NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 2/5/21

Hockey is officially back! 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

Robin Lehner ($8,400): The Vegas Golden Knights are playing for the first time since January 26th and are massive -280 home favorites versus the Los Angeles Kings. Vegas had their season paused due to COVID, but they are back in action tonight and should be one of the chalkiest teams on the slate -- specifically, at goalie with Lehner. Lehner makes for a clear cash game option tonight against the Kings, who have a lowly 2.15 implied goal total.

The Golden Knights are only allowing 2.02 goals against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season, which is the ninth-best in the league. This should help keep Lehner in a very safe spot for cash games since the win equity is very high and he shouldn't be giving up too many goals. The Kings come into this game among the bottom 10 teams in the league in goals scored per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, along with Corsi For (Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They don't have a good offense and you should look to Lehner in cash games tonight.

High-Salaried Skaters

David Pastrnak ($8,300): Pasta is back and he is already putting up a ton of fantasy points. Pastrnak was dealing with an injury to start the season but made his debut last Saturday and already has 7 real-life NHL points and 19 shots on goal in just three games. That's insane production in that short of a window but it shouldn't come as a surprise for the reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner, which is given to the player who leads the league in goals.

This is the level of production we should be expecting from Pastrnak, and with him playing on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, you can expect that upside on a nightly basis. He is up against the Philadelphia Flyers, who are seeing their defense regress a bit compared to where they were last season. Philly ended last year in the top 10 of the league for the fewest goals allowed and the fewest shot attempts allowed, both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. To start this season, the Flyers are in the bottom half of the league in both categories.

Max Pacioretty ($8,100): The Golden Knights have a strong 3.35 implied goal total tonight and you should be looking to their skaters in all formats. Pacioretty is on the first forward line and the first power-play unit for Vegas, who have plenty of upside since the Kings are taking over three penalties per game this season. To start the season, Pacioretty is posting over 4.5 shots on goal per game which is a total he shouldn't have an issue reaching or exceeding tonight versus the lowly Kings' defense.

Look to Pacioretty in cash games or stack him with Mark Stone, Jon Marchessault, or Shea Theodore, in what should be one of the higher-upside stacks of the night.

Value Skaters

Hampus Lindholm ($4,300): It can always be tough to find value on a smaller slate but the Anaheim Ducks could be the answer tonight. While they don't have an amazing offense, their matchup versus the San Jose Sharks is too good to pass up. The Sharks have the second-worst Corsi Against (59.47) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season, along with allowing the third-most (3.38) goals against in the same situation. Lindholm sees time on the first power-play unit for the Ducks, making him one of the best values on the slate. It's not often we see a player under $5,000 on the first power-play and in this soft of a matchup.

Nick Ritchie ($4,200): Ritchie has been a pleasant surprise for Bruins' fans to start the season and is an easy value option tonight. To put it simply, Ritchie doesn't bring a ton of offensive upside on his own, but he is skating on the Bruins' top power-play unit and gets you exposure to Patrnak, Brad Marchand, and Patrice Bergeron. This has helped him pile up nine real NHL points in 10 games, including an active three-game point streak.