NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Tuesday 1/23/24

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

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Buffalo Sabres ($7,600)

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is the goalie to target tonight with his salary making for an excellent value.

The Buffalo Sabres will face off with the Anaheim Ducks in a matchup of teams towards the bottom of the NHL. The Sabres are holding their opponents to 3.13 Goals Against per 60 minutes, ranking 18th in the NHL. Luukkonen has been a major reason for that with a 2.61 goals against average and .908 save percentage. He's had a bit of a strong stretch, nabbing two shutouts over his last three games. Buffalo's netminder also saved 8.79 goals above expectation, which is good for 17th among goalies.

Considering that they will be playing a team in the Ducks that struggle greatly at putting the puck in the net, it makes this all the more welcoming. Anaheim averages just 28.42 Shots For per 60 minutes and ranks 29th with 2.49 Goals For per 60 minutes. There's plenty of room for Luukkonen to shine.

numberFire's model projects Luukkonen to finish with 20.0 FanDuel points tonight, the second-most of any goalie.

Stacks

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are going for their 14th victory in a row tonight when they go against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Over their last 10 games, the Oilers have been dominant on both ends. They're averaging 3.45 Goals For per 60 minutes -- good for 10th in that time -- while holding their opponents to 1.58 Goals Against per 60 minutes. All we need are those goals that they're totaling, which has come off a season-long average of a 65.29 Corsi For per 60 minutes.

The Blue Jackets have been bad at stopping the opposition from getting chances this season. Columbus has a 66.96 Corsi Against per 60 minutes, good for the third-highest in hockey. And finally, they're letting up 3.67 Goals Against per 60 minutes, just a step behind the San Jose Sharks for the worst in the league.

Edmonton has the best implied total of the night per numberFire's heat map, coming in at 4.11.

Stacking the Oilers' lineup is often a high-salaried affair. The first line of Connor McDavid ($10,400), Zach Hyman ($9,700), and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($7,300) is your best bet for a stack considering their roles include being on the top power-play unit. Add in the second line trio of Leon Draisaitl ($9,500), Evander Kane ($6,600), and Warren Foegele ($5,500) for a more valuable stack.

Buffalo Sabres

As we noted with start of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the Buffalo Sabres should be able to deliver big for DFS lineups.

Throughout their last 10 games, the Sabres have started to put together better overall offensive numbers. Buffalo has the 11th-best Corsi For per 60 minutes (65.06) but is recording only 2.69 Goals For per 60 minutes. If they can begin to bring their Goals For to their expected number (xGF) of 3.01, then this is the stack worth testing in lineups.

The Anaheim Ducks have done the opposite in their last 10, allowing a huge 3.78 Goals Against per 60 minutes, the sixth-most in that span. Perhaps it shouldn't come as much of a shock seeing they're allowing the third-most opportunities per 60 minutes with a 68.66 Corsi Against.

John Gibson will be in net for the Ducks and is in the midst of his worst stretch of the campaign. Over his last six games, he's allowed four more goals in four games. His 3.10 goals against average and sub-.900 save percentage (.899) makes him a perfect goalie to stack against.

It's best to stack the Sabres' top line of Jeff Skinner ($7,400), Tage Thompson ($7,200), and Alex Tuch ($6,800). Rasmus Dahlin ($8,100) offers a great option on defense, as well.

Value Skaters

JJ Peterka, W, Buffalo Sabres ($5,600)

JJ Peterka has arguably been the best forward for the Sabres in the 2023-24 season, so on the same night we believe their offense should be stacked, Peterka should be considered while on the second line.

The 22-year-old is already having a better campaign than he did a year ago. In 46 games, the winger has totaled 14 goals, 15 assists, and 29 points. One of his best traits is getting shots on net, averaging 2.65 shots per game. With his second-line role and a spot on the power-play, Peterka offers great value in such a welcoming game for the Sabres.

numberFire's model has Peterka set for a strong output, projecting him to finish with 12.5 FanDuel points.

Vladimir Tarasenko, W, Ottawa Senators ($5,500)

While the Ottawa Senators have been a bad team this season, their offense has scored a ton. So much so that Vladimir Tarasenko is well worth considering.

Ottawa is averaging 3.36 Goals For per 60 minutes, good for 9th-best. Tarasenko may play on the third line for the Sens, but he's averaging 16:01 time on ice, a fine amount for a value role like this. He's played in 40 games, scoring 12 goals and adding 19 helpers, adding up to 31 points thus far.

Tarasenko isn't the player he was years ago, but he's still going to put up good numbers. Start him up against the Montreal Canadiens.

The 12-year veteran is expected to finish with 13.7 FanDuel points, per numberFire's model.

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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.