NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 4/29/21
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
Tuukka Rask ($7,800): The Boston Bruins are massive -420 home favorites, and that means you want to load up on their players tonight. Rask is confirmed as tonight's starter, and given the fact his salary is only $7,800, you should expect him to be one of the chalkiest goalies on the slate. The matchup against the Buffalo Sabres is legitimately the easiest it could be because the Sabres are scoring a league-low 1.83 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. Rask also sits behind one of the best defensive units in the league, as they are in the top 10 of the league in Corsi Against (49.82) (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) and goals allowed per 60 (2.11) minutes in five-on-five situations.
High-Priced Skaters
Sebastian Aho ($7,800): Another massive (-390) home favorites are the Carolina Hurricanes, and they should also be popular in cash games. That means paying up for their top-line center Sebastian Aho, who has 12 NHL points 24 shots on goal, and 10 blocked shots in his last 10 games. Getting it done in all categories is something you love to see from a high-salaried skater, showing he can provide a solid floor of points every night. Aho and his linemates, Andrei Svechnikov ($5,700) and Teuvo Teravainen ($5,300) should make a popular three-man stack tonight.
This is because they are up against the Detroit Red Wings, who are in the bottom 12 of the league in Corsi Against (55.23) and goals allowed (2.47) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. That alone is a great reason to look to the Hurricanes, but I can't go without mentioning the fact they hold the fourth-highest (58.01) Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They have an amazingly strong offense that won't be slowed down tonight by the Red Wings' defense.
Jonathan Huberdeau ($7,500): Huberdeau has been on fire lately, and there's no shot the Chicago Blackhawks and their bottom 10 defense will slow him down. Huberdeau has 15 NHL points and 24 shots on goal over his last 10 games, bring plenty of scoring to the Florida Panthers' offense. His role on the second forward line and second power-play unit remains constant, both of which can be targeting for stacking options.
The Blackhawks are allowing the eighth-most (2.69) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations and that is largely due to the fact they are allowing the fifth-most (11.50) High-Danger-Scoring-Chances against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. Chicago gives up a ton of shot attempts and many of those attempts are coming from very close to the net, giving goal upside to any opposing skater.
Value Skaters
Nico Hischier ($4,700): The New Jersey Devils should be a popular value option yet again tonight, as they take on the Philadelphia Flyers for the third straight game. The Devils have posted nine goals in the first two games against the Flyers, and that shouldn't come as a surprise because the Flyers are allowing a league-worst 3.06 goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. While Hischier only has 4 NHL points and 24 shots on goal in his last 10 games, he is simply too low-salaried and in too good of a matchup for his role on the second forward line and the first power-play unit.
