NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 4/13/23
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
Alexandar Georgiev ($8,300): We have a massive 15-game slate to close out the final few days of the regular season, giving us plenty of options to consider. The Colorado Avalanche are one of the few teams in the league that have the motivation to play and win to secure their playoff seeding. They are -225 home favorites against the Winnipeg Jets, a team they could realistically meet in the first round of the playoffs.
This should lead to a lower-scoring game, as the points are important and a clear tuneup before the playoffs start. Georgiev has been solid for the Avalanche in the last stretch of games and has allowed three goals or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts. That shouldn't be a surprise because he sits in the league's top 10 for the most Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) this season.
High Salaried Skaters
Brayden Point ($8,700): Brayden Point has 49 goals this season, a career-high, and is just one away from the elusive 50-goal mark. Will I be buying into this narrative? Yes. Is it actually a good matchup? Yes. The Tampa Bay Lightning have a 3.79 implied goal tonight against the Detroit Red Wings, making this a very favorable matchup.
In the last two weeks, the Red Wings are allowing 3.78 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fifth-worst in the league. On the flip side, Tampa has scored the eighth-most (2.96) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations over the last two weeks.
It's no surprise to see that Point has played a big part in their offense over that time with 11 NHL points, 26 shots on goal, and 6 blocked shots. He's on the top forward line and the first power-play unit, which should offer him plenty of chances to fire the puck at the net tonight and pick up his 50th goal of the season.
Jack Hughes ($10,100): The New Jersey Devils have a 3.66 implied goal total tonight and are still motivated to win games. They are just a single point behind the Carolina Hurricanes, which means a Devils win and a Canes loss would vault the Devils into first place and, thus, home-ice advantage in the playoffs. This is a huge level of motivation to have in the final game of the regular season, where they are taking on the Washington Capitals.
Hughes is elite with 16 NHL points, 31 shots on goal, and 8 blocked shots in his last 10 games, putting him among the best in the league. The Capitals are allowing the 10th most (3.09) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations over the final two weeks of the season, putting Hughes in a spot to continue scoring and come away with the win.
Viktor Arvidsson ($6,300): The Los Angeles Kings are another team with high motivation to win and lock up their playoff seeding. That should be on the easier side of things, as they are taking on the Anaheim Ducks, a team we've been attacking all season, and we're not stopping in their final game of the year.
Arvidsson is on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, coming in with 8 NHL points and 32 shots on goal over his last 10 games. The Kings are rocking a 3.81 implied goal total tonight, which should make them a very viable team to stack against a weak Ducks defense.
Value Skaters
Jonathan Toews ($4,900): In what will be the last game of his illustrious Chicago Blackhawks' career, Toews deserves a mention tonight. Has Toews been great this season or the recent ones? No. But the matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers is very favorable, and a tip of the cap to Toews is deserved.
Over the last two weeks, the Flyers are allowing 3.97 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is good for the third-worst in the league. Toews is still on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, which is the ideal role to have, especially for a player at $4,900.
Gustav Forsling ($5,600): The Florida Panthers need to come away with the win in order to avoid the vaunted Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. This should lead to a very straightforward game for the Panthers, and it could be on the lower-scoring side of things.
When this case, I like turning to a player such as Forsling, who can do a bit of everything. He's the defender on the second power-play unit, coming in with 6 NHL points, 36 shots on goal, and 15 blocked shots in his last 10 games. The secondary stats make him a solid point-per-dollar option in a game where we should see full effort from the teams to minimize the scoring chances.
