NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 1/4/22
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
Linus Ullmark ($8,000): The Boston Bruins are the largest (-255) home favorite on the slate and are a clear option for cash games tonight. The Bruins come in with one of the league's best defenses, allowing only 2.10 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the eighth-best in the league. Boston also holds the third-best Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) (50.69) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, severely limiting offensive chances for the opposition.
Ullmark has allowed two goals or fewer in seven of his last 10 starts and has picked up at least 29 saves in six of those starts. He has a decently high floor, and the strong win expectation tonight should make him a top goalie option.
High-Priced Skaters
Nathan MacKinnon ($10,400): The Colorado Avalanche have a slate-high 3.57 implied total, and we should see them as one of the most popular teams on the slate. The Avs are one of the league's best offensive teams, scoring 3.25 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, putting them as the second-highest squad in the league. With their offense also sitting in the top 10 in Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, the Avs are going to be a bit of a priority for many DFS players tonight.
That means we want to look to their top line with MacKinnon, who comes in with 9 NHL points and 25 shots on goal over his last five games. His multi-point potential is strong every single night, and the time on the first power-play unit only gives him a higher ceiling.
Steven Stamkos ($8,300): Tampa Bay is going to win tonight. Coming in on a three-game losing streak, the Lightning are going to right the ship against a bad defensive Blue Jackets' lineup. They're bad on defense to begin with and are expected to be missing a few key players tonight. By bad on defense, I mean they are in the bottom three of the league in goals against and Corsi Against, both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.
Stammer comes in with 5 NHL points and 18 shots on goal in his last five games, which is good-but-not-great production. We'd like to see the shot volume a bit higher to increase his floor of fantasy points, and this matchup should help him get that done.
Value Skaters
Maxim Mamin ($3,500): A 6.0 over/under and two of the best offensive teams in the league make the Calgary Flames-Florida Panthers game a matchup to target. The Panthers have a few players missing due to a suspension and the league's COVID protocols. So we could be seeing Mamin on the first forward line for the Panthers, and he clocks in at only $3,500. He owns a modest 6 NHL points and 20 shots on goal through the 14 games he has played this season, but an increased offensive role should allow him to exceed value tonight.
Paul Stastny ($4,900): The Winnipeg Jets are an easy answer on tonight's NHL slate since their matchup against the Arizona Coyotes is so favorable. The Yotes are allowing the third-most (3.05) goals against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, while the Jets are moving back up toward the top of the league in goals scored (2.52) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, currently sitting in 11th. Stastny has a very solid role on the first forward line and the second power-play unit, which has led to him posting 4 NHL points and 14 shots on goal in his last five games.
