NHL DFS Hot Shot for DraftKings and FanDuel (Oct. 14)

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This article focuses on 10/14 NHL Picks for both DraftKings and FanDuel Sportsbooks and FanDuel and DraftKings Daily Fantasy. We analyze tournament tactics, statistics, pricing, and attempt to tackle this highly variable Daily Fantasy format so that we can gain an edge on the field at large. Full rankings for each position for both sites are available below.

Thursday 10/14 NHL Slate and DFS Gameplan

Welcome back for the season debut of the Hot Shot! Let’s Gooooooo!

Tonight we have the biggest slate yet this season with nine games, six of which start at main lock. All of the odds and totals are listed below. Ownership should be a relative non-issue given the size of the slate.

The Chalk

From the onset, the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning comes in as the biggest favorite at -250. The Lightning look poised to bounce back from a disappointing opening-night loss. Perhaps they wore themselves out celebrating last year’s title before the game.

At this point, Tampa is a two-line team so we can pick our poison between the top line of Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, and Ondrej Palat or the less popular second line consisting of Steven Stamkos, Alex Killorn, and Anthony Cirelli. If looking to add on, I would pair Victor Hedman if using the first line, although it is not necessary.

Andrei Vasilevskiy should be the cash goalie of choice but as he looked half-awake last game and shouldn’t receive too much volume shot-wise from Detroit, I think we can pass in tournaments.

The Contrarian Play

Now if looking to go off the board, it took one quick look at the projected Buffalo Sabres lines and washed up Craig Anderson in the net to have me licking my lips. The Montreal Canadiens are on a back-to-back and on the road but it’s not like they are worlds away from home and trust me these Sabres are as awful as awful gets.

Jack Eichel is out and wisely trying to force his way out of town. Meanwhile, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Linus Ullmark have already escaped Buffalo for greener pastures. What’s leftover is terrible and so you have to like the Canadiens top line of Tyler Toffoli, Cole Caufield, and Nick Suzuki.

You could also roll out a depth line but since Montreal is sort of off the board on such a big slate, no need. All three top-line skaters also share duties on the Canadiens’ top power-play unit, providing additional correlation.

Another Juicy Spot

Looking at some of the other six total games “there is no game with a total over six”, Toronto/Ottawa should get some ownership but I think as we saw last night, with Auston Matthews out Toronto might have some problems finishing things off and now they are on a back-to-back. Ottawa is down Brady Tkachuk but I guess there could be some value there.

Nevertheless, if going outside of the top two Tampa lines and Montreal One, I don’t mind targeting the Pittsburgh/Florida game as that could end up a shootout. On the Pittsburgh side, I’d stick to the top line of Jeff Carter, Bryan Rust, and Danton Heinen.

Conversely, if rolling with Florida, they are deep enough where in real life, all four lines are capable of putting up numbers on any given night. That’s something you definitely cannot say for every team. Nevertheless, as it’s only the top two lines represented on the top power-play unit, on a nine-game slate, let’s not get crazy for DFS purposes. It would take a lot of old Joe Thornton’s 4th line assists to win us a tournament.

You can roll the top line of Aleksandr Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and Carter Verhaeghe “the first two can be run as a two-man since they are both on the power play one”, or the second line of Jonathan Huberdeau, Sam Bennett, and Owen Tippett “likewise for Huberdeau and Bennett as a two-man as they are the two from the second line represented on the top power-play unit”. Aaron Ekblad can be added with the top line if using them and looking to add a defenseman as he shares correlation with them in terms of both even strength and power play.

10/14 NHL Game Odds and Totals

Main Slate of Games – Beginning 7 p.m. ET

Montreal Canadiens (-140) at Buffalo Sabres (+115) – 6 Projected Goal Total

Toronto Maple Leafs (-175) at Ottawa Senators (+145) – 6 Projected Goal Total

Pittsburgh Penguins (+150) at Florida Panthers (-180) – 6 Projected Goal Total

Dallas Stars (+105) at New York Rangers (-120) – 6 Projected Goal Total

New York Islanders (+105) at Carolina Hurricanes (-125) – 5.5 Projected Goal Total

Main Slate Games Continued

Arizona Coyotes (+115) at Columbus Blue Jackets (-130) – 6 Projected Goal Total

Tampa Bay Lightning (-250) at Detroit Red Wings (+195) – 6 Projected Goal Total “7:30 p.m.”

Seattle Kraken (+105) at Nashville Predators (-125) – 6 Projected Goal Total – “8:00 p.m.”

Late Game

Las Vegas Golden Knights (-155) at Los Angeles Kings (+125) – 6 Projected Goal Total

10/14 NHL FanDuel Individual Rankings

Centers

1. John Tavares – Toronto – $7,200
2. Aleksandr Barkov – Florida – $7,600
3. Jeff Carter – Pittsburgh – $5,300
4. Jared McCann – Seattle – $4,000
5. Alexander Kerfoot – Toronto – $4,500
6. Anthony Cirelli – Tampa Bay – $4,300

Wingers

1. Nikita Kucherov – Tampa Bay – $8,300
2. Nick Ritchie – Toronto – $4,500
3. Carter Verhaeghe – Florida – $4,900
4. Max Pacioretty – Las Vegas – $8,000
5. Mitchell Marner – Toronto – $7,700
6. Tyler Toffoli – Montreal – $6,300

Defense

1. Alex Martinez – Las Vegas – $4,900
2. Roman Josi – Nashville – $6,000
3. Jeff Petry – Montreal – $5,100
4. Mackenzie Weegar – Florida – $5,100
5. Morgan Reilly – Toronto – $6,100
6. Alex Pietrangelo – Las Vegas – $6,600

Goalies

1. Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay – $8,900 “Only pair with Cash games or with variant/off the board lineup”
2. Sam Montembault – Montreal – $7,500
3. Phillip Grubauer – Seattle – $7,200

10/14 NHL DraftKings Individual Rankings

Centers

1. John Tavares – Toronto – $7,600
2. Aleksandr Barkov – Florida – $7,400
3. Brayden Point – Tampa Bay – $6,900
4. Sam Bennett – Florida – $4,200
5. Alexander Kerfoot – Toronto – $4,400
6. Anthony Cirelli – Tampa Bay – $3,900

Wingers

1. Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay – $5,700
2. Nikita Kucherov – Tampa Bay – $8,400
3. Jonathan Huberdeau – Florida – $5,300
4. Ondrej Palat – Tampa Bay – $4,600
5. Nick Ritchie – Toronto – $3,100
6. Brendan Gallagher – Montreal – $3,400

Defense

1. Morgan Reilly – Toronto – $4,900
2. Aaron Ekblad – Florida – $5,800
3. Jeff Petry – Montreal – $5,600
4. Victor Hedman – Tampa Bay – $6,900
5. Roman Josi – Nashville – $6,300
6. Alex Pietrangelo – Las Vegas – $6,700

Goalies

1. Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay – $8,400 “Only pair with Cash games or with variant/off the board lineup”
2. Phillip Grubauer – Seattle – $7,400
3. Igor Shesterkin – New York Rangers – $7,900

Cash Considerations “DraftKings”

Sam Bennett – C – Florida, John Tavares -C – Toronto, Steven Stamkos – RW – Tampa Bay, Nikita Kucherov – RW – Tampa Bay, Nick Ritchie – LW – Toronto, Ondrej Palat – LW – Tampa Bay, Morgan Reilly – D – Toronto, Andrei Vasilevskiy – Goalie – Tampa Bay

Cash Considerations “FanDuel”

Jeff Carter – C – Pittsburgh, Jared McCann – C – Seattle, John Tavares – C – Toronto, Nikita Kucherov – RW – Tampa Bay, Alex Martinez – D – Las Vegas, Jeff Petry – D – Montreal, Andrei Vasilevskiy – Goalie – Tampa Bay

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