NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Thursday 12/7/23

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

John Gibson, Ducks ($7,200)

The Anaheim Ducks were off to a hot start but have come down to earth lately. They've since gone 1-9 in their last 10 games. Tonight, they'll get a matchup against a team even worse than them.

Anaheim is on the road against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. Chicago has scored the third-fewest goals per game this season and the second-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes.

We've seen John Gibson roll back the years to the time when he was an elite goaltender. He's saved 10.77 goals above expected this year, the fifth-most in the NHL.

We get Gibson at a low salary in a great matchup as a favorite. If you like using a lower percentage of your available salary at goalie, he's a great option.

Stacks

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings appear to have taken a step forward towards competing for the playoffs this season. They are third in goals per game, which definitely puts them on the fantasy radar on most nights.

There are some significant changes to their lines, thanks to a big name addition. Patrick Kane ($6,000) joins the team for his debut tonight. He's supposedly feeling healthy after hip surgery, so we can try to play him at this discounted salary. He's linking up with his old buddy Alex DeBrincat ($7,600) on the second line and first power play.

Joe Veleno ($3,600) has been getting more chances to play in the top six forwards lately. Tonight, he's going to center these guys, and he brings down the total salary for stacking all three of them.

Detroit is at home against the San Jose Sharks, and the spot doesn't get much better. San Jose allows the league's most expected goals per 60 minutes, high-danger chances per 60, and goals per 60.

With affordable pieces and the two wings correlating on the top power play, Detroit's second line is an excellent stacking option.

New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils have been disappointing in the standings this season. They were among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup but now sit only sixth in their division.

One player who definitely hasn't been disappointing, though, is Jack Hughes ($10,600). He missed some time earlier in the season but leads the league with 1.83 points per game. He has three points in three of his last four games and at least five shots on goal in each of his last six games.

Hughes is now playing with Tyler Toffoli ($7,300), who leads the team with 12 goals. He'll also play with Hughes on the league's number-one power play. Erik Haula has made the move up to the first line, and he performed fairly well when playing with Hughes last season.

New Jersey will face the Seattle Kraken on the road tonight. The Kraken allow the 10th-most goals per game and have the ninth-worst penalty kill in the league.

If you want an extra power-play correlation, Jack's brother Luke Hughes ($4,600) is a nice piece to add on defense. His salary is affordable enough to get into lineups to make the four-man stack work.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins were expected to experience some sort of downturn this season, but it hasn't happened. They are tied for the best points percentage in the league and have a great matchup tonight.

A player who definitely hasn't missed a beat this season is David Pastrnak ($10,200). He's tied for third in points in the NHL with 36. He's now playing with Pavel Zacha ($6,000) at both even strength and on the power play. Zacha had a career-best 57 points last season and is on pace to surpass that this year.

The third member of this line is Jake DeBrusk ($4,800). DeBrusk hasn't been too good thus far, but he scored 27 goals in 64 games last season. While he's shooting just 7.7% this year, that should regress closer to his career average of 12.6%.

Boston will play the Buffalo Sabres tonight. Buffalo has allowed the ninth-most goals per game this season and have rookie Devon Levi in net. Levi hasn't performed that well this season, allowing 2.59 goals above expected in nine games.

The Bruins have the second-highest implied team total tonight (3.91 goals), and this line could be the one that scores the goals for them.

Value Skaters

Yegor Sharangovich, W, Flames ($3,800)

The Calgary Flames aren't the most exciting offensive team, but at least we can get a piece of them at a really good value.

Yegor Sharangovich will play on Calgary's top line and top power play. He has just 11 points but did score 24 goals in the 2021-22 season, so he is capable of putting the puck in the net.

The Flames are playing the Carolina Hurricanes at home, who are on the second night of back-to-back games. They have really struggled to get quality goaltending, having the worst team save percentage in the NHL.

Sharangovich is a really nice salary saver in a great role in a matchup that isn't too intimidating.

Jared Spurgeon, D, Wild ($3,800)

We went to Jared Spurgeon on Tuesday, and he delivered, so let's go back to him at the same salary.

Spurgeon has inherited the top power play for the Minnesota Wild. He now has an assist in his last four games since John Hynes took over as head coach.

He hasn't made his name as an offensive defenseman, instead being one of the league's most solid defensive blueliners. He showed that on Tuesday, blocking seven shots. That led to 19.7 FanDuel points, a great outcome for his $3,800 salary.

It's hard to find defensemen who play on the power play for this salary, so Spurgeon is one of the best values on defense.

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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.