NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 12/17/21
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
Tristan Jarry ($8,600): When a goalie is hot, and you have a great matchup, you simply roll with him in all formats. That is what we have with Jarry, who will be facing the Buffalo Sabres tonight. That has the Pittsburgh Penguins slotted as -335 home favorites. Jarry has allowed two goals or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts, and he picked up the win in eight of those games. That's a high level of consistency from Jarry -- something we haven't seen from him in his career prior to this season.
The Penguins come in with one of the league's best defenses, allowing only 1.99 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations (sixth-lowest in the league). The Sabres' offense is in the bottom half of the league in terms of goals scored per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations and doesn't pose too much of a threat to Jarry.
High-Priced Skaters
Max Pacioretty ($10,800): The Vegas Golden Knights have a 3.07 implied goal total tonight and are always a strong stacking option. Pacioretty didn't record a point last night -- shocking, I know. However, even with that goose egg, he still has 9 NHL points and 23 shots on goal in his last five games. He's been so good that even with one game with no points, he's still one of the hottest players in the league.
The Golden Knights come in scoring 3.10 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-highest rate in the league. That's a team that you can target on any given slate. They are on the road against the New York Rangers, who hold a 58.13 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations -- the seventh-worst in the league.
Troy Terry ($6,000): With a 3.31 implied goal total, the Anaheim Ducks should be a popular option in all formats tonight. Anytime a team is going up against the Arizona Coyotes, we want to look to them as safe options for cash games, and they're a good stacking option in tournaments due to their goal-scoring upside. This is why we look to Terry, who is on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, as a top option tonight.
Terry comes in with 6 NHL Points and 24 shots on goal in his last 10 games. That provides a good combination of point-per-dollar value and a safe floor of points. He'll be able to reach for his ceiling tonight since the Coyotes are allowing 2.87 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations (fifth-worst in the league).
Value Skaters
Kasperi Kapanen ($4,000): As noted above, the Penguins are massive home favorites (-335) tonight, and that gives them a slate-high 3.45 implied goal total. Kapanen skates on the first forward line and the second power-play unit, which is a very strong offensive role for a player that is only $4,000. He has a total of 5 NHL points and 15 shots on goal in his last 10 games -- modest production overall. The salary relief and the offensive role are too good to pass up.
Daniel Sprong ($3,800): The Washington Capitals are dealing with a few injuries right now, and that has caused them to mix up their forward lines. We now see Sprong skating on the first forward line alongside Alex Ovechkin -- a substantial increase from his usual third-line role. He's still on the second power-play unit, but any time you can get a stacking option to pair with Ovechkin that is under $4,000, you take it.
