NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Wednesday 2/14/24

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

Connor Hellebuyck, Jets ($8,400)

I normally like to find a value option at goalie, but Connor Hellebuyck ($8,400) is in too good of a situation to pass up tonight.

Hellebuyck has been his normal, excellent self as he has saved the most goals above expected in the NHL. He finished fourth in this metric last season and first in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns.

The matchup doesn't get much better for Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets. They will be at home against the San Jose Sharks tonight. San Jose is dead last in the league in goals and will be without leading scorer Tomas Hertl.

Somehow, the Sharks have an implied team total of just 1.88 goals tonight. I can't remember seeing a team total ever being below two.

With that being the case, I have no problem prioritizing Hellebuyck in lineups tonight, and he's projected for the most fantasy points on the slate.

Stacks

Winnipeg Jets

Hellebuyck isn't the only Jet in a good spot tonight -- the entire team is, as well.

The first line is the stack we'll target here. It's nice for the Jets to have Mark Scheifele ($7,700) and Kyle Connor ($8,200), something that was rare in large parts of December and January. They lead the team in points per game and play together on the first power play.

They are joined by Nikolaj Ehlers ($6,500) to form a dangerous trio. Ehlers is second on the team in goals (16) and points (36) despite not always getting a premium lineup spot. Now, with the Jets' two best offensive players, he's ready to light up the scoreboard.

The Sharks are not only bad at scoring goals, but they are also bad at preventing them. They rank dead last in most defensive metrics, including expected goals (xG) against per 60 minutes and actual goals against per 60 minutes (per Natural Stat Trick).

Winnipeg's top line is the best stack on the board tonight and is definitely worth getting into lineups.

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild had a surprising win on Monday over the Vegas Golden Knights.

Their first line was the driving force behind that victory. Kirill Kaprizov ($8,800) has two assists and now has 15 points in his last 10 games. Joel Eriksson Ek ($7,800) had two goals, leading the team with 23. Matthew Boldy ($7,400) had struggled for a large chunk of this season but now has five points and 12 shots on goal in his last two games.

Minnesota will face the Arizona Coyotes tonight. Arizona was respectable earlier in the season, but their defense has fallen apart of late. They've allowed 28 goals in their last six games -- all losses.

The Wild's top line sees full correlation on the power play and should be able to find success tonight.

Value Skaters

Reilly Smith, W, Penguins ($4,100)

In his first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Reilly Smith ($4,100) hasn't lit up the scoresheet too much. He has nine goals and 21 points so far.

This has depressed Smith's salary to a really low point. He still has a great role on the team, though, playing on the second line. He now is playing on the first power play, too.

We usually don't get players with this good of a role for this low of a salary, so Smith can be rostered in lineups tonight.

Brandon Montour, D, Panthers ($4,800)

Last season, Brandon Montour ($4,800) was one of the best defensemen in fantasy. He had 73 points, tied for fifth among blueliners.

Things haven't gone as well this season. He missed the first month with an injury, and he hasn't been as productive since returning. He has just 11 points in 36 games thus far.

Montour is still the defenseman on the power play for the Florida Panthers. Florida has the sixth-best power play in the league and has Sam Reinhart, the league's leading power-play goal scorer with 22.

If Montour can capture last season's form on Florida's great power play, this salary is way too low.

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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.