Written by LineStar Fantasy Life Coach @ZeroInDenver.

Check out the NHL Season Preview & Strategy Guide

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Welcome to the NHL Hat Trick.

ICYMI - The NHL Season Preview & Strategy guide goes over the basics of NHL DFS and what I look for when researching players.

Without NBA on tap tonight, I expect to see more interest in NHL DFS than we've had since the last NBA All-Star Break. I highly recommend reading my strategy guide and asking questions in the chat. I say this a lot, but NHL DFS is a lot different from NBA and NFL DFS.

If you really want to find a comparison, it plays out a lot like MLB DFS. That can be good and bad. Goals scored play out a lot like home runs. They can knock you down or push you up the leaderboard. Expensive players can be disappointments, and some random cheap player can break the slate.

Lineup building is very simiar to MLB in that stacking is huge in GPPs. You'll see stacking in cash as well as many GPP players will dump GPP lineups into cash games as well. The thing to remember with stacking is that the more players you stack, the more risky your lineup becomes.

I'll be honest. I don't play cash games. To me, they're a waste and hockey is too random to put any effort into that. You do you, but I'd never co-sign on people playing cash.

With that said, let's take a look at tonight's slate... LETSSSSSSSSSSGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Tonight's Slate

Here's numbers on the teams from their past 10 games. Generally, I start my research by looking for teams in good spots. For example, teams that score goals (GF60) that are facing teams that give up goals (GA60). I also look at teams that shoot a lot (CF60) that are facing teams that give up a lot of shots (CA60).

Based on this, teams I'm targeting tonight are: MIN, VGK, COL, and WAS

Goaltender Rankings

How to Read This: 

I'm giving you a comparison of LineStar projections vs the average fantasy points scored over their last 10 games. I've also given you their save percentage (over 0.910 is ideal), goals allowed (lower is better), saves per game (more is better), GAA (Goals Saved Above Average), and my projected upside for each goalie.

Generally, if I'm stacking a team, I'll correlate a goalie if I can. In GPPs, I may not have the salary to make this work. In this case, I usually spend down on someone that I expect will take a lot of shots and could pick up the W.

As always - double-check that your goalie is starting before the game starts.

My Favorites:

CASH: Marc-Andre Fleury - VGK (DK: $8200, FD: $8300)

GPP: Vitek Vanacek - WAS (DK: $7300, FD: $8000)

Forwards and Defensemen Rankings

How to Interpret C/D/W charts: In NHL DFS, I think it's most important to look at peripheral stats instead of goals which is why I put so much emphasis on shots. This includes shot attempts, high danger shot attempts (those shot attempts closest to the net with the highest probability of going into the net), shots on goal, and scoring chances. I've included projections and average fantasy points to see how each compares so you can more easily find value.

Center

My Favorite

Nathan MacKinnon - COL (DK: $8900, FD: $8300)

MacKinnon will be popular tonight and has slate-breaking ability. I'll have him pretty heavy as a one-off, and I think there's plenty of good mid-range options to make this work without having to stretch your lineup too far.

Wing

My Favorite:

Rickard Rakell - ANH (DK: $4200, FD: $5500)

Colorado's defense is hurting without Makar and Byrum in the lineup. I don't love the Ducks much overall, but love Rakell as a one off.

Defensemen

My Favorite

Alex Pietrangelo - VGK (DK: $6100, FD: $6500)

I like Vegas a lot tonight, and I think you're going to want to include a defenseman if you're stacking VGK1 or VGK2.

Bottom of the Barrel

Here are my cheap calls for a skater to pick up a goal or assist.

Lars Eller: WAS - C (DK: $4.3K, FD: $4.7K)

Max Comtois: ANH - W (DK: $3.9K, FD: $4.3K)

Marco Scandella: STL- D (DK: $2.8K, FD: $4K)

Line Stacks

Here are my ranked stacks for tonight. I like to target stacks that correlate, meaning the players all share time on the ice at even strength, and on the power play. BOS1, COL1, and VGK1 are examples of that. However, that doesn't stop me from playing other stacks that I like on the night.

Favorite Stacks Tonight:

Risk-It-For-The-Biscuit Stacks:

These are stacks that I think have the ability to go off and will probably go under-owned tonight.

Disclaimer: Keep in mind, plays and thoughts listed are my own. You should all do your own research and you might (and probably should) disagree with me in some spots. Don't be afraid to go your own way.

Good luck today! Tag me in the LineStar Chat @ZeroInDenver if you have any questions or feedback. Follow me on Twitter @ZeroInDenver.

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