Written by LineStar Fantasy Life Coach @ZeroInDenver.

Check out the NHL Season Preview & Strategy Guide

Got NHL DFS questions or want to see something covered in this newsletter? Hit me up in LineStar Chat.

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.

I apologize. I've been really pressed for time today but wanted to get something out for the family.

Let's dive in...

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 that stand out to me are Vegas, Vancouver, Rangers, and Tampa

Line Stacks

Vegas is my overall favorite on the night and get a great matchup against an awful San Jose team that is allowing 61 shot attempts, 32 shots on net, 28.5 scoring chances, and 3.3 goals a game over their last 10. I'm leaning VGK1 as my favorite due to the full PP1 correlation, but will have shares of both top lines.

Vancouver should be popular again tonight. VAN2 is my favorite of the top two lines, but I think a PP1 stack of Pearson, Horvat, Miller, and Boeser would be a good way to get a solid 4-man stack with exposure to both top lines.

Rangers are another favorite for me. It's a bit of a coin flip for me, but I prefer the first line or a PP1 stack of Kreider, Zibanejad, Panarin, and Strome.

Risk It For The Biscuit

Edmonton doesn't usually fall into "biscuit stack" status for me, but they're expensive and Calgary has held Edmonton in check at times. I think there's a lot of upside in stacked EDM1 tonight, and that's where I think I'll have a good share of lineups.

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: Thatcher Demko - VAN (DK: $8100, FD: $7400)

GPP: Devan Dubnyk - SJS (DK: $7000, FD: $7100)

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

Mika Zibanejad - NYR (DK: $5800, FD: $6200)

Zibanejad hasn't had a breakout game yet this year. The peripherals are there, and the price is cheap enough that I think he's worthy of a spot in your lineups tonight.

Wing

My Favorite:

Reilly Smith - VGK (DK: $4300, FD: $4600)

I feel VGK2 is too cheap tonight. I have Reilly Smith as a one-off in early builds due to his price and matchup tonight and I'm going to roll with it.

Defensemen

My Favorite

Josh Morrisey - WPG (DK: $400, FD: $4800)

ICYMI - I'm still a sucker for PP1 defensemen under $5K that take shots and eat minutes.

Bottom of the Barrel

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

Mikael Backlund: CGY - C (DK: $ 4200, FD: $ 4300)

Dillon Dube: CGY - W (DK: $3400, FD: $4300)

Noah Hanifin: CGY - D (DK: $ 2800, FD: $ 3800)

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.

🚨 Get 3 Free Months of LineStar Premium 🚨

Get 3-months of LineStar Premium for new users to SuperDraft who deposit/play $10!

Terms: Partnership offers do NOT renew. See SuperDraft landing page for full terms and conditions. Must be a new user to SuperDraft and deposit and play a minimum of $10 to qualify. If you have an existing LineStar Premium subscription you get a Hat/Tee/Pen combo instead of the 3-months.