January.

Why does this matter for Anderson? Well, that is because the Blackhawks allow 3.67 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, since the turn of the calendar year, which is the fourth-worst in the league. With their defense being so bad and the Sabres primed for an offensive explosion, Anderson should be in a spot to pick up the win tonight.

High-Salaried Skaters

Kyle Connor ($9,100): The Winnipeg Jets are carrying a 3.60 goal total tonight against the Montreal Canadiens and should be popular in all formats. This is simply a matchup of two teams at the opposite ends of the offensive and defensive spectrums, leaning heavily in favor of the Jets.

The Canadiens are struggling on defense this season and allow 2.91 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the sixth-worst in the league. That's with a 58.89 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed), which is the ninth-worst in the league. They now face a red-hot Jets offense, who comes in scoring 3.57 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations since the start of January -- good for the fifth-best in the league.

Connor is on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, coming in with 15 NHL points and 26 shots on goal over his last 10 games. Look to stack him with Nikolaj Ehlers ($9,500) and Pierre-Luc Dubois ($8,900).

Filip Forsberg ($7,400): This is another lopsided matchup for the Nashville Predators and their 3.78 implied goal total hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Another hot offense since the start of 2023 is the Predators, who are scoring 3.32 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, putting them as the eighth-best in the league.

Match that up against the Blue Jackets, who sit in the bottom two of the league in goals allowed (3.28) and Corsi Against (64.12) this season, which should lead to plenty of offense for the Predators.

If we're talking offense from the Predators, that means Forsberg, who has a juicy 8 Goals, 4 assists, and 29 shots on goal over his last 10 games. He sees time on the top forward line and the first power-play unit.

Value Skaters

Owen Power ($3,800): As mentioned above, the Sabres are due for an offensive outburst -- especially since they are matched up against a weak Blackhawks defense. The Sabres have a 3.62 implied goal total tonight, and we should see that on full display, making the Sabres viable in all formats.

Power is the defender on the second pairing and the second power-play unit, coming in with 5 NHL points, 20 shots on goal, and 12 blocked shots in his last 10 games. He boasts great point-per-dollar production with a hint of offensive upside tonight.

Lucas Raymond ($5,700): While the Detroit Red Wings are ultimately an average NHL team, they are better than the Arizona Coyotes. We see the Red Wings with a 3.12 implied goal total tonight, looking to bounce back in a big way after a 6-3 thumping yesterday taken against the Colorado Avalanche.

Raymond had a slower start to the season and comes in with 13 total goals this year, but 5 of those goals have come in just the last 10 games. He has found his offensive stride and will get to put that up against the Coyotes, who are allowing 3.15 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations since the start of January (eighth-worst in the league).