NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 10/16/23

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

Joseph Woll, Toronto Maple Leafs ($8,400)

When you're looking for who to target in net for the four-game slate, there are some great options today. We're siding with Joseph Woll with the red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs in what should be a plus matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Woll will be making his first start of the season in this one, coming off a strong campaign in the few games he played to earn himself the backup duties for Toronto. While he played just seven games in the regular season, Woll finished with a .932 save percentage and 2.16 goals against average (GAA) in his small sample size. In the seven starts, he also had 5.70 goals saved above expectation (GSAx), flashing his potential.

The 25-year-old continued showing flashes in the playoffs, making four starts -- including a 40-save loss to the Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers in overtime. He finished the playoffs with a 2.43 GAA -- just better than his expected GAA (xGAA) of 2.67.

Chicago has the worst implied total of the day (2.44), setting up the Maple Leafs for what should be a clean win.

numberFire's model has Woll as the top netminder of the day, projecting him for 24.1 FanDuel points -- 3.3 more points than the next-best goalie.

Stacks

Toronto Maple Leafs

Through their first two games, the Maple Leafs have 13 goals. It's tough to bet against the stretch they're on, and they have the matchup of the night against Petr Mrazek and the Blackhawks.

Mrazek has had a fine start to the season (2.54 GAA through two games), but the numbers don't back him up long-term. He has an xGAA of 3.25, proving that he is outperforming expectations for himself and his team. The Maple Leafs should be able to take advantage of that with their deadly lineup.

Last season, the Blackhawks' goalie had -6.30 GSAx and had an -11.60 GSAx in 2021-22. Mrazek is a bottom-of-the-league goaltender, making the already enticing Toronto lineup all the more exciting.

In terms of who should get into lineups, it's hard to look past the top line of Auston Matthews ($10,300), Mitchell Marner ($7,400), and Tyler Bertuzzi ($6,200). Matthews has the highest salary of any player for good reason after recording back-to-back hat tricks to open the season. He should really lead off any Maple Leafs stack with how he's rolling.

The second line of William Nylander ($8,000), John Tavares ($7,500), Calle Jarnkrok ($4,000) is a good option, too. Nylander has the third-highest projected point total at 20.5 FanDuel points.

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers enter the night with the second-best implied total at 2.73, setting themselves up for a big offensive night.

They'll face the Arizona Coyotes and their backup goalie, Connor Ingram.

Ingram sported a 3.37 GAA last season and a 3.50 xGAA. The 26-year-old has not been under 3.50 GAA in either of his NHL seasons, meaning that there's a likelihood that the Rangers can score -- and do so often -- against Arizona.

In terms of who you're looking at to start for the Rangers, start off with the top line of Mika Zibanejad ($7,200), Chris Kreider ($7,200), and Kaapo Kakko ($4,400). Both Zibanejad and Kreider get plenty of play on the ice -- whether it's the top line at even strength or on the power play. Kakko still see second-unit shifts on the power play without them at his low salary.

Defensively, Adam Fox ($6,700) is a great choice; the former Norris Trophy winner is averaging 22:28 TOI and has three assists in the first two tilts of the season. He offers the upside you're looking for on the back end while captaining Kreider, Mika, and the first man-advantage unit.

Like the Maple Leafs, the top line is largely the place to stay.

Value Skaters

Artemi Panarin, W, New York Rangers ($6,300)

Within those Rangers, there may not be many chances to get Artemi Panarin at such a value, so take it now when you can even if you don't stack them.

The winger had a strong season a year ago, averaging 2.35 total assists per 60 minutes (10th in the NHL). He is a key cog in the Rangers' offensive wheel, playing top minutes with his usage at even strength and on the power play with 19:38 TOI per game as a winger.

Taking on the Coyotes, the Rangers have a 2.69 implied total with the over/under sitting at 6.5 goals. The Rangers have scored five goals and three goals in their first two games, so scoring shouldn't be a problem for them with Panarin playing one of the key roles in doing so.

Panarin already has three points to kick off the season, scoring a goal and recording two assists.

numberFire has Panarin projected for 18.4 FanDuel points, the fifth-most of any player on the slate today for a mid-range option.

Daniel Sprong, W, Detroit Red Wings ($4,600)

Daniel Sprong is the value of the day for DFS lineups.

Sprong is making his opportunities count alongside Joe Veleno and David Perron on the third line for the Detroit Red Wings. He's already managed to pot two goals in his first two games with Detroit while recording eight shots.

The 26-year-old gets work on the second power play of the Red Wings, only bettering his value. This is the best positioning he's had thus far in his career (career-high 14:09 TOI), meaning that unexpected success should keep coming for Sprong moving forward. He's already totaled 4.24 goals per 60 minutes in the young season.

Sprong has big projections per numberFire's model, coming in at 17.9 FanDuel points, which are the sixth-most of any skater at such a small salary.

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.