NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Sunday 12/10/23

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

Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators ($8,000)

There isn't a perfect combination of form, matchup, and DFS upside from goaltending on this short, six-game slate, but Juuse Saros ($8,000) is about as close as it gets.

Saros' issue -- surprisingly for the former Vezina Trophy finalist -- has been his form. He's posted just -0.37 goals saved above expectation (GSAx) this season in 21 appearances. Luckily, he's allowed just five goals in three December starts, so light at the tunnel is beginning to appear.

Today's opponent could absolutely help. The Montreal Canadiens have struggled to mount consistent offense all season at just 2.89 expected goals per 60 minutes (seventh-worst in the NHL).

Saros leads all goalies per dollar of salary in numberFire's projections. They're expecting him to accrue 19.9 FanDuel points tonight in Quebec.

Stacks

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals have scored just nine goals in their last four games, but they've got an excellent matchup to get the offense cooking tonight.

Washington will face the Chicago Blackhawks, who have been one of the worst defenses in hockey all season. They've allowed the fifth-most Corsi (63.8) and seventh-most expected goals (3.38) per 60 minutes in the NHL. In goal, Arvid Soderblom (2.73 GSAx) has been solid but not prohibitive enough to avoid targeting the Hawks' skaters.

There are a few weak goaltenders and defenses on this slate, but what separates Washington from the rest of today's key stacks is correlation. Alex Ovechkin ($6,800), John Carlson ($6,300),Tom Wilson ($5,700), Dylan Strome ($5,400) all play across the Caps' top even-strength and power-play unit together.

At friendly salaries, I'm not sure you how you leave them out regardless of DFS format.

Vegas Golden Knights

As mentioned, some of the best offensive team totals and matchups have correlation issues. The Vegas Golden Knights are a good example of that.

There are no matchup concerns here. The San Jose Sharks continue to be an offensive fountain, ceding the most expected goals per 60 minutes (3.81) in the NHL by a good margin. Though I've got respect for Mackenzie Blackwood (-0.85 GSAx) in general, he hasn't made things much better in goal.

The problem for Vegas is full correlation. Jack Eichel ($10,100), Alex Pietrangelo ($6,800), and Mark Stone ($5,900) are a trio that work across the Knights' top even-strength and power-play unit, but it's a mess with one skater from both the second and third lines rounding out the man advantage. Yuck.

At an average salary of $7,600, this stack should be enormously popular, but I'm not sure how to complete it outside of the Knights' big three.

Value Skaters

Gustav Nyquist, W, Nashville Predators ($5,200)

When looking at Saros in goal, we should also consider Nashville's skaters.

Montreal allows the second-most expected goals per 60 (3.55) behind San Jose, but the difference is their goaltending situation is a bit stronger. Sam Montembeault actually ranks 26th of 75 qualifying goaltenders at 4.29 GSAx.

Nonetheless, this is an elite Predators offense -- and especially first line -- that has posted 3.46 expected goals per 60 minutes. That's fourth-best in the NHL.

Filip Forsberg ($9,100) and Roman Josi ($7,900) require quite a bit of salary expense, but linemate Gustav Nyquist ($5,200) does not despite two points in his last five games and a strong 18:18 TOI average this month. Nyquist is projected for 11.7 FanDuel points tonight by numberFire.

Jordan Eberle, W, Seattle Kraken ($4,500)

Sigh. Another day and another Seattle Kraken matchup we can't stack.

Seattle's offensive line combinations are incredibly frustrating -- not that it has been worth it often. Seattle's 2.78 expected goals per 60 minutes are third-worst in the NHL. However, two really poor goaltenders in Seattle today would be nice to target. Joey Daccord (-3.01 GSAx) and Filip Gustavsson (-3.65 GSAx) from the visiting Minnesota Wild have both been dreadful.

As it stands, Jordan Eberle ($4,500) is the only Kraken forward on the top even-strength and power-play units, and numberFire is a fan of his role in this matchup with Gustavsson. It's projecting him for 0.76 points and 11.5 FanDuel points, making him one of the slate's best point-per-dollar plays.

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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.