NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Tuesday 12/5/23

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

Ilya Sorokin, Islanders ($8,400)

I usually prefer to use less of the salary cap on goaltenders, but the spot for Ilya Sorokin is too good to pass up.

Sorokin has been arguably the best goaltender in the league in the last three seasons. He's saved the most goals above expected in the league by a margin of nearly eight.

The matchup doesn't get much better than this for a goaltender. The New York Islanders will face the San Jose Sharks at home. The Sharks are one of the worst offensive teams we've seen in this era of hockey. They average just 1.88 goals per game -- by far the fewest in the league.

San Jose is also dead last in expected goals (xG) per 60 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick. They have an implied team total of just 2.13 goals, one of the lowest we will see all season. Sorokin has a decent chance of a shutout, which could make him the goalie you need to roster tonight.

Stacks

Los Angeles Kings

What team leads the NHL in goals per game? It's probably surprising to learn that it's the Los Angeles Kings.

The Kings have mostly done it through depth scoring, not relying on one or two players to get most of their points. Their leading scorer is Adrian Kempe ($8,000), who has 22 points in 21 games. Kempe had 41 goals last season and has only eight so far this season, so we might expect him to produce even more in the future.

The 36-year-old Anze Kopitar ($7,100) is tied for second on the team in both goals and points. We've finally seen Quinton Byfield ($5,800) take a step forward, as he has 18 points already after totaling a career-high 22 points last season.

These three will link up on the power play for the Kings, as well, and they don't combine for too high of a salary. They'll get a good matchup tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have allowed the fourth-most expected goals and third-most shot attempts per 60 minutes.

The Kings have the second-highest implied total on the slate (3.71 goals), and this stack is fairly easy to fit into lineups.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks have come back down to earth after their scorching hot start as they are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games.

They still are second in the league in goals per game and have changed up their lines. They've moved Andrei Kuzmenko($4,800) to play with J.T. Miller ($9,300) and Brock Boeser ($7,700).

Miller leads the team with 36 points, and Boeser leads the entire league with 17 goals. Kuzmenko had 39 goals last season but has only four this season. He might be able to get going while playing with these two guys, and they will join forces on the top power play, too.

Vancouver is playing at home against the New Jersey Devils. The Devils have struggled mightily to keep the puck out of their net, allowing 3.73 goals per game. They are now without their top defenseman Dougie Hamilton, as well, for an extended period of time.

This line isn't too hard to stack with the low salary of Kuzmenko, and the full correlation across the power play makes it a very enticing stack.

Value Skaters

Anthony Beauvillier, W, Blackhawks ($3,400)

TheChicago Blackhawks just acquired Anthony Beauvillier from the Canucks in a salary cap dump. Beauvillier isn't the typical kind of player moved in this type of a deal -- he's only 26 years old and had 18 goals and 40 points last season.

It looks like Beauvillier will move into a dream role. He is slated to play on the left wing of Connor Bedard on both the first line and top power play. Bedard already has demonstrated the ability to make his linemates better, and Beauvillier could be one of them.

For just $3,400, Beauvillier is worth taking a shot on tonight.

Jared Spurgeon, D, Minnesota Wild ($3,800)

The Minnesota Wild made a coaching change last week, and it appears to have done something for the team. They've won all three of their games under John Hynes and have scored 13 goals across those games.

Jared Spurgeon has an assist in all three of those games and now has a role on the top power play. If the Wild are really back, he's an easy click to add to lineups on defense if you need to save salary on this slate.

Looking to play some NHL Daily Fantasy? Check out the NHL DFS lobby on FanDuel.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.