Daily Fantasy Lineup Leans: Today’s Starts, Sits, and PP1 Watch

Today’s projected NHL lineups and starting goalies give fantasy managers a clear roadmap for start/sit calls. With key stars healthy, a few PP1 roles in flux, and some exploitable goalie matchups, your edge comes from reacting fastest to today’s information. Let’s sort out where to lean aggressive, where to play it safe, and which situations to monitor closely.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The headliners are concentrated around top roles and crease clarity. Connor McDavid is locked in as the top-line center for the Edmonton Oilers against Florida, which keeps his usage and ceiling exactly where fantasy managers want it. There’s no hesitation: he’s a set-and-forget anchor in every format, but the matchup context today suggests an especially strong offensive environment, so you lean into him rather than trying to get cute with alternatives.

In Colorado, Gabriel Landeskog is working the net-front on PP1 for the Colorado Avalanche. That role is critical: whoever owns that spot tends to ride shotgun on a ton of high-danger looks and rebound chances. If Landeskog keeps that job, he’s not just a peripheral winger; he becomes a legitimate multi-point threat on any given night, especially when the Avalanche draw penalties.

The blue line story centers on Roman Josi returning for the Nashville Predators. His presence immediately stabilizes Nashville’s breakout and power play. From a fantasy angle, his return removes any short-lived replacement value from depth defenders and reasserts Josi as the primary puck-mover and PP1 quarterback. If you were hesitant about his workload after injury, today’s deployment will be a key signal.

In goal, we have two notable projected starters: Elvis Merzlikins for the Columbus Blue Jackets against Detroit, and Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Merzlikins is more matchup-dependent, but today’s opponent gives him streaming appeal. Vasilevskiy, meanwhile, remains a high-confidence start; the only question is whether you’re chasing volume categories or protecting ratios, and today’s matchup supports both.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In points-only formats, you’re chasing raw scoring and PP exposure. McDavid is the clearest slam dunk: top line, top power play, and a game script that should encourage Edmonton to lean heavily on its stars. You don’t sit him under any realistic circumstances, but you can lean into stacking him with other Oilers skaters in leagues that reward multi-player synergy.

Landeskog’s net-front PP1 role for Colorado is the big swing spot today. When he’s parked in front of the net with Colorado’s top unit, his goal and assist equity spikes because he benefits from tips, screens, and rebound tap-ins. In shallow points-only leagues, this is the kind of role that can justify bumping him into your active lineup over a safer but lower-upside middle-six forward.

Josi’s return is a green light to get him back into every lineup. As Nashville’s top-pair defenseman and PP1 quarterback, he drives offense from the back end in a way very few defensemen can. Today is less about whether to start him (you should) and more about trusting that his power-play usage immediately vaults him back into the top tier of fantasy defensemen.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-category leagues, deployment still rules, but you’re also weighing shots, hits, blocks, and special-teams production. McDavid remains a cornerstone in categories because he contributes heavily in shots and power-play points, and his ice time gives him a high floor even on quieter nights.

Landeskog is particularly interesting in bangers setups. As a net-front presence on PP1, he’s in position for power-play goals and PIM, while his physical style usually brings hits. If you need a blend of scoring and grit, he’s a strong play when Colorado’s power play is humming. Today’s matchup gives him a path to a full-category line if the Avalanche draw enough penalties.

Josi’s return boosts not only points but also shots and blocks. He tends to log heavy minutes, which naturally leads to strong volume in those categories. If you were patching together your defense with low-ceiling options, you can confidently slide Josi back in and expect across-the-board contributions.

In net, Merzlikins is a classic matchup stream. Against Detroit, he has a realistic path to a win with decent save totals. If you’re chasing counting stats like saves and wins, he’s a viable plug-in. Just recognize that his ratios can be volatile; he fits best on teams that can absorb a bit of risk in goals-against average and save percentage.

Vasilevskiy, by contrast, is your high-confidence ratios play. When he’s projected to start, you usually roll with him regardless of opponent. Today’s context doesn’t change that; if anything, it reinforces that you can lean on him for both volume and efficiency, making him a priority start in categories leagues.

Dynasty / Keeper

Dynasty managers should treat today as a checkpoint on role stability. McDavid is firmly established as an elite long-term asset; there’s nothing to reevaluate there beyond appreciating that Edmonton continues to build its offense around him.

Landeskog is more nuanced. His presence on PP1 for Colorado is a strong signal that the organization still views him as a core offensive piece. For dynasty, that net-front role suggests he can remain a high-value winger as long as he holds that spot. Today’s usage is worth monitoring: sustained PP1 time would justify buying low in leagues where managers are worried about his long-term durability.

Josi returning from injury and immediately reclaiming top-pair and PP1 duties is exactly what dynasty managers wanted to see. It indicates that Nashville still expects him to drive their offense from the blue line. If there was any discount on him due to health concerns, this is your window to explore a buy-low via your league’s NHL Trade Analyzer and trade market before his production normalizes.

In goal, Merzlikins profiles more as a flexible asset than a franchise cornerstone in dynasty. Today’s favorable matchup is useful for contenders chasing categories, but long-term, you’re watching for consistency and whether Columbus can support him defensively. Vasilevskiy remains a foundational dynasty goalie; today’s start is just another data point reinforcing his workhorse status.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Connor McDavid – Start (all formats): Automatic start with elite usage and a favorable offensive environment today.
Gabriel Landeskog – Add/Start in standard & deep: Net-front role on Colorado’s PP1 gives him strong goal and PPP upside tonight.
Roman Josi – Start & Buy-low: Back from injury and reclaiming PP1 duties, he’s a top-tier defenseman with multi-cat impact.
Elvis Merzlikins – Short-term stream: Projected start in a manageable matchup makes him a viable spot goalie for saves and a potential win.
Andrei Vasilevskiy – High-confidence start: Elite workhorse profile; you start him whenever he’s in the crease.
Colorado PP1 skaters – Watchlist: Anyone locked on the Avalanche’s top power play alongside Landeskog gains immediate streaming appeal.
Nashville secondary defensemen – Watchlist: With Josi back, monitor which depth blueliner, if any, still sees meaningful PP2 usage for deeper leagues.

Fantasy Takeaways

Start McDavid everywhere; today’s matchup and his locked-in top-line, top-PP role give him one of the highest ceilings on the slate.
Landeskog’s net-front PP1 deployment in Colorado makes him a priority start and a strong add in leagues where he’s still available.
Josi’s return to Nashville’s top pair and PP1 restores him as a must-start defenseman and a smart buy-low target.
Merzlikins is a viable streaming goalie today thanks to a favorable matchup, but he remains a riskier play for ratios.
Vasilevskiy continues to be a set-and-forget starter in all formats whenever he’s projected to be in net.

Source: NHL.com. See the original for full details.