NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 2/17/21

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

Frederik Andersen ($8,600): The Toronto Maple Leafs are insane -350 home favorites tonight, giving them a 78.3% implied win percentage against the Ottawa Senators. Andersen is confirmed as tonight's starter for the Maple Leafs, and we should be looking to him as one of the safest options on the slate. Yes, he is coming off a game where he gave up six goals to this very same Senators team, but that is clearly a bit of an outlier.

Prior to that game, Andersen had allowed three goals or fewer in nine of his last 10 games, picking up the win in seven of those games. That is the level of production we should be seeing from Andersen tonight because the Senators are only scoring 2.03 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the ninth-fewest in the league. Andersen can be tough to trust at times, but he is clearly in a spot to pick up the win.

High-Priced Skaters

John Gaudreau ($7,700): If you are looking for offensive upside tonight, the Calgary Flames are a clear choice versus the Vancouver Canucks. To put it simply, the Canucks are a bad defensive team -- like really bad. This season, they are allowing a 57.94 Corsi Against (Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-worst in the league. That has led them to give up 3.58 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the absolute worst in the league.

They are a constant source of fantasy points for opposing players and that is where Gaudreau comes in. He is skating on the second forward line and the first power-play unit for the Flames, who should end up as one of the most popular teams on tonight's slate. Gaudreau has 16 NHL points in 15 games this season, along with a total of 35 shots on goal. Gaudreau will continue to make a solid floor play and has tremendous upside with a soft matchup versus the Canucks on tap tonight.

Nikolaj Ehlers ($6,900): Let's talk about Ehlers, who currently has the third-most (10) goals in the NHL. Yes, Nikolaj Ehlers has 10 goals to start the season and should only add to that total tonight versus the Edmonton Oilers, who are a complete disaster on defense this season. The Oilers are dead last in the league in Corsi Against (58.28) and the third-worst team in the league (3.04) in goals allowed, both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. With a defense this weak, you should be looking to attack the Oilers every night.

Ehlers is averaging a super strong 3.5 shots on goal per game, along with over 1.00 real NHL points per game. With his consistent role on the second forward line and second power-play unit, Ehlers should have no issues with continuing his production this season given the soft matchup against Edmonton.

Value Skaters

Andrew Copp ($4,000): As noted above, the Oilers' defense is terrible this season, as it has been for a few seasons. You should be looking to attack them at every opportunity and finding value to attack them with is just an added bonus. This is where Copp comes into the picture, as he is only $4,000 and skating on the first forward line, along with the second power-play unit. There are plenty of expensive options on a small four-game slate, so you'll need plenty of value tonight, and Copp could be a key answer.

T.J. Brodie ($3,600): The Maple Leafs have a massive 4.11 implied goal total tonight, and you absolutely want to get exposure to this offensive. Brodie is the defender on the second power-play for the Leafs, which makes a great stack in tournaments. They aren't as expensive as the first power-play unit and shouldn't be as popular. He is a solid point-per-dollar play with his over 2.00 shots on goal and blocked shots per game. If he is able to grab an assist tonight, he will cruise past value.