NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Saturday 1/13/24

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.

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

Joey Daccord, Seattle Kraken ($7,900)

I really can't believe Joey Daccord ($7,900) comes with a sub-$8,000 salary when giving us everything I look for in an NHL DFS 'tender tonight.

In terms of recent form, Daccord has it -- and then some. Over the past month of play, Daccord leads all NHL goalies in goals saved above expectation (14.73 GSAx). He's been the top dog adding value to his defense despite Seattle's (2.85 expected goals per 60; seventh-best in the NHL) ranking among the best on the circuit themselves.

Then, you look at the matchup. The Columbus Blue Jackets are 19th in Corsi per 60 minutes (60.1) but rank 3rd from the bottom in expected goals per 60 (2.77). They get some pucks on net for save points but are otherwise fairly impotent.

Oddsmakers are with us, too. They're giving Columbus just a 2.96-goal implied team total tonight.

numberFire's projections peg Daccord at 19.1 projected FanDuel points tonight. Given the salary, matchup, form, and betting data, I have no clue how you start elsewhere.

Stacks

Dallas Stars

If the San Jose Sharks aren't on the slate, we'll next check for the reeling, injury-ridden Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago's here, and they're facing a quality offense: the Dallas Stars.

Dallas is just 15th in expected goals per 60 minutes (3.11), but we know the goal-scoring talent on this team -- and its top line that produced 111 total goals a season ago. Any time we get Jason Robertson ($8,400), Joe Pavelski ($7,500), and Roope Hintz ($7,500) in a plum spot, we know they'll be joined at the hip on the ice.

Chicago is certainly a plum spot. They've ceded the seventh-most expected goals per 60 minutes (3.29), and their goaltending situation has fallen off the rails. Over the past month of play, both Petr Mrazek (-1.08 GSAx) and Arvid Soderblom (-5.44) are bottom-30 goalies.

It's unfortunate defenseman Miro Heiskanen is on the shelf, so we can't round out this stack with a blue-liner, but they're still in a great position to disrupt Saturday's 12-game slate.

Arizona Coyotes

Speaking of Dallas, their performance on Wednesday only further inspires us to turn to the Arizona Coyotes with our second stack.

The Stars roughed up Jesper Wellstedt in his season debut. Wellstedt allowed 7 goals on 34 total shots -- good for an ugly .809 save rate. That translated to -3.36 GSAx in a single game, too. It's possible Wellstedt is one of these minor-league goalies that leaks into the big show due to emergency and just can't keep up.

Arizona has shown plenty in 2023-24 to target such a potentially weak position -- even on the road. They've posted 2.97 expected goals per 60 minutes (22nd in hockey). While unspectacular, it's not the same team at the very bottom of the league from seasons past, and they have a clearly defined stack.

Only Clayton Keller ($7,400) and Nick Schmaltz ($5,200) skate on their top even-strength and power-play lines as forwards, and defenseman Sean Durzi ($5,900) joins them in those ice conditions.

Wellstedt's underwhelming debut against a Stars offense that, overall, is fairly average could lead to a monstrous offensive night for the Yotes.

Value Skaters

Seth Jones, D, Chicago Blackhawks ($5,000)

Returning tonight, Seth Jones ($5,000) adds a bit of an offensive punch to a team that desperately needs it.

Jones vacated the top defense spot on Chicago's even-strength and power-play lines due to a shoulder issue, and he'll return to find most of the team's top forwards -- namely Connor Bedard and Nick Foligno -- sidelined themselves. It's been all hands on deck to produce any offense, but they might be able to tonight.

Even if the Stars' offense is getting going, they've been a reliable source for a shootout due to their own goaltending woes. In the past month, neither Jake Oettinger (-1.97 GSAx) nor Scott Wedgewood (-7.62 GSAx) has been able to reliably answer the call.

Jones is projected for 9.1 FanDuel points in his debut, but Philipp Kurashev ($5,300), Taylor Raddysh ($3,700), and Rem Pitlick ($3,700) join him on the top line in all ice conditions. They're a pretty handy stack if you've got some high-salaried studs in mind.

Matty Beniers, C, Seattle Kraken ($4,600)

As good as the matchup is for the Kraken's goaltender, I so badly wish I could get to the offense in droves, too.

In terms of a goal-scoring matchup, Seattle might even have Dallas beat. Columbus has allowed 3.45 expected goals per 60 minutes this season (third-worst in the NHL), and over the past 30 days, Daniil Tarasov (-7.43 GSAx) has been the third-worst goaltender in the sport adding goals above expectation.

The problem for Seattle -- as always -- is their own correlation. Two of their best skaters, Jared McCann and Andre Burakovsky, are even tied to the team's fourth line right now. Ew.

The lone player that participates on the top even-strength and man-advantage unit is Matty Beniers ($4,600), who is in line for a career-high 18:08 TOI should it hold.

There are a half-dozen Kraken skaters popping toward the top of numberFire's skater projections. They're fine one-off plays to finish out a lineup, but tying multiple together seems nearly impossible.

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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.