Chris Davies 
This article focuses on NHL DFS Picks for 12/9 on DraftKings and FanDuel. Both sites have fairly different scoring formats, particularly with the recent changes on DraftKings. We consider tournament tactics, statistics, pricing, and attempt to tackle this highly variable Daily Fantasy format so we can gain an edge on the field at large. BE SURE to double-check both regular and power play lines at both morning skate and before lock as they can drastically change from the time of publication.
Sign up NOW for WIN DAILY Premium Gold right here! Projections, weather reports, wagering info, 24/7 expert chats and more!
Top Three Lines
Boston One – David Krejci, David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, plus Jake DeBrusk “$540 on FanDuel”
The top overall Boston play on FanDuel is astonishingly not one of the names mentioned above, but instead Jake DeBrusk. However, the sole reason for that is because he is priced as a mistake at an abnormal $540, opening up lineup construction for all sorts of studs. You might want to use some of that savings on a couple of the men listed above. It will be tough for Ottawa to handle them, even on home ice. It does not seem like Patrice Bergeron will be returning for this game, but that is something to keep an eye on. Nevertheless, this line is solid as-is. With 25 goals and 18 assists over 30 games, Pasta is the top play and can be used as a one-off. I think that we will see a lot of Boston four-man on FanDuel involving Jake DeBrusk “who shares a correlation with David Krejci on the Bruin’s second power-play unit”.
Washington One – Alex Ovechkin “Core”, John Carlson “Core”, Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson “Better on FanDuel”
This is a fairly loaded slate for a four gamer as you can already tell. Next up, we have the potent Washington first line playing host to the Columbus Blue Jackets. As a team, the Capitals have scored a league-high 115 goals this season. Most teams can’t wait to get back on home ice and shake off all of the ills that come with an extended road trip. However, the Caps were largely unfazed, absolutely cruising through that part of their schedule. This is a Columbus team that will consistently struggle throughout the rest of the year to pick up points on the road.
Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson are the core two for me here. Nicklas Backstrom is returning from injury, so I’d expect the traditional Washington One line, although Backstrom is not necessary. I left Tom Wilson for last, but I think that he is okay on FanDuel where he is always cheap. Otherwise, I would stick to the big guns and if you can jam John Carlson in, go for it. I don’t mind the Capitals second line either, as by moving Evgeny Kuznetsov down where he replaces Lars Eller, that line has become even stronger. It was already hot with Jacob Vrana perhaps the hottest player right now on this entire team.
Colorado One – Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Joonas Donskoi, Cale Makar “Powerplay Add On”
Clearly, I decided to get really creative here. It’s just hard to pass up some of these top-level lines, and the fact that there are a few of them on the slate should help to suppress ownership a little. We have the team that has scored the most goals in hockey this season, and the team that has scored the second-most in the Avs. Nathan MacKinnon, much like Alex Ovechkin, and John Carlson, is routinely hitting bonuses on DraftKings.
You can play MacKinnon as a one-off, or you can go all in and add Mikko Rantanen and the most talented of the Joonas Brothers, Joonas Donskoi. Both of the aforementioned skaters also correlate on the Avalanche’s first power-play unit. Feel free to add on Cale Makar or Gabriel Landeskog if trying to go all in and target the power play. Makar was hurt Saturday night, so be sure to make sure he is back skating earlier in the day, before using him.
12/9 NHL DraftKings Rankings
DraftKings Forwards/Centers
- Nathan MacKinnon – Colorado Avalanche – $8,300
- David Pastrnak – Boston Bruins – $8,000
- Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals – $8,400
NHL DraftKings Defenders
- John Carlson – Washington Capitals – $7,700
- Mikhail Sergachev – Tampa Bay Lightning – $3,800
- Mark Borowiecki – Ottawa Senators – $3,400
NHL DraftKings Goalies
- Pavel Francouz/Phillip Grubauer – Colorado Avalanche – $8,300/$8,100
- Tuukka Rask – Boston Bruins – $8,100
- Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning – $8,000
12/9 NHL FanDuel Rankings
FanDuel Forwards/Centers
- Jake DeBrusk- Boston Bruins – $540
- Nathan MacKinnon – Colorado Avalanche – $9,000
- David Pastrnak – Boston Bruins – $8,700
FanDuel Defensemen
- John Carlson – Washington Capitals – $7,600
- Victor Hedman – Tampa Bay Lightning – $6,700
- Mikhail Sergachev – Tampa Bay Lightning – $4,800
FanDuel Goalies
- Pavel Francouz/Phillip Grubauer – Colorado Avalanche – $7,800/$7,700
- Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning – $8,600
- Tuukka Rask – Boston Bruins – $8,900
12/9 Monkey Knife Fight NHL Prop Picks – Win With These Picks Here and Get 100 Percent Bonus!
John Carlson – Over 3.5 Fantasy Points – Monkey Knife Fight had removed him for a while but he’s back again with a lower threshold to hit.
Nathan MacKinnon – Over 0.5 Goals – Betting against Nathan Mac scoring at home while the Avalanche are rolling, seems like a mistake.
Sign up and get started with WinDailySports! We have your sport and the experts to help make you money. Why lose another buck when you can win TODAY!
