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 and 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 and take a look at today's slate and some players to consider for your lineups.
Goalie to Target
Ilya Sorokin ($8,300): The New York Islanders find themselves as -205 road favorites tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks and should be able to come away with the win. Sorokin has been solid in goal for the Islanders this season, allowing no more than three goals in five of his six starts. We know what we are getting from Sorokin, who currently has the fourth-best (+850) odds to win the Vezina Trophy.
He's consistent and routinely puts the Islanders in a spot to come away with the win. When it comes to the Blackhawks, they have one of the weaker offenses in the league, producing the eighth-fewest (2.29) goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. This is one of the more straightforward matchups on the slate that should put Sorokin in a spot to be viable in all formats.
High-Salaried Skaters
Connor McDavid ($10,400): I mean this with legitimately zero exaggeration, the Nashville Predators are a complete mess right now. The Predators opened the season with two games against the San Jose Sharks in Prague, Czech Republic for the NHL Global Series. Since returning, the Predators have a 1-6 record, giving up at least three goals in each of the losses. Yikes.
Talk about a nightmare start to the season, and that certainly has the potential to continue tonight versus the Edmonton Oilers, who have a 3.57 implied goal total. To no one's surprise, McDavid has been elite with 18 NHL points and 30 shots on goal in just nine games this season. McDavid is producing points every night and has a soft matchup against a team that is totally lost on defense right now.
Matthew Tkachuk ($10,200): The Florida Panthers are rocking a slate-high 3.93 implied goal total with an elite matchup against the Arizona Coyotes tonight. Tkachuk and the Panthers should be a very chalky option tonight. but their offensive upside is not one you should be looking to fade.
To this point in the season, the Panthers have a 69.31 Corsi For (Total Shot Attempts Created) per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-best in the league. That has led them to produce 3.54 goals in the same situation, which is second-best in the league. They are constantly firing the puck at the net and that leads them to score a ton of goals -- an absolute dream for fantasy production.
Tkachuk has been in the middle of that with 13 NHL points and 46 shots on goal in just nine games. An average of over five shots on goal is staggering, and that should be on display tonight versus the Coyotes. The Coyotes find themselves in the bottom six of the league in both Corsi Against (Total Shot Attempts Allowed) and goals allowed, both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.
Value Skaters
Frederick Gaudreau ($4,600): The Minnesota Wild are dealing with a few injuries right now, and it should push Gaudreau onto the first forward line. This means he will be skating alongside Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, giving him solid offensive upside.
The Wild have a 3.85 implied goal total, which is the second-highest on the slate against the Montreal Canadiens. This is a rather simple situation for Gaudreau, who is under $5,000 and now playing an elite offensive role for the Wild. Don't overthink it; take the value with Gaudreau if you need it.
Dougie Hamilton ($5,600): Hamilton's salary is too low considering the role he is playing for the New Jersey Devils, who are cookin' to start the season. The Devils are in the top seven of the league in Corsi For and goals scored, both per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations. They play fast, move the puck well, take a ton of shot attempts, and score goals.
Hamilton is on the first defensive pairing, on the first power-play unit, and yet, is under $6,000. Hamilton comes in with 7 NHL points, 30 shots on goal, and 8 blocked shots in nine games. He gets it done every night in a role better than this salary mark indicates.