NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Monday 12/4/23

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

Darcy Kuemper, Capitals ($7,000)

If we're looking to allocate a lower percentage of our salary cap to goaltender -- which tends to have a lot of variance -- Darcy Kuemper is a reasonable option tonight.

Kuemper's reputation took a hit after he struggled in the 2022 playoffs, but he's been a solid goaltender over the last three seasons. He ranks eighth in goals saved above expected since the start of the 2021-22 season.

Tonight, Kuemper's Washington Capitals are on the road to face the Arizona Coyotes. This game is the only one with a total of 5.5 goals -- all the others are at 6.5. Arizona is 22nd in expected goals (xG) per 60 minutes in all situations, per Natural Stat Trick.

The Capitals have allowed the 10th-fewest goals per game this season and shouldn't be threatened too much in this spot. Rostering Kuemper for just $7,000 makes a lot of sense for lineups tonight.

Stacks

Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights haven't had much of a Stanley Cup hangover a quarter of the way through their title defense.

Where they could improve would be on offense. They are 21st in expected goals created per 60 minutes in all situations and 17th in goals per game. They've put together a new first line that has been playing pretty well lately.

Vegas' best forward has been Jack Eichel ($9,400). He has 27 points in 25 games this season and six in his last three. The pairing of him and Mark Stone ($6,000) has worked well, as Stone has scored twice in his last three games and is second on the team.

These two play together on the first power play, as well, and link up with Ivan Barbashev ($4,100) on the top line. The value of Barbashev and Stone makes this line very affordable, especially for a team with the highest implied total on the slate (3.71 goals).

Vegas is hosting the St. Louis Blues tonight. The Blues have allowed the 10th-most expected goals per 60 minutes and just allowed four goals to Arizona on Saturday. The Golden Knights should be able to score some goals against them tonight, and this first line stack is arguably the best on the board tonight.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins haven't had the team success that they were hoping for so far this season. They currently sit in sixth in the Metropolitan Division after having hopes they could at least get into the top four for a potential playoff spot.

Their top forwards have delivered in fantasy for us though. Sidney Crosby ($9,000) has shown no signs of slowing down at age 36. He leads the team with 14 goals. His main running mate Jake Guentzel ($8,600) is the team leader in points with 27 in 23 games. These two have had great chemistry together for years and play on the top power play.

Bryan Rust ($7,900) has also been productive this season with 10 goals in 20 games. He won't play on the first power play but makes for a great piece of this stack anyway.

The Penguins will take on the rival Philadelphia Flyers tonight. These teams just played on Saturday, and the Penguins were able to create 3.58 xG and had 80 shot attempts. Even though the Flyers have been good defensively this season, that didn't seem to slow down Pittsburgh and probably won't tonight.

Pittsburgh's implied team total at 3.31 goals is healthy enough to warrant stacking their top line tonight.

Value Skaters

Tye Kartye, W, Kraken ($3,500)

Can I interest you in a wing who plays on the top line and power play for a team with the second-highest implied team total of the night at a salary of just $3,500?

If so, Tye Kartye is your man. He has points in three of his last four games and now has gotten the bump up to the first line for the Seattle Kraken. He doesn't have a huge track record of success, but at this salary and with the opportunity he's getting, it's hard for him to completely fail.

Kevin Hayes, C, Blues ($3,900)

It's a tough matchup for the Blues, but Kevin Hayes has a low enough salary to be played tonight.

Hayes has been playing on the second line of late and has found some success there. He also is on the second power-play unit for the Blues. He's put double-digit FanDuel points in four of his last seven games, which you would take at $3,900.

It's difficult to find viable forwards who are in a top-six role and get power play time for under $4,000, so Hayes is in play despite a tough spot for his team.

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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.