NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Saturday 2/10/24

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.

Using our projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- as a guide, let's take a look at today's slate to find a goalie, some stacks, and value plays for your NHL DFS lineups on FanDuel.

NHL DFS Picks

Goalie to Target

Joey Daccord, Kraken ($7,400)

It feels like this section featured Joey Daccord ($7,400) for about a month straight as the calendar turned to 2024. Even though not at the peak of those powers, Daccord can help plug the 'tendy spot today.

The Seattle Kraken are visiting the Philadelphia Flyers, who have an offense that just isn't that potent. In the past month of play, Philadelphia's 2.82 expected goals per 60 minutes are the ninth-fewest in the NHL, but the second-highest Corsi per 60 minutes (67.8) in that same time is exactly what we're looking for. They'll put a ton of non-hazardous shots on goal.

As for Daccord, he's slipped on the leaderboard in the past 30 days with just 3.81 goals saved above expectation (GSAx). That's 14th of 65 qualifying goalies -- but also good enough for government work here.

FanDuel Research's player projections give Daccord the best value rating on the slate, expecting him to finish tonight's game with 20.2 FanDuel points at the median.

Stacks

Toronto Maple Leafs

This DFS slate revolves around two blue-blood offenses in elite matchups.

The first is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are set to take on an Ottawa Senators club that has struggled with its goaltending situation all season. With no announced starter, it doesn't particularly matter when Mads Sogaard and Joonas Korpisalo are both bottom eight in GSAx in the past 30 days.

Of course, we know the potent Leafs forwards that just won the All-Star Game as a collective. Auston Matthews ($10,100), William Nylander ($9,500), Mitchell Marner ($8,400), and John Tavares ($7,000) link up on the first power-play unit with defenseman Morgan Rielly ($6,900).

However, if you're going premium in our next stack, there are few value options that make sense with Nick Robertson ($4,500), Tyler Bertuzzi ($4,200), and Max Domi ($4,000) among those on the second power-play unit.

There are plenty of options here for a top-shelf offense in an excellent position.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning might be in an even better position, though.

Tampa travels to visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, and Columbus' skaters should make their lives far easier. In the past month, the Jackets are allowing the 14th-most expected goals per 60 (3.07) in addition to their poor goaltending. During this same period, neither Elvis Merzlikins (-0.33 GSAx) nor Daniil Tarasov (-2.36 GSAx) have been able to answer the call.

The salaries are also a bit more forgiving for the Bolts, too. Nikita Kucherov ($10,000) is a spendy exception, but it's not difficult to pair him with linemates Steven Stamkos ($8,400), Brayden Point ($8,000), and Victor Hedman ($7,100). Unlike any of Toronto's combos, this four-man plays in all ice conditions together.

Of course, the Lightning have value skaters if top Leafs are your cup of tea. Brandon Hagel ($6,500), Anthony Cirelli ($5,100), and Nick Paul ($4,800) form the second line, and Paul is even the fifth man on the first power-play unit with their core four.

At salary, it's hard for me to not call the Bolts the top stack du jour.

Value Skaters

Brent Burns, D, Hurricanes ($5,800)

Scoring can come and go, but as long as a hockey player's role is still the same, they'll eventually produce to historical expectation.

Brent Burns ($5,800) is a tremendous example. He's dipped back into the value category after ending January with just one point in his last four games. Yet, he's slowly on the rise against after three assists in two games to start February. Burns' TOI average (24:56) is actually significantly higher than it was in January (21:56) in this small sample, too.

Burns is a stalwart atop the Carolina Hurricanes' lead even-strength and power-play units, and Carolina has a great matchup today. In the past 30 days, the opposing New Jersey Devils have allowed the third-most expected goals per 60 minutes (3.45), and Nico Daws (0.14 GSAx) hasn't made a substantial difference for or against in goal.

The OHL alum is projected for 14.1 FanDuel points and sits as the third-best value per dollar of salary at defense today.

Bryan Rust, W, Penguins ($3,700)

I'm virtually certain this salary is a typo. Hey, we all make mistakes. Let's take advantage of it, though.

Bryan Rust ($3,700) hasn't had a salary below $6,500 since November 4th before this -- nor should he. Rust joins the Pittsburgh Penguins' top skaters on their first even-strength and power-play units, compiling 28 points in 35 games this season. He's a $6,500ish winger if one existed in theory.

I understand this matchup with the Winnipeg Jets isn't easy, but neither of his linemates got bumped down this dramatically. Winnipeg is also just 12th in expected goals allowed per 60 minutes in the past month (2.86) with elite goaltending, so "prohibitive" isn't a fitting word here.

I had to double check my eyeballs, but Rust still has close to his normal median projection (10.7 FanDuel points) at this bargain-bin salary. You could justify using him in every lineup as a one-off; no one else's role below $4,000 comes close.

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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.