NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 1/13/22
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 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
Juuse Saros ($8,400): The Nashville Predators are huge -330 home favorites against the lowly Buffalo Sabres, putting Saros in a spot to be a chalky option in net tonight. The Preds have proven to be one of the better defensive teams in the league this season, only allowing 2.17 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations (seventh-lowest in the league). Saros is a large part of that and has been on fire as of late with 37 saves or more in each of his last five games.
The Sabres' offense is not one to fear; they are scoring the 10th fewest (2.19) Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. The level of consistency we get from Saros on a nightly basis (and the easy matchup) should make him the top overall option tonight.
High-Priced Skaters
Sebastian Aho ($9,100): I can't say enough good things about the Carolina Hurricanes' offense in this matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Canes are in the top three of the league in Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created), Goals Scored, and High-Danger-Scoring-Chances created, all per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They are one of the truly elite offenses in the league, and anytime they are on the slate, you should be looking to get exposure to them due to their offensive upside.
Aho is always in the mix for their offense since he is the center on the top forward line and the first power-play unit, which has led to him posting 17 NHL points and 29 shots on goal over his last 10 games. He should be a priority option tonight versus the Blue Jackets, who are allowing the second-most (3.14) Goals and the fourth-worst (58.83) Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed), both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. These are two teams at the opposite ends of the spectrum for offense, and it should all lead to a downpour of goals for the Hurricanes.
Kyle Connor ($9,000): Does playing in your hometown give you added motivation? That's a question I often ask in DFS because an added narrative is always fun to add into the mix -- if it makes sense. I'm not randomly targeting Connor simply because he is playing in Detroit, which is his hometown. I'm looking to him since he has 10 NHL points in his last 10 games and a total of 37 shots on goal. The shot binge has jumped him up to fourth in the league this season. He's truly one of the best offensive players in the league, and the hometown narrative is a fun bonus.
The Red Wings come into this game allowing 2.64 Goals Against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the 11th-worst in the league. They are also in the bottom five of the league in Corsi Against, making this one of the easier matchups on the slate for one of the most consistent fantasy players in the league.
Value Skaters
Oliver Kylington ($5,300): The Calgary Flames have a very strong 3.63 implied goal tonight and are one of the top teams on the slate. There are five teams on the slate with implied goal totals over 3.50 tonight, and they are all in great spots. If you need a bit of salary relief, look to Kylington (pronounced "Shillington"). He's the defender on the first power-play unit for Calgary, and despite not being too much of an offensive defenseman, he has 5 NHL points over his last 10 games. He also enters with a sporty 31 shots on goal and 11 blocked shots this season.
Eeli Tolvanen ($4,700): With the Predators being massive home favorites against the weak Sabres' defense, you should be looking to get a few of their offensive options in your lineups. With a 3.75 implied goal total, the Predators are the second-highest implied total on the slate, so looking to Tolvanen on the top forward line is a great call. He only has a single NHL point in his last five games, but 12 shots on goals in that time frame are very encouraging. His offensive role is there, and he just needs to capitalize on the soft matchup.
