NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 10/19/21
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
Mike Smith ($8,200): With Smith confirmed as the starting goalie for the Edmonton Oilers, we can look to him in all formats. The Oilers are massive -275 home favorites against the Anaheim Ducks, who are on the second night of a back-to-back. Smith has started off the season on the right foot, picking up the win in each of his two starts. He's racked up 36 and 45 saves in the two games, while allowing a pair of goals in each.
That volume of saves is a massive source of fantasy points for Smith, although it also presents some danger. This is due to the Oilers' defense being very average, but the win equity is still very strong for Smith in this matchup. Even if he lets in a few goals as he's done in the first few games, he should be able to balance that out with a few extra saves.
High-Priced Skaters
Brayden Point ($7,700): Point is in a spot for some extra production now that Nikita Kucherov is out for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kucherov's injury is likely going to be a long-term issue, and that means Point needs to fill some of the void that is left on offense. Point is on the first forward line and the first power-play unit for the Lightning, giving him a strong floor and ceiling of potential fantasy points.
Those fantasy points should be front and center since the matchup against the Florida Panthers is primed for plenty of scoring. The over/under 6.0 right now, and we see the Panthers coming in with a 59.27 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the ninth-worst in the league. We also see both teams in the top 10 of the league in Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which should enable a back-and-forth game with plenty of offensive chances on both sides.
Patrick Kane ($7,700): The Chicago Blackhawks have a 2.93 implied goal total tonight and could be going a bit overlooked. They are at home to face the New York Islanders, who are a solid team but one that is off to a rough start this season. It's been just two games, so take everything with a grain of salt, but the Isles are holding a league-worst 75.91 Corsi Against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. While I expect that number to improve as the season goes on, they are clearly struggling right now, and we should look to Kane, who is one of the best offensive players in the league.
Kane has 14 shots on goal and 4 points in the first three games of the season, seeing time on the first forward line and the first power-play unit for the Blackhawks. Kane has always carried a strong floor of points due to the volume of shots he takes, and he has a big-time ceiling due to the power-play time.
Value Skaters
Zach Werenski ($4,900): Even though the Columbus Blue Jackets aren't the best offensive team in the league, they have a great matchup versus a weak Detroit Red Wings squad. This isn't breaking news, but the Red Wings are bad on defense and have started the season with a 67.49 Corsi Against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fourth-worst in the league. They are also allowing 13.5 High Danger Scoring Chances Against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-most in the league.
Werenski has opened the season with six shots on goal and three NHL points, numbers which should increase tonight given the soft defensive matchup. He makes a great one-off in tournament stacks or a solid cash-game option.
Carter Verhaeghe ($5,300): As noted above, the Panthers-Lightning matchup could be a high-scoring affair, and we want to look for some value options here with offensive equity. That is where Verhaeghe comes into play, with his role on the first forward line and the second power-play unit. He has picked up three points and three shots on goal through his first two games, giving him some solid value at his salary.
