NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 3/4/21
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
Alex Nedeljkovic ($7,800): The Carolina Hurricanes are -330 home favorites against the Detroit Red Wings tonight, which should make Nedeljkovic a great cash game option. Nedeljkovic is confirmed as the starter tonight and is very affordable considering how heavy of a favorite he is at home. The Red Wings aren't a team you need to fear on offense, as they are carrying a 48.15 Corsi For (Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the worst in the league. They are also only scoring the fourth-fewest 1.93 goals per 60 minutes at even-strength. Detroit presents very little threat to Nedeljkovic tonight, putting him in a spot to pick up the win.
High-Priced Skaters
Sebastian Aho ($7,400): As noted above, the Canes are massive home favorites tonight and carry a 3.44 implied goal total, which is the second-highest on the slate. You should be looking to the Hurricanes in all formats and that starts with Aho, who is the center on the top forward line and on the first power-play unit. Aho is cruising right along this season with his production and has 9 NHL points in his last 10 games, along with 28 shots on goal and even 5 blocked shots.
The Hurricanes have the fifth-highest (57.81) Corsi For this season, as they are known for, which puts them in a spot to always have a consistent floor of points on a nightly basis. That should only be elevated tonight versus the weak Red Wings' defense.
Mitchell Marner ($7,800): The Toronto Maple Leafs scored six goals last night and Marner only picked up a single assist. That's a bit lower than we would expect from a player on the top line and top power-play unit when they had that many goals, but we want to run it right back with Marner tonight. The Leafs have a slate-high 3.56 implied goal total and are up against the Vancouver Canucks, who are one of the worst defensive teams in the league.
Vancouver is allowing 3.05 goals per 60 minutes at even-strength this season, which is the third-most in the league. They also have the third-worst (54.47) Corsi Against this season, so yeah, they are terrible. Forget about the lackluster performance last night from Marner and trust the matchup he has tonight.
Value Skaters
Ryan Pulock ($4,600): Pulock is averaging 1.8 shots on goal per game and 1.9 blocked shots per game this season, giving him a great floor of points every night. It's always great to get some consistency out of your defenders, and that's why Pulock brings to the table. He is under $5,000 and averaging 9.0 FanDuel points per game this season. On top of that, he is on the first power-play unit for the New York Islanders, who are -200 home favorites tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. His floor of points is always there and the ceiling is there via the power-play unit.
Andrew Mangiapane ($4,600): The Calgary Flames are another team to 'trust the process' with tonight against the Ottawa Senators. Last week, the Flames lost twice to the Senators, but we need to look past that and continue to attack the league's worst defense. The Flames have a solid 3.11 implied goal total tonight and offer a bit of value with Mangiapane, who has 5 NHL points, 19 shots on goal, and 7 blocked shots in his last 10 games. He is also skating on the second power-play unit, which can always provide a bit of upside to his production.
