NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 11/2/21
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
Cam Talbot ($8,100): The Minnesota Wild are strong -235 home favorites against the Ottawa Senators, and that should make Talbot popular in all formats. Talbot has the benefit of sitting behind a strong defense, who come in allowing just a 52.54 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations -- 11th-best in the league. They will be taking on the Ottawa Senators, who are on the second night of a back-to-back and haven't proven to be an offense you need to be concerned about.
The Senators come in scoring only 2.02 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the 10th-lowest mark in the league. With a strong defense in front of Talbot, he should be able to come away with an easy and uneventful win tonight.
High-Priced Skaters
Claude Giroux ($6,300): With a 3.26 implied goal total, the Philadelphia Flyers are going to be super chalky versus the lowly Arizona Coyotes. The winless Coyotes are on the road and are primed to add another loss to their season total tonight. That means we want to stack the Flyers every which way we can. The Yotes come in allowing 3.03 Goals Against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-worst in the league.
Giroux enters with 8 NHL points and 24 shots on goal through seven games this season, putting him near the top of the list tonight in all formats. He skates on the first forward line and the first power-play, both of which you can look to fully stack with Sean Couturier ($7,600) and Travis Konecny ($5,500).
Auston Matthews ($8,400): Matthews has got to start scoring, right? With only one goal in six games, Matthews is underperforming, there's no question about it. However, his 25 shots on goal are super strong, his role on the first forward line and the first power-play unit is unchanged, so what gives?
It could just be bad luck at this point, but it's worth buying into Matthews before the goals start flowing. Personally, Matthews is only accounting for 1.22 Goals For per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, but his Expected Goals For (xGA) in the same situation is 3.37. He is due for some positive regression, and with the Vegas Golden Knights allowing the second-worst (63.46) Corsi Against this season, he will have plenty of chances tonight.
Value Skaters
Jesper Bratt ($3,700): With Jack Hughes out for the New Jersey Devils, they have changed up their forward and power-play lines. We now see Bratt on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, making him a clear target with his salary under $4,000. The matchup against the Anaheim Ducks is a good one; the Ducks are allowing 2.76 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the seventh-worst in the league.
Josh Anderson ($4,400): The Montreal Canadiens' forward lines are a mess right now. Brendan Gallagher is a game-time decision tonight after missing their most recent game, and Montreal also sent top-line skater Cole Caufield down to the AHL. This leaves an opening for Anderson, who has 4 points in his last three games along with 11 shots on goal. His role on the second forward line and the first power-play unit should be a bit better with the recent changes.
