Written by LineStar Fantasy Life Coach @ZeroInDenver.

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Welcome back 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.

8 games on the slate tonight. I've talked about going from #teamplayeveryone to being more selective about who I stack. Today I'm going to talk a bit about how I "force" in players and stacks that I like into the lineups...

But first, let's dive into tonight's slate.

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).

Goaltender Rankings

How to Interpret This: I've added LineStar Projected Ownership, LineStar Projected Fantasy Points, and Goalie GAA (Goals Saved Above Average), and Saves/60, along with my projected upside for each goalie. Generally, I'm looking for goalies that I think will get a win with a positive (green) GSAA and a high saves number.

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

My Favorite:

Philipp Grubauer - COL (DK: $7700, FD: $8600) *CONFIRMED STARTER*

I'm going to let my homerism show, but I'm rolling Grubauer tonight. Vegas and Colorado are facing each other for the 4th straight game. So far, these have been relatively low scoring games (0-1, 3-2, and 3-2) and I don't expect much different for tonight.

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), and shots on goal. I've included projections and average fantasy points to see how each compares so you can more easily find value.

Center

My Favorite

Auston Matthews - TOR (DK: $9000, FD: $9200)

I'm not going to fade Matthews at this point. He's averaging 1.4 goals and 1.2 assists a game over his last 5 games.

Wing

My Favorite:

Kevin Fiala - MIN (DK: $6700, FD: $6200)

Fiala is shooting the puck a ton and Martin Jones is letting the puck in a ton. EZ GAME.

Defensemen

My Favorite

Aaron Ekblad - FLA (DK: $5100, FD: $5400)

Dallas is allowing 3 goals a game and Florida has been averaging 3.4 goals a game so I have an interest in getting exposure to this game. I think Ekblad makes for a good one-off with a D that plays 25 minutes, takes shots, and gets PP1 time.

Bottom of the Barrel

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

Brock Nelson: NYI - C (DK: $4.5K, FD: $4.9K)

Timo Meier: SJS - W (DK: $4.5K, FD: $5K)

Jared Spurgeon: MIN - D (DK: $4K, FD: $4.6K)

Line Stacks

Here are my ranked stacks for tonight:

Favorite Stacks Tonight:

Risk-It-For-The-Biscuit Stacks:

DFS Strategy - Forcing in Players and Stacks

If you're using the optimizer to build lineups, I always recommend taking the time to do a few builds before your final locked set. For me, I usually run a few builds with my settings just to see what the optimizer gives me. This forces me to adjust accordingly. For example, here's my initial build:

A few problems. I think I'm way over on LA. I like them, but not that much. Same with COL. What I need to fix is getting more TB and TOR.

There are a couple of ways I do this. One of the easiest ways is to bump up projections of players I'm not getting. I start with bumping up by 10% and see what that gives me.

Sometimes that's not enough. Another problem could be that I'm still getting a lot of a certain team or player. In that case, I usually bump their projection down a little bit - usually by 5% at first.

Still, if that doesn't work, one of the best solutions I've found is to just build a set of lineups with those players locked in.

The reality is that some stacks are too expensive or are harder to fit with other stacks so I have to force it. Otherwise, I'm sitting in the corner watching a team like Toronto or Tampa go off while I only have a handful of lineups with them.

But... what do you think?

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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