NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 1/6/22
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
Tristan Jarry ($8,400): The Pittsburgh Penguins are on the second night of a back-to-back but still come in as -240 road favorites versus their cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. The issue for the Flyers is that they are dealing with a ton of injuries and are set to be without two of their top defenders and two of their top forwards. On top of that, the Flyers just aren't a good team this year. They come in with a 61.38 Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the second-worst in the league.
Going to Jarry isn't so much about him -- although he's been excellent this season -- as it's more of the easy matchup for the Penguins' offense. They should be able to lead the team to victory rather than Jarry being the sole reason they win.
High-Priced Skaters
Brad Marchand ($9,000): The Boston Bruins have a solid 3.34 implied goal total tonight and could be in for a bit of a back and forth game with the Minnesota Wild. A 6.0 over/under is a good indication that we should be seeing some scoring, combined with the fact the Wild are top 10 for the most goals scored (3.19) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations while also being bottom 10 for the most goals allowed (2.73) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They are an ideal "fun" fantasy team because they give up goals but also can pour in plenty of their own.
When it comes to the Bruins' offense, we know where it's coming from. They don't have a ton of depth scoring, so if and when they get goals, it's likely from their top units. That's why we want to look towards Marchand, who comes in with 5 NHL points and 14 shots on goal in his last five games. We'd like to see him pick up the shooting volume a bit more, but his role on the first forward line and the first power-play unit are super valuable in this matchup.
Brayden Point ($7,600): The big news for Tampa Bay is that star forward Nikita Kucherov is set to return to the lineup for his first game since October 16th. This is a massive upgrade to the top of the lineup, and while I have some interest in Kucherov tonight, I also have interest in going to Brayden Point, who skates on the first forward line and the first power-play with Kucherov. It's not that I'm worried that Kucherov is going to be too chalky or anything. Point just brings plenty of consistency in his own right, and there's no reason not to roster him.
The matchup against the Calgary Flames is a juicy one with a 6.0 over/under, and both teams are top 12 for the most goals scored per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. Point has 8 NHL points and 17 shots in his last five games, putting him among the hottest forwards in the league.
Values Skaters
Alex Newhook ($4,000): If there's one team you want to get some offensive exposure to tonight, it's the Colorado Avalanche and their slate-high 3.84 implied goal total. While the top-tier options for the Avs are all awesome, they are all super expensive. This is where we can turn to Newhook, who is on the third forward line and the second power-play unit. He has a reasonable 6 NHL points and 15 shots on goal in his last 10 games, providing some point-per-dollar value.
Damon Severson ($4,800): The New Jersey Devils have a great matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight and are worth rostering tonight. The Blue Jackets are in the bottom three of the league in both Corsi Against (60.1) and Goals Against (3.15), both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. Really, any team going against the Blue Jackets will be in a good spot, and thus, we look to the Devils tonight. Severson is on their top defensive pairing and the first power-play unit, coming in with 5 NHL points, 10 shots on goal, and 5 blocked shots in his last five games.
