NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 4/1/21
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
Chris Driedger ($8,100): The Florida Panthers are -250 home favorites tonight, and it should make Driedger an easy answer for cash games. Driedger is confirmed as the starter for this game, and he gets to take on the Detroit Red Wings, who are scoring just 1.85 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations this season, the second-lowest clip in the league. This is reflected in their 2.22 implied goal total for today. While Driedger has been inconsistent as of late with three losses in his last five games, he has a soft matchup to get back on track.
High-Priced Skaters
Mika Zibanejad ($7,800): You simply roster Zibanejad against the Buffalo Sabres and don't look back. Zibanejad has been scorching hot, and the Sabres are, well, the Sabres. Zibanejad comes in with 18 NHL points, 29 shots on goal, and 11 blocked shots across his last 10 games. He continues to skate on the first forward line and the first power-play unit for the New York Rangers, who should be popular tonight with their 3.39 implied goal total. As for the Sabres, yes, they won last night against the Philadelphia Flyers to grab their first win in 18 games. But they are still the worst team in the league and are allowing 2.79 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fourth-most. When the Sabres are on the slate, you stack against them.
Brendan Gallagher ($6,300): When you see the Ottawa Senators are on the slate, they are another team you should be running to stack against. This is what we have with the Montreal Canadiens, who carry a slate-high 3.66 implied goal total, setting them up to be one of the chalkiest teams on the slate. The Senators are allowing the second-most (3.29) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations along with the second-worst Corsi Against (59.03). Despite having 7 NHL points and 26 shots on goal over his last 10 games in addition to this juicy matchup, Gallagher is under $7,000. With his offensive role on the first forward line and the second power-play unit, he's a great target.
Value Skaters
Brett Connolly ($3,300): Connolly should be the chalk value option on the slate for the second time in three days. Connolly was $3,000 the other day, he scored a goal, and he is now $3,300. Why is he the chalk value option? That is due to the fact he is on the first forward line and the first power-play unit for the Panthers, who are missing Aleksander Barkov and Patric Hornqvist. This has changed their forward lines and pushed Connolly to the top of the lineup. The Panthers are large -250 home favorites with a 3.28 implied goal total against the Red Wings.
Martin Necas ($5,300): Necas is hot right now with 10 NHL points and 25 shots over his last 10 games. In what has been a pleasant surprise for Carolina Hurricanes fans, Necas has emerged as a legit top-six forward after a few injuries earlier in the year allowed him to see ice time on the first forward line. Necas' 28 NHL points in 31 games isn't a fluke, and with a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks on tap, we can expect him to keep producing.
