Joel Bartilotta 
Welcome to the latest edition of the Saturday Slapshot where we’ll be focusing on tonight’s 7 game main slate of NHL DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel. We’re at the point of the year where teams are either playing for their playoff lives or jockeying for position. Thankfully, hockey is not like the NBA and we rarely see major players sitting out at the tail end of the season.
Let’s dig in and see if we can make some money.
Goaltending
Connor Hellebuyck ($7.8K DK/$7.2k FD) vs. Los Angeles Kings – We should see Hellebuyck in net tonight for the Jets in a home matchup vs. the Los Angeles Kings. Hellebuyck has back-to-back really solid outings, with 26 DK points against Buffalo and 22 points against Arizona. This is a similar match tonight for Hellebuyck as the Kings haven’t really been scoring. Over the last month, they’re scoring just 2.5 goals per game. This is a good sport for Hellebuyck to continue his solid recent play. He should be one of the top goalies on the night.
Jake Oettinger ($7.9k DK/$7.5k FD) vs. San Jose Sharks – The San Jose Sharks are just not a team that should strike fear into any goaltender. Over the last month, they’re scoring just 2.6 goals per game and outside of their top line, they have very little firepower. Oettinger has been a great story for the Stars this NHL season, with a 24-11-1 record and a GAA below 2.5. He’s won 5 of the last 7 games he’s started and tonight should make it 6 of 8.
Tonight with Goaltending I’m not going to stray too far from the two I mentioned. I will be locking in one of the two and just moving on. The only other goaltender I have any interest in is Jeremy Swayman, but he’s pricey on DK and I just don’t think I want to go that high for him.
Stacks
Toronto 1 (Matthews, Marner, Buntin) vs. Philadelphia
This line is going to be chalky, there’s no denying it. The Leafs are playing a Flyers team that is giving up almost 4 goals per game over the past month. That’s laughably high and it’s something we’ll want to take advantage of tonight. There isn’t much I need to say about Matthews to try to sell you on playing him. He’s already at the 50 goal mark and he’s at the point where he’s chasing 100 points. He’s one of, if not the best player in the NHL.
There isn’t much time left in the season for him to get there, but my guess is that he puts a dent into that number tonight. The duo of Matthews and Marner will be pricey tonight, but it will be well worth it. The two have combined for 19 points over their last 5 games and close to 40 scoring chances.
Tampa Bay 1 (Point, Kucherov, Stamkos) vs. Montreal
If you want to fade Toronto tonight, another option is Tampa Bay 1 tonight. Montreal is Montreal and they give up a ton of goals. They gave up close to 3.6 goals per game in the month of March. Brayden Point is playing some great hockey and if I do decide to fade Toronto, he’d be a priority. Over hist last 5 games he has 8 points and 20 scoring chances.
Between him and Stamkos, they have 42 scoring chances, 15 of which are considered to be high danger chances. The two of them will also come at a $4k discount over Matthews and Marner, making the rest of your team solid and not having to punt as much. I think I just sold myself on playing Tampa over Toronto today.
Boston 2 (Haula, Hall, Pastrnak) vs. Columbus
What going to Tampa 1 allows you to do tonight is to also grab some of Boston. Boston is playing Columbus tonight and they are always someone we want to play against. In March the Blue Jackets gave up more than 4 goals per game. That’s an accomplishment not worth bragging about.
I’m going down to their second line and playing Pasta and Haula. Haula is just $3.5k on DK tonight but he’s playing well above that salary. Over his last 5 games, he has 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points. At his salary, he’s close to a free square. This line should combine to be one of the top lines on the slate as Boston obliterates Columbus.
Other stacks (Dal 1, Cgy 1 and 2, Stl 1, WPG 1, Phi 1)
Top Value NHL Defenseman
- Noah Hanifin – $3.9k on DK – Always good for a few blocked shots and shots per game. Opens up salary.
- Jacob Middleton – $2.7k on Dk – Back-to-back games with 3 blocks and some shots. Great value.
- Jaycob Megna – $2.6k on DK and continues to have no regard for his body
- Matt Dumba – $4.4k on DK – Double-digit points in 5 of his last 6 games. Should be over $5k. Great value.
NHL DFS Summary
We have some great offensive teams in just unbelievable positions tonight. Toronto is going to be extremely popular tonight. You’ll need to decide to play or fade them. If you fade, I may, Tampa is in just as good of a spot tonight and come in much cheaper. That’ll make the rest of your team that much better.
Make sure to use our optimizer before setting lineups.
Good luck and hope to see you in the green!
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