NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 10/13/23

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.

Goalie to Target

Akira Schmid, Devils ($8,200)

With only two games on the slate tonight, there isn't a ton of room to get unique at goalie. We can just take the biggest favorite at home and feel good about having the safest goalie on paper.

Akira Schmid was the savior for the New Jersey Devils in the playoffs last season. They were down 2-0 in the first round before turning to him in net, and the Devils wound up winning the series in seven games.

Schmid had a .921 save percentage in the regular season last year and a .923 clip in the playoffs. He plays behind a Devils' team that allowed the fifth-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes last season.

The Devils are at home against the Arizona Coyotes tonight. While Arizona is expected to be better this season, they aren't expected to contend. They produced the second-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes last season.

New Jersey is a comfortable favorite in this game, so going with Schmid in net makes a lot of sense.

Stacks

New Jersey Devils

It took a while for the Devils to get going last night, but eventually, they paid off for us.

Specifically, Jack Hughes ($9,500) was the guy who delivered. He scored two goals, including one on the power play, which was good for 30.8 FanDuel points.

He played with Tyler Toffoli ($6,800) and Jesper Bratt ($5,700) at both even strength and on the power play. Neither of them had a big game, but as long as they keep playing with Hughes, the potential is there.

The fourth piece of this stack you can use is Jack's younger brother, Luke Hughes ($3,800). Luke played on the same power play as this line and is near the dead minimum salary for a defenseman.

The Devils have the highest implied total tonight -- sitting at 3.84 goals. Their top line makes all the sense in the world to stack on this slate.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins surprisingly lost their opening game of the season at home. Tonight, they'll hit the road and take on an old enemy.

Pittsburgh's top line is salaried modestly, especially considering the upside they bring. Sidney Crosby ($7,700) kicked off his 19th season in the league with a goal. Bryan Rust ($5,100) also chipped in with a goal, and Jake Guentzel ($6,500) had an assist. The salary for Guentzel is more than fair for a former 40-goal scorer.

Guentzel and Crosby will play together on the top power play, which should be dangerous with Evgeni Malkin ($7,000) and Erik Karlsson ($6,800) also on it. On this small slate, you can get unique by playing one of these two in a stack with the Penguins' top line.

Pittsburgh will face the Washington Capitals on Friday. The Caps aren't expected to be contenders in the Metropolitan Division this season. They were 11th in expected goals against per 60 minutes last season.

The Penguins' top line would be one of the better stacks on a normal-sized slate, so they are an obvious top option on this two-gamer.

Value Skaters

Dawson Mercer, Center, Devils ($4,400)

I didn't mention him in the stacks section, but Dawson Mercer is definitely in play for the Devils.

Mercer had a breakout season last year, scoring 27 goals. He plays on the Devils' second line and on the power play, as well.

It's hard to find this kind of upside for just $4,400, especially in a good matchup against the Coyotes. Mercer had seven shot attempts and two high-danger chances in last night's game. If he gets that many opportunities tonight, he should be able to score a goal.

Logan Cooley, Center, Coyotes ($3,900)

On these two-game slates, we may have to play a skater against our goalie. We don't want to completely stack against our goalie, but using one player versus the goalie is acceptable.

If we are doing that tonight, we can look in the direction of Logan Cooley. He's making his NHL debut after scoring a dazzling goal in the preseason. Cooley was nominated for the Hobey Baker last season, college hockey's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

This is a chance to get Cooley at a low salary in his debut -- and his salary may never be this low again. We can get on this train before it leaves the station, and Cooley may not be too popular -- even on this small slate -- because his team is a fairly sizable underdog.

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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.