NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 1/18/22

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

Braden Holtby/Jake Oettinger ($7,700): The Dallas Stars are looking like one of the chalk options on the slate as massive -350 home favorites against the Montreal Canadiens. This should make them a popular option in all formats across all positions -- but especially when it comes to their goaltender. Holtby is out of the league's COVID protocol but it's yet to be announced if he or Oettinger will be in net tonight.

It doesn't matter who gets the start, you want to be looking to them in this soft matchup. The Canadiens enter this game scoring only 1.83 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-lowest in the league. The Stars still have a strong defense that is allowing only 2.30 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is in the top half of the league.

High-Priced Skaters

Aleksander Barkov ($9,400): To quote Mugatu from Zoolander, "Barkov, so hot right now." That's the best way to describe not only Barkov but the entire Florida Panthers' offense. They have scored four-plus goals in nine straight games. Seven of those games have seen five goals or more. They are firing on all cylinders, and Barkov has been a big part of that with 11 NHL points, 32 shots on goal, and 13 blocked shots in his last 10 games. They are scoring a staggering 3.64 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations -- best in the league.

Barkov is on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, making him a bit of a priority option tonight. Their matchup against the Calgary Flames has a slate-high 6.5-goal total, and the Panthers have the second-highest (3.46) implied goal total. It's all about the offense for the Panthers, and Barkov is a key part of that production.

Joe Pavelski ($7,300): You want some exposure to the Stars' offense as well tonight due to their favorable matchup against the Canadiens. As noted above, the Canadiens have a bad offense and, not surprisingly, have a bad defense. They are allowing the eighth-most (2.75) Goals Against and the eight-most (57.64) Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed), both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.

They're a bad team top-to-bottom, and you can look to roster whatever team is going against them on any given slate. With that in mind, we'll go right to their top line and the top power-play unit, putting Pavelski at the top of the list. He has been strong as of late with 15 NHL points, 35 shots on goal, and 9 blocked shots in his last 10 games. He's a great option for all formats with a soft matchup tonight.

Value Skaters

Tim Stutzle ($4,700): This might be the first time all season I'm writing about a player from the Ottawa Senators, but there's a first time for everything. The Sens have looked good in their last two games and have a chance to keep that going versus the Buffalo Sabres tonight. Buffalo is allowing the seventh-most (2.86) Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. Stuzle is on the second forward line and the first power-play unit for the Senators, putting him in a spot to reach for some offensive upside in an easy matchup.

Noah Hanifin ($4,700): With a 6.5-goal over/under, you want some exposure to the Flames as a bring-back option to the Panthers tonight. While there are plenty of great options in this game, most of them are high-salaried and can strain roster construction. This is where you can turn to Hanifin for a bit of salary relief. He's the defender on the second power-play for the Flames, and he enters with 4 NHL points and 24 shots on goals over his last 10 games. The blueliner is a solid source of point-per-dollar value tonight.