NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 3/1/21
Hockey is officially back! 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
Philipp Grubauer ($8,600): Grubauer should be in net tonight for the Colorado Avalanche, who come in as -240 road favorites against the San Jose Sharks. In reality, it doesn't matter if Grubauer or Hunter Miska gets the start for Colorado -- it's more of the fact that they are playing the Sharks tonight, which should put him in a spot for the win. Yes, you want to be trusting Grubauer, not necessarily because of his own skill but because the Sharks' defense is so terrible. It should put the Avs' offense in a fantastic spot to pick up the win and, thus, the fantasy points for Grubauer.
High-Priced Skaters
Mark Scheifele ($8,200): The Winnipeg Jets have a 3.46 implied goal total tonight at home against the Vancouver Canucks and should be one of the top offenses on the slate. To say Scheifele has been hot over his last 10 games would be an understatement. He comes in with 15 NHL points, 17 shots on goal, and 6 blocked shots. The consistency he brings on a nightly basis is amazing, and that should be on full display tonight -- along with having plenty of upside.
He is up against the Vancouver Canucks, who are allowing 3.18 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-worst in the league, along with allowing a 57.41 Corsi Against (Shot Attempts Allowed), which is the fourth-most in the league. To put it nicely, the Canucks "struggle" on defense this season. In reality, they are a complete dumpster fire, and you should be stacking against them every time they are on the slate.
Mikko Rantanen ($8,000): You really want to pay up for the Avalanche and their top skaters tonight because they are carrying a slate-high 3.85 implied goal total against the Sharks. Tonight, the Sharks will have Martin Jones in net, who is one of the worst goalies in the league. I say that without hyperbole, as Jones is the 64th rated goalie this season, according to CorsicaHockey. There are 31 teams in the NHL and each team has two goalies, so in theory, Jones isn't even good enough to be a backup.
So when you hear that the Sharks are allowing the second-most (3.20) goals per 60 minutes while at even-strength, you shouldn't be surprised. Rantanen is on the top line and the first power-play unit for the Avalanche, who should be one of the most popular stacks on tonight's slate in such a juicy matchup.
Value Skaters
Rasmus Andersson ($4,300): With a 3.57 implied goal total, the Calgary Flames are a clear team to roster tonight. They are going up against the Ottawa Senators, who are allowing the most (3.57) goals per 60 minutes at even-strength this season, along with allowing the most (58.31) shot attempts in the same situation. If they are this bad on defense, you should be looking to stack the Flames in all formats tonight and wherever you can afford them. But if you can't afford all of their top options, Andersson at only $4,300 and is on the first power-play unit, making him a great choice as well.
Jesse Puljujarvi ($4,500): Tonight's Edmonton Oilers vs Toronto Maple Leafs' game has a 6.5 over/under and a clear spot to target for fantasy production. Puljujarvi is on the top forward line for the Oilers and skates alongside Connor McDavid, giving him some upside simply for being on the ice with the best player in the world. Over his last five games, Puljujarvi has two goals, eight shots on goal, and two blocked shots. Hopefully, he can fall into an easy goal or assist because of McDavid's scoring potential.
