NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 5/20/22
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 and 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
Jacob Markstrom ($7,600): After a wild Game 1 that ended 9-6 in favor of the Calgary Flames, they are looking to take a commanding series lead tonight.
After seeing 15 goals in the series opener, I'm expecting a lower-scoring game, making the goalies a bit more viable. Markstrom has been super strong in the playoffs until this recent game when he allowed six goals. In the seven games prior, Markstrom allowed no more than three goals, and he allowed one or fewer in four of the seven. He's far better than what he showed in Game 1 and is the next-to-lowest-salaried goaltending option tonight.
High-Salaried Skaters
Connor McDavid ($10,200): While I like Markstrom for the Flames tonight, it's tough to not have McDavid in your lineups on a small slate. He can single-handily break a slate with his multi-point production, and there are few -- if any -- players that can match him in that department tonight. He's riding an active four-game point streak where he has a total of 12 NHL points in that time. On small slates, I also consider using skaters against the goalie they are facing, which isn't a normal strategy, but it can help make your lineups different while focusing on the best fantasy producers.
Chris Kreider ($7,400): The New York Rangers need their top goal-scorer from the regular season to step up the offense tonight if they are going to tie up the series versus the Carolina Hurricanes. Kreider had 52 goals in the regular season and hasn't found that consistency in the playoffs. He's been held without a goal in four of the last six games, including the series-opener versus the Canes -- where he only had one shot on goal. The top-line forward will need to generate more offense on even-strength or on the first power-play unit, so look for them to find the back of the net tonight.
Value Skaters
Noah Hanifin ($5,100): Hanifin is now on the first power-play for the Calgary Flames, who have a slate-high 3.62 implied goal total tonight. Hanifin is more of a safe floor play rather than shooting for a massive ceiling. In eight games in the playoffs, he has only 2 NHL points but posted 29 shots on goal and 15 blocked shots. The point-per-dollar value is very strong even if there is little upside for a massive game.
Zach Hyman ($5,700): Hyman has a surprising 29 shots on goal in the first eight games of the playoffs, which is an encouraging sign for a secondary offensive option on the Oilers. He's on the second forward line and the first power-play squad but has only six NHL points in the playoffs.
That's rather low considering the offensive role he has, but the shots on goal are a ray of light for him to continue to push the pace on offense. While I expect this game to have fewer goals than Game 1, I'm expecting more scoring in this game compared to the Rangers-Hurricanes clash.
