NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Thursday 4/18/24

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.

Using our projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- as a guide, let's take a look at today's slate to find a goalie, some stacks, and value plays for your NHL DFS lineups on FanDuel.

NHL DFS Picks

Goalie to Target

Adin Hill, Golden Knights ($8,300)

Going into the playoffs last season, no one expected Adin Hill ($8,300) to be the hero for the Vegas Golden Knights if they were going to win the Stanley Cup. He replaced the injured Logan Thompson in the second round, and the rest is history.

Hill carried that play into this season. He's saved .335 goals above expected per 60 minutes, 13th in the NHL for goalies who have played at least 20 games.

Tonight, the Golden Knights still have seeding to play for. If they win tonight, they'll face the Edmonton Oilers, who they perhaps match up with a bit better than the Dallas Stars. That gives them the incentive to try tonight against a weak opponent.

Vegas will play the Anaheim Ducks at home. Anaheim is the the third-worst team record-wise and also has scored the third-fewest goals in the NHL this season.

The Golden Knights are -400 favorites, according to the NHL odds on FanDuel Sportsbook, so Hill should get the win tonight.

Stacks

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are playing their last game of the season with nothing left to play for as they will miss the playoffs. But if they want to go out on a high note, they have the perfect match up to do so.

Calgary has some players who are finishing off the season hot. Nazem Kadri ($7,500) has five goals and 10 points in his last six games. Andrei Kuzmenko ($5,100) joins him on the top line and power play and has five goals in his last five games.

You also get a great value in Martin Pospisil ($3,600), who will play with both of these guys at even strength. When you combine the values of these players and the matchup, they are the best stack on the board.

The Flames are at home against the San Jose Sharks. San Jose has last place clinched and also has the worst goal difference in the salary cap era. They've allowed 3.96 goals per game, by far the most in the league.

It's hard to poke too many holes in this Calgary stack tonight, so I'd definitely want some exposure to them in my lineups.

Minnesota Wild

Like Calgary, the Minnesota Wild will be disappointed to have missed the playoffs. They have a good chance of playing well in this final game of the season.

The Wild have a top line that's fully correlated, making it a great stack to target. Kirill Kaprizov ($9,900) has 19 goals and 32 points in the last 20 games. Only four players have more points since the beginning of March.

Kaprizov is joined by Joel Eriksson Ek ($7,200) and Matthew Boldy ($7,500) on the first line and top power play. Eriksson Ek and Boldy are second and third in points on the team, so they form a dangerous trio.

Minnesota will play the Seattle Kraken for their season finale. The Kraken are not a bad defensive team, but they are without Vince Dunn on their blue line. Dunn is their best defenseman, so this is a big loss.

The Wild may go under the radar because they have no motivation, but this top line is as dangerous as any on the slate tonight.

Value Skaters

Alex Laferriere, W, Kings ($3,500)

It's been a decent rookie season for Alex Laferriere ($3,500) on the Los Angeles Kings. He's scored 12 goals, mostly playing on the third and fourth lines.

Tonight, he'll get his chance to play on the first line with two of the Kings' best offensive players in Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. He also gets a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks that's favorable, as they've allowed the fourth-most goals per game.

Laferriere will be motivated to play well and potentially earn this first line role in the playoffs. If he bags a goal or two, that could give him more ice time moving forward. I'd take a shot on him if you need a value in your lineup.

Oliver Kylington, Defenseman, Flames ($3,600)

Oliver Kylington ($3,600) returned to the Flames' lineup in the middle of the season after taking a year and half off. He's been pretty good since coming back, but his salary is still close to the minimum.

Kylington has two assists in his last three games, and in this matchup against the Sharks, we'll want as many pieces of Calgary as we can get. I like rostering him in lineups where you need to save salary on the blue line.

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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.