NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Friday 1/19/24
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, find a goalie, some stacks, and some value plays for your NHL DFS lineups on FanDuel.
NHL DFS Picks
Goalie to Target
Ilya Sorokin, Islanders ($8,300)
I like to spend as little salary as possible at goalie, but the spot for Ilya Sorokin ($8,300) is too good to pass up tonight.
Sorokin hasn't been as lights out this season as he was last year. In the 2022-23 season, he led the league in goals saved above expected. This season, he ranks only 17th.
I still trust Sorokin tonight because of his opponent. The New York Islanders will play the Chicago Blackhawks, who are struggling badly. Their goal-scoring has been on the binary system in the last five games -- they've either scored one regulation goal or zero in each of them.
Without Connor Bedard and on a back-to-back, I wouldn't expect the Blackhawks to do too well in this game. The Islanders are -255 favorites on FanDuel Sportsbook tonight, and Chicago has a minuscule 2.22 implied team total.
Sorokin should be able to get the win and allow few goals, making him a great play tonight.
Stacks
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have won the Metropolitan Division for the past two years but are currently sitting in third. They still are within striking distance of winning it by the end of the season and should use tonight's game to get on track to do that.
Carolina's first line has arguably its three best forwards on it, including its two most productive this season. Sebastian Aho ($8,800) leads the team with 48 points in 40 games while Andrei Svechnikov ($6,800) is the only other player averaging over a point per game on the team. These two play together on the first power-play unit and are joined by Teuvo Teravainen ($5,200) at even strength.
The 'Canes will take on the Detroit Red Wings at home tonight. Detroit has been good this season, but they still allow the eighth-most expected goals (xG) per 60 minutes. That doesn't bode well for them against Carolina, who generates the seventh-most xG per 60 in the league.
Carolina has the highest implied team total on tonight's slate, and this line is fairly easy to get into lineups. That makes it one of the best stacks on the board.
Florida Panthers
Although the Florida Panthers will still be without Aleksander Barkov tonight, that doesn't mean we can't stack them.
We'll look to the second line, which doesn't include the red-hot Sam Reinhart but still has three talented players who have more affordable salaries. Carter Verhaeghe ($8,700) is having a great season in his own right. He has 23 goals, the second most on the team. He's playing with Matthew Tkachuk ($8,300) on both the power play and at even strength. Tkachuk is having a down season from his last two, but his 42 points in 44 games is still very solid.
The center on this line is Sam Bennett ($5,700), who has scored three goals in his last four games. He's a nice option for salary relief while still providing some potential for fantasy points.
Florida is at home tonight against the Minnesota Wild. Minnesota just got trounced 7-3 last night and continue to struggle defensively with Jared Spurgeon out of the lineup. They've now allowed the seventh-most goals per game.
The Panthers' implied team total is 3.69 goals, just behind Carolina's tonight. I like taking this second line that has more talent than the first due to Barkov's absence.
Value Skaters
Yegor Chinakhov, W, Blue Jackets ($4,900)
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been a mess this season, but they have some fun young players. One of those is Yegor Chinakhov ($4,900), who's definitely a value option tonight.
Chinakhov has 11 goals on the season, tied for third on the team. He's played over 20 minutes in each of the last two games, with his new role being a top-line and top power-play winger. In those two games, he has 12 shots on goal and one goal.
The Jackets will face a depleted New Jersey Devils' team that allows the fifth-most goals per game in the league. Chinakhov definitely will have opportunities to score tonight and can be added to lineups as a one-off piece.
Anton Lundell, C, Panthers ($3,900)
While the Panthers' second line is probably the better stack tonight, you can use Anton Lundell ($3,900), as well.
Lundell is centering the first line with Sam Reinhart on his wing. Reinhart has 33 goals this season, and it seems like everything he touches goes in the net. Lundell benefited from this on Wednesday, picking up an assist on a Reinhart goal.
He also saw 16 minutes and had four shots on goal. If we expect Florida to score a bunch of goals in this game, it's very easy for Lundell to pay off this salary.
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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.