NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 4/6/21
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
Andrei Vasilevskiy ($8,600): The easy answer in net tonight is to go with Vasilevskiy from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Vasilevskiy isn't confirmed yet, but with Curtis McElhinney still dealing with a minor injury from the other day, it's all but certain he will get the start. Tampa comes in as a -225 road favorite to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are one of the worst offenses in the entire league. They come in scoring only 2.06 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the sixth-lowest in the league. Vasilevskiy is still the best goalie in the league and comes in with 8 wins in his last 10 starts, making him a clear option in all formats tonight.
High-Priced Skaters
Evander Kane ($7,400): The San Jose Sharks have a solid 3.11 implied goal total tonight and have a fantastic matchup versus the lowly Anaheim Ducks. This season, the Ducks are in the bottom 10 of the league in both Cosi Against (54.36) (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) and goals allowed (2.76) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. While the Sharks aren't an amazing offensive team, their matchup is too good to pass up tonight, and it should make them viable in all formats.
This means you should be looking to pay up for the top forward line from the Sharks, who are fully correlated on the first power-play unit. That line is led largely by Evander Kane, who has 7 NHL points and 34 shots on goal over his last 10 games. The Sharks are also the last game on the slate, giving you some late-night GPP hammer potential.
Artemi Panarin ($7,800): Panarin has been hot lately with 31 shots on goal and 14 NHL points over his last 10 games, which is primed to continue tonight. The New York Rangers are at home to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins where the over/under is set at 6.5 goals. In the six games between these two teams this season, we have seen two overs, two unders, and two pushes. It's a mixed bag of results, but we'll look at this with a glass-half-full, as the two pushes were so close to hitting the over.
I specifically like this matchup for a game stack because both teams are in the top 12 when it comes to goals scored per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. With Panarin skating on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, there is plenty of upside for him in this matchup.
Values Skaters
Travis Zajac ($4,100): While the New Jersey Devils aren't a great offensive team, they are taking on the worst team in the league in the Buffalo Sabres. Zajac has a low salary considering he is seeing time on the second forward line and the first power-play unit. His stats recently aren't great, with only 7 NHL points and 12 shots on goal in his last 10 games, but the Sabres are allowing the fourth-most (2.74) goals, so it's a matchup worth attacking.
Carter Verhaeghe ($5,500): The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes have a 6.5 over/under, which could put this game in a spot for some game stacks. The Panthers got some reinforcements into their lineup with Aleksander Barkov and Patric Hornqvist back in action, and that has pushed Verhaeghe to the second power-play unit while remaining on the first forward line. He does have a surprising 11 NHL points and 28 shots on goal in his last 10 games, which is very solid for a player at his salary.
