NHL Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Tuesday 1/9/24

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

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets ($8,600)

With 10 games on tonight's slate, we're going to make things easy and go with the best goaltender of the bunch as our target.

Connor Hellebuyck enters the game as the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy, once again showing that he's among the best of the best over this last decade. He's flashed the greatness that has helped lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 26-9-4 record, the best in the Western Conference.

The 30-year-old has posted a 2.27 goals against average and .921 save percentage while racking up 20 wins for the season. He also has the second-best goals saved above expectation in the NHL at 18.98.

All of this is to say that a matchup against the mediocre Columbus Blue Jackets looks to be an inviting matchup to exploit in DFS lineups.

The Blue Jackets have been a solid offensive team considering how poorly their season has gone. While they're still in the bottom half, they rep a 59.93 Corsi For per 60 minutes (19th) and 3.00 Goals For per 60 minutes (20th). Columbus is one of the worst teams in hockey, but their ability to get some chances is enough to get shots on Hellebuyck, giving him a chance to make plenty of saves and rack up numbers tonight.

numberFire's model projects Hellebuyck to finish with 20.3 FanDuel points.

Stacks

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on track for a big night against the San Jose Sharks.

Toronto has been on a roll, winning their last three games, and they're taking on the Sharks in the second of a back-to-back after defeating them 4-1 on Saturday.

The Maple Leafs have been an offensive wagon once again this season. They've put together a 64.12 Corsi For per 60 minutes, ranked 6th in the NHL. Toronto is 7th in the NHL with 3.4 Goals For per 60 minutes, proving their expected dominance with a star-studded lineup coming through again and again. It's surely going to be a team that will be no match for the Sharks, who remain at the bottom of the NHL in nearly every category.

San Jose has the worst Corsi Against per 60 minutes at 70.92 while also allowing the most Goals Against per 60 minutes (3.99). Everything about this has the makings of another huge night for the Maple Leafs with Auston Matthews ($10,500) and his league-leading 30 goals paving the way.

Mackenzie Blackwood will be in net for the Sharks, and as we've seen with the 4-win goaltender, his 3.85 goals against average and .890 save percentage is nothing to be worried about. He's allowed four or more goals in four of his last four outings.

The Maple Leafs have the best implied total of the 10-game slate at 4.25, per numberFire's heat map.

Along with Matthews, consider stacking his linemate Mitchell Marner ($8,200) as well as the second-line trio of William Nylander ($10,100), John Tavares ($8,900), and Tyler Bertuzzi ($4,300).

Edmonton Oilers

When an elite offense goes against such a poor defense, it's hard not to get excited about the possibilities.

The Edmonton Oilers will face off with a depleted Chicago Blackhawks team that has already struggled throughout the year.

Chicago has been right there among the bad teams, having the 4th-worst Corsi Against per 60 minutes (64.75) and 2nd-worst Goals Against per 60 minutes (3.72). Every part of their season has been a tough go, and there are no signs of them changing that anytime soon.

The Oilers, on the other hand, are back to being one of the NHL's best offenses after their early season woes. Edmonton is averaging a 65.35 Corsi For per 60 minutes (5th-best) as well as 3.56 Goals For per 60 minutes (3rd-best).

Edmonton enters the night with the second-best implied total of the night at 4.23, per numberFire's heat map.

Stacking the Oilers is always easy. Their top line consists of Connor McDavid ($10,300), Zach Hyman ($9,900), and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($7,700), who are all on the first power-play unit, as well. It's a high salary stack, though, even if you look to second options like Leon Draisaitl ($9,300) and Evan Bouchard ($8,600). It's worth stacking the top trio and then aiming for values the rest of the way.

Value Skaters

Mason McTavish, C, Anaheim Ducks ($6,100)

It's been a tough season for the Anaheim Ducks as expected, but Mason McTavish has been one of the bright spots for the team.

McTavish takes up the second-line center spot in the Ducks lineup and also skates on the top power-play unit, giving him plenty of value to be considered as a play for tonight.

The Ducks' center has 11 goals, 15 assists, and 26 points so far this season -- on pace to set a new career high. He's got an average of 17:00 time on ice and 2.5 shots per game, which both are career-highs through 32 games.

McTavish and the Ducks have a matchup with a Nashville Predators team that is allowing 3.1 Goals Against per 60 minutes -- making room for some success.

numberFire's model is projecting McTavish to finish with 14.6 FanDuel points.

Cole Perfetti, C, Winnipeg Jets ($5,600)

We're going back to the Jets once more today, as Cole Perfetti is worth a look.

The 22-year-old has really made a mark since getting the full-time gig with the Jets this season. Playing on the second line for Winnipeg, Perfetti has accumulated 12 goals, 14 assists, and 26 points in 39 games -- nearing his career-high of 30 points that he set last season in over 50 appearances.

Perfetti has notched goals in back-to-back games and should be able to create some offense against a Blue Jackets team that is allowing 3.58 Goals Against per 60 minutes, the 3rd-most in the NHL.

If all goes right, Perfetti should be a great value to lineups. numberFire projects him to finish with 14.2 FanDuel points as a result of the matchup.

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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.