NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Thursday 10/26/23

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

Jordan Binnington, Blues ($6,800)

Ever the streaky goalie, Jordan Binnington appears to be on one of his hot streaks. We've seen his hot streaks lead to a Stanley Cup for the St. Louis Blues.

St. Louis probably doesn't have the pieces to go all the way off the back of Binnington this time, but they can ride him for as long as possible. He's currently sporting a .945 save percentage and has saved 5.26 goals above expected.

The Blues will face the Calgary Flames tonight. Calgary has started the season similarly to last year. They take a lot of low-percentage shots, which is a dream for goalies in fantasy. Calgary is eighth in shot attempts per 60 minutes, but only 18th in scoring chances per 60 (via Natural Stat Trick).

I love finding a goalie that can give a good performance for around $7,000 in salary despite the risks, and Binnington can be that guy tonight.

Stacks

Tampa Bay Lightning

It's not been a great start for the Tampa Bay Lightning. They are 3-2-2 and withoutAndrei Vasilevskiy for a while. They did have a good game on Tuesday, and the matchup tonight will be much easier.

One player you definitely can't blame for the slow start is Nikita Kucherov ($9,700). He leads the team with 10 points in seven games. Brayden Point ($7,900) scored his first goal of the season on Tuesday to go with his eight assists.

The salary relief element of this stack comes in the form of Alex Barre-Boulet ($3,500). He has a goal in each of the last two games since joining this top line. Barre-Boulet won't play on the power play with Point and Kucherov, but will see time on the second unit.

Tampa gets a dream home matchup against the San Jose Sharks. San Jose is either the worst or second-worst team in every defensive metric, including allowing nearly five more high-danger chances per 60 minutes than any other team in the league.

The Bolts have an implied team total above four goals tonight -- the highest on the slate. Their first line stack is more affordable than some other teams with the addition of Barre-Boulet, so it shouldn't be too difficult to fit them into lineups.

Boston Bruins

There's a big element of "what were you worried about" when looking at the Boston Bruins this season. They are 6-0-0 to start the season even after losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.

It had been a bit tricky to stack them at the very beginning of the season, as the star wingers we want to roster were on different lines. They now have David Pastrnak ($9,900) and Brad Marchand ($7,500) playing together at even strength and on the power play.

Pastrnak has five goals in six games, and Marchand has four. They aren't missing a beat offensively. They now will be centered by Pavel Zacha ($5,200) at both even strength and on the power play.

Boston is at home against the Anaheim Ducks tonight. Anaheim was the worst defensive team in the league last season. So far this season, they've allowed the third-most shot attempts and sixth-most expected goals per 60 minutes.

The Bruins are -320 favorites and have the fourth-highest implied team total (3.42 goals) on tonight's slate.

Montreal Canadiens

For a stack that is affordable and has great correlation, look no further than the Montreal Canadiens' top line.

Now, the only player who has performed well in this stack so far this season is Cole Caufield ($6,800). He has six points in six games, and is one of the best young goal scorers in the NHL. He's been tied to the hip of Nick Suzuki ($5,700) basically since he entered the league, and that continues now. Suzuki hasn't been off to the best start this season, but is better than his salary would indicate.

The other member of this line is Josh Anderson ($4,500). He has just one assist this season, but playing on the top line and power play for this low of a salary makes him viable.

Montreal faces the Columbus Blue Jackets at home tonight. Columbus has allowed the fifth-most shot attempts per 60 minutes this season. The Habs affordable first line can fit in with other top line stacks, making them a nice team to build around.

Value Skaters

Adam Fantilli, C, Blue Jackets ($4,800)

The third overall pick in the 2023 draft is starting to be unleashed. Adam Fantilli has seen his ice time increase in the previous two games, and has scored a goal in each.

He's now on the top power play unit for Columbus as well as the second line. It's a good matchup for the Jackets -- Montreal has allowed by far the most expected goals per 60 minutes in the league.

If we want the chance to get Fantilli in our lineups before his salary really skyrockets, this is a great opportunity to do it.

Matty Beniers, C, Kraken ($4,200)

Another University of Michigan product like Fantilli, Matty Beniers is another fine value center.

Last year's rookie of the year has been off to a slow start. He did have two assists on Tuesday night, and maintains his role as the top line center.

Normally, we don't want to target guys against the Carolina Hurricanes. However, they've allowed the most goals per game in the league this season, and don't seem to be the same defensive force that we've come to know.

I'd be willing to get Beniers in lineups tonight if I needed to save some salary. The hope is that Carolina continues to leak goals, and Beniers will be able to have multiple points in this game.

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.