NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 3/15/23

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

Semyon Varlamov ($8,400): The New York Islanders come in as -196 road favorites against the Anaheim Ducks, and this one is a borderline must-win game. The Islanders are in the midst of a very tight race for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and enter on a two-game losing streak. This is the spot for them to turn things around.

Luckily for them, this is one of the easiest matchups you can find in the NHL since the Ducks are allowing 3.35 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season, which is the worst in the league. Besides being terrible on defense, the Ducks are also terrible on offense, producing only 2.10 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season (second-worst in the league).

On the Islanders' side of things, they are allowing just 2.22 goals in the same situations, which is good for the sixth-best this season. A strong defense against a horrible offense should put Varlamov in a spot to come away with the win.

High-Salaried Skaters

Tage Thompson ($9.800): It's time for Tage Thompson to light the lamp against the Washington Capitals. Thompson comes in with 42 goals this season, putting him as the sixth-highest scorer in the league. He's an elite goal-scorer but finds himself in a bit of a drought; he hasn't scored in any of his last five games. Thompson is still firing the puck and has 16 shots on goal in those five games -- along with 5 assists.

He has decent fantasy production right now, but the missing goals are what's keeping him from hitting his ceiling. That should all be changing tonight as the Buffalo Sabres come in with a 3.21 implied goal, and their offense has been pouring in the goals recently.

Over the last month, the Sabres are scoring 3.49 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season, which is the fourth-best in the entire league. On the flip side, the Capitals' defense has fallen off a cliff and now allows 3.50 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season, putting them as the third-worst team in the league in the last month. All of this should put Thompson in a spot to find the back of the net after a five-game drought.

Nathan MacKinnon ($10,400): MacKinnon has been on fire over his last 10 games, coming in with 10 goals, 4 assists, 48 shots on goal, and 6 blocked shots. He has a very solid floor along with a massive ceiling of points, which should be on full display tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This game has a high 6.5 over/under.

Over the last month, both the Colorado Avalanche and the Maple Leafs are in the top seven of the league for the most goals scored per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season. The scoring upside is immense with this type of matchup, and spending up for one of the best fantasy options is worth every bit of his salary.

Value Skaters

Ryan Hartman ($5,300): With Kirill Kaprizov out for multiple weeks, the Minnesota Wild have mixed up their forward lines, giving new roles to some players. Kaprizov is one of the truly elite scoring wingers in the NHL, and that leaves a gap in their offense that needs to be filled.

Hartman is playing on the first forward line and the first power-play unit with a low salary at only $5.3K tonight. He has a great matchup against the St. Louis Blues, who are allowing 3.33 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations over the last month (fifth-worst in the league).

Dylan Strome ($5,200): Strome has been sneaky great in recent games and holds a favorable matchup against the Sabres. Over his last 10 games, Strome has 11 NHL points, 17 shots on goal, and 6 blocked shots while seeing time on the third forward line and the second power-play unit for the Capitals.

That type of production is very solid, and we should see that continue tonight against the Sabres, who are allowing 3.57 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations over the last month. That's the second-worst rate in the league. With the lack of defense on both sides in this matchup, we could be in for a high-scoring, fantasy wonderland tonight in D.C.