NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 4/9/21
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
Robin Lehner ($8,000): The Vegas Golden Knights are the largest home favorite (-240) on tonight's slate and are a clear spot to look for a goalie. Yes, there are other teams -- Colorado and Washington -- who are larger favorites, but they are both on the road, so we want to target Lehner at home tonight. Since returning from his injury, Lehner has played in five games, picked up the win in four of those games while allowing two goals or fewer in all five. An unbelievable amount of consistency from Lehner paired with a soft matchup versus the Arizona Coyotes should make him an easy answer at goalie tonight.
High-Priced Skaters
Alex Ovechkin ($8,100): After a 4-2 loss last night, Ovechkin and the Capitals are in a very winnable matchup versus the lowly Buffalo Sabres. I'm not trying to pick on the Sabres from a philosophical standpoint, but I want to pick on them in DFS because they are a complete mess of a team. They come in allowing 2.75 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-worst in the league. They are also allowing the ninth-most (10.68) High-Danger-Chances-Against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, giving plenty of upside to a player like Ovi.
Ovechkin is doing his usual thing over the last 10 games with a total of 10 NHL points, 36 shots on goal, and even 6 blocked shots. Of course, Ovechkin is on the first forward line for the Capitals, but we also see him double-shifting on both power-play units for the Capitals, giving him immense upside.
Mikko Rantanen ($8,600): It makes sense to pay up for the Avalanche and their top line tonight, so get them in as many lineups as you can. They are -375 road favorites set to take on the Anaheim Ducks, who in the bottom 10 of the league in both goals allowed and Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. This is why we see them with a slate-high 3.52 implied goal total tonight.
Rantanen comes in with 11 NHL points and 32 shots on goal over his last 10 games, putting him into play for both cash games and tournaments. If you can afford to stack him with Nathan MacKinnon ($9,100) and Gabriel Landeskog ($7,000), do so and don't think twice.
Value Skater
Zach Aston-Reese ($3,300): Over his last 10 games, Aston-Reese has 5 NHL points, which is solid for a player on a third forward line who doesn't see any power-play time, but he also has 26 shots on goal. That volume of shots on goal is rather surprising for a player under $4,000 and something you want to capture before his salary increases. The Pittsburgh Penguins have a 3.11 implied goal total on the road to take on the New Jersey Devils, which should be a matchup they have no issue with.
