NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Monday 10/30/23

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

Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars ($8,000)

With a nine-game slate to pick from, there are plenty of the league's top goaltenders that we'd side wit, but none are in a better position than Jake Oettinger.

Oettinger has been one of the best thus far -- as expected -- putting together a 3-0-1 record with a 1.44 goals against average (GAA) and .952 save percentage. If there's a need for more proof of how dominant he's been between the pipes, he's sporting a fifth-best 6.33 goals saved above expectation (GSAx) through his first four starts.

The matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets makes this a near perfect choice. The Blue Jackets haven't found the back of the net all too much (2.45 goals per 60 minutes), but they do put together a lot of offensive opportunities with a sixth-best Corsi For per 60 minutes (66.4).

Dallas has shown their dominance early in the season with Oettinger in net, so we're riding the wave with him tonight.

Stacks

Dallas Stars

Speaking of the Stars, they're primed for a huge night offensively.

Taking on the Blue Jackets, they have the best implied total per numberFire at 3.93. Columbus is likely to have Elvis Merzlikins in goal, which has been a plus matchup overall in Elvis' career. In his first five starts, Merzlikins is 2-1-2 while allowing 2.93 goals per game this season, and he has been on the plus side of things with a 1.4 GSAx, but Columbus is not a strong defensive team, aiding the play of the Stars tonight more than anything else.

The Blue Jackets are third-to-worst in Corsi Against per 60 minutes at a 67.87 clip, meaning that offensive opportunities are happening often against them. That number has translated to 3.06 goals against per 60 minutes. The Stars haven't been an offensive juggernaut or anything; they're ranked in the middle of the NHL in terms of Corsi For per 60 (59.16) and goals for (2.58) but should be able to take advantage of the weak defense of the Jackets.

When it comes to who you want to start, the top line is often the best option. Jason Robertson ($8,600), Roope Hintz ($8,200), and Joe Pavelski ($8,100) play the big minutes on the top line and top power-play unit. Miro Heiskanen ($6,500) is a great option on defense, averaging 25:10 TOI and gets work on the power play and penalty kill.

Roll with the Stars across the board tonight.

Pittsburgh Penguins

As we look for offense tonight, no team may fit the mold better than the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Pens are taking on the Anaheim Ducks -- one of hockey's worst teams so far in the 2023-24 season. The Ducks are allowing just 2.97 goals per 60 minutes, but it's clearly they've been a bit lucky as they have the seventh-highest expected goals against per 60 minutes (3.33). Anaheim is also allowing a slew of goals against them with a 66.26 Corsi Against per 60, ranking as the sixth-worst in the NHL.

John Gibson is expected to start for the Ducks. He hasn't been a goalie to be afraid of this year (2.81 GAA; .905 save percentage), and he hasn't shown he'd steal a game -- at least not against an offense like Pittsburgh's.

The Penguins are top five in both Corsi For per 60 minutes (67.5) and expected goals per 60 (3.5). The goals expected are much higher than their actual total (2.88), so this can be a game where things start to turnaround for Pittsburgh in the box score.

You'll want to stack the first line duo of Sidney Crosby ($8,300) and Jake Guentzel ($7,400) -- both of whom are top five projected skaters per numberFire's model with 20.0 and 17.6 FanDuel points, respectively. The other stack is the second line duo of Evgeni Malkin ($7,700) and Reilly Smith ($5,500). All four of these players get minutes on the top power-play unit.

Captaining the man advantage, Erik Karlsson ($7,000) is the defensive player you want between him and Kris Letang.

There's a good chance this is the top offense all the night, and their 3.88 implied team total suggests that.

Value Skaters

Jamie Benn, W, Dallas Stars ($5,700)

The Stars are the top stack of the day, but don't just look at their top line when considering their offense.

Jamie Benn is one of the best value skaters of the night thanks to his usage. Dallas' captain averages a cool 15:07 TOI while taking up the left side of the second line for the Stars. What makes Benn such a value is that he is on the top power-play for the Stars, giving them a big-bodied presence alongside their top skill players.

Benn has 2 goals, 2 assists, and 4 points with 16 shot attempts (11 on goal) in six games this season.

numberFire believes in Benn, projecting him for 16.8 FanDuel points, making him the best value of any player on the nine-game slate.

Mark Stone, W, Vegas Golden Knights ($5,700)

For how important he is to the Vegas Golden Knights, Mark Stone ($5,700) feels pretty underappreciated by the salary-makers at FanDuel

Stone plays the big minutes for the Golden Knights with 19:25 TOI. The winger has put together two goals, five assists, and seven points over the first nine games of Vegas' campaign. When looking for values, we're always looking for players in the right opportunities, and Stone has a ton of them.

Stone is part of the Golden Knights' top power-play unit, having notched five of his seven points with the extra man.

Vegas has one of the best implied totals tonight just a step behind the Stars and Penguins at 3.81. The Montreal Canadiens have a 68.11 Corsi Against per 60 minutes (second-worst in the NHL), making the play of Stone (and other Golden Knights) all the more intriguing.

numberFire's model projects Stone to finish with 14.6 FanDuel points tonight.

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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.