THE PLAYOFFS ARE FINALLY HERE!!! Hockey is an amazing, exciting sport. PLAYOFF hockey is about as good as it gets! Even if you don’t have a team in the tournament, this is the best time to watch hockey. The excitement gets ratcheted up 10-fold in the playoffs, as does the intensity. There is truly nothing like playoff hockey, and today, we start the best tournament in sports. Not only will we have an NHL DFS breakdown, but we will also preview the 4 series that start tonight. Let’s find the best NHL DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel. Good luck!
The playoffs mean that each team will be throwing their best lines together, with their best players. Many guys will play pretty banged up during the playoffs, but that doesn’t always slow them down. This means that we don’t have to worry about line shuffling too much, unless a team gets down big in their series and gets desperate.
From here on out, there will be no more than 4 games in a given NHL DFS slate, and, there will be no back-to-backs to worry about. We now have an ‘easier’ breakdown for each night. The matchups will be the same every other night, so for example, LAK/EDM play tonight, and will again on Wednesday, then Friday, and so on.
Home ice matters more for teams, now that they changed the line change rules, but home ice in the playoffs gives a slightly better edge. The intensity of the home crowd can energize a team and help swing momentum just a bit. You don’t get that element in a game in October.
How does all of this affect the NHL DFS aspect? In the playoffs, trends are huge. The first couple of games is kind of like a new season, where we can only use the stats and rates from the regular season. But as the games go on, trends will come out. If you follow these trends, you can have a ton of success playing NHL DFS in the playoffs. A good example is last year, when Tampa Bay got a lot of scoring from their third line. Not only did that depth scoring help lead them to a title, but it also helped when playing DFS. If you pick up on these trends, it can give you a slight edge on the field, who may not be following as closely.
Mike Smith – Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers start out at home tonight against the Kings, who struggled to score on the road all year long. This is a really nice spot for Smith and the Oilers tonight.
Jack Campbell- Toronto Maple Leafs: There is some inherent risk involved in playing a goalie from this series, but there is also a lot of upside. The Leafs and the Lightning can both score, but Campbell has been the better of the two goalies towards the end of the season. He should see plenty of shots, and if he can stay solid, this is a great DFS play.
High Risk GPP Goalie Pick – Linus Ullmark – Boston Bruins: The Bruins are headed to Carolina to open their series against the Canes tonight. The matchup here is risky in itself, as the Canes have been playing well lately. This play is purely based on the shot volume. The Bruins can win this game, which would be a nice bonus for Ullmark. He played well to end the season, so let’s see if he can carry that over to the playoffs.
These NHL DFS lines are considered top plays for the night and can be considered the focal point of your builds. They will be listed by position in the following order: Center/Winger/Winger/Correlating Defenseman (if applicable).
Edmonton Oilers Power Play – Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl/Ryan Nugent-Hopkins/Zach Hyman/Tyson Barrie: The Oilers have arguably the best matchup on the board tonight. Yes, the Kings got hot at the end of the season, but the Oilers really got it together and are just a better team overall. This power play unit gets you access up and down the lineup, and playing McDavid/Draisaitl together is never a bad thing, especially in the playoffs.
Toronto Maple Leafs 1 – Auston Matthews/Mitch Marner/Alexander Kerfoot/Morgan Rielly: The Leafs’ top line has a very, very nice matchup tonight. This game should be high event, and they will have plenty of chances. With the way that Vasilevskiy ended his season, this line should be able to ride the energy of their home crowd and pot a few goals tonight. You can consider running a power play look here also.
These are NHL DFS plays that carry significantly more risk, but could pay off at low ownership. They will be listed by position in the following order: Center/Winger/Winger/Correlating Defenseman (if applicable).
Boston Bruins 2 – Erik Haula/David Pastrnak/Taylor Hall: The second line for the Bruins has a nice little matchup tonight against the Canes. This line was doing a bunch of damage before Pasta went out. Now that he is back and the B’s are healthy, they should be able to get back to their scoring capability.
St. Louis Blues 1 – Robert Thomas/Pavel Buchnevich/Vladimir Tarasenko: This line is becoming “Old Reliable”, in that we can almost count on them for every slate they are on. They get a matchup tonight with the Wild where they should see their chances. The goalie matchup for them is favorable, so expect them to be in the mix tonight.
Minnesota Wild 1 – Ryan Hartman/Kirill Kaprizov/Mats Zuccarello/Jared Spurgeon: The Wild top line is also in a good spot in that STL/MIN game, and they should see their chances. Husso for the Blues was a little shaky to end the season, so this one could go either way. This top line became primary scoring for the Wild, and you can expect that to continue into the playoffs.
NHL DFS Honorable Mentions: CAR1, BOS1, LAK2, MIN2, TBL1, TOR2
Consider these NHL DFS plays to help save you some salary in your lineups on DraftKings. Be sure to stack!
Center: Erik Haula ($3100) – Boston Bruins
Wing: Brandon Saad ($2900) – St. Louis Blues
Defense: Jake Muzzin ($2700) – Toronto Maple Leafs
Consider these NHL DFS plays to help save you some salary in your lineups on FanDuel. Be sure to stack!
Center: Erik Haula ($4400) – Boston Bruins
Wing: Kailer Yamamoto ($4100) – Edmonton Oilers
Defense: Hampus Lindholm ($4200) – Boston Bruins
Consider these NHL DFS plays for your cash lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. Cash lineups do not need to be stacked, and it is recommended to play no more than two players from a given team.
Center: Auston Matthews – Toronto Maple Leafs
Wing: Nikita Kucherov – Tampa Bay Lightning
Defense: Tyson Barrie – Edmonton Oilers
Goalie: Mike Smith – Edmonton Oilers
In this section, we will highlight some NHL player props that we like for the upcoming NHL slate.
Vladimir Tarasenko (STL): anytime goal scorer
Steven Stamkos (TBL): over 0.5 points
Connor McDavid (EDM): anytime goal scorer AND over 1.5 points
Auston Matthews (TOR): anytime goal scorer
What a terrible draw for the Kings. This team scratched and clawed its way to a playoff spot, and then they get matched up with the only other hottest team in the West. The Kings, you have to give it to them, they really made a push there. However, this matchup just looks bad. On paper, the Oilers are a way better team up and down. The Kings have been somewhat streaky and those consistency issues can wreak havoc on your playoff chances. They might be able to put up a fight, but their path to winning this series appears to be very, very rocky. Oilers in 5.
This series should be a fun one to watch. The Leafs have been known for their early playoff exits recently, and they will be up against the criticism all series long. The Lightning are battling for their THIRD STRAIGHT title, and it will be a tall task for both teams. These teams are star-studded, and they both know how to show up. Expect this one to be an exciting, wide open series, with a good bit of scoring. The Lightning are great, of course, but they are facing some goaltending issues. If Vasilevskiy continues like he did at the end of the season, the Lightning are going to struggle. Leafs in 7.
The Bruins/Hurricanes series should see a little bit of everything. This one is going to be for more of the middle of the road fans, with a little bit of old time hockey mixed with some of the new speed and skill of the here and now. Both of these teams offer depth scoring, and they both have very good team chemistry. Boston is a good team at home, and it is tough to play in the Garden as an opposing team. They have a team that can slow down the Canes, and they may very well do that. However, this does not feel like the Bruins of the last few years. They have some holes in their game that the Canes might be able to exploit. In the end, this is going to be a tight series. Canes in 7.
The Blues/Wild series is going to be an interesting one. On the Blues’ side, you have some playoff veterans who have been there (and even won a cup together). On the Wild side, you have a team that has been relying on its youth to get to where they are. Both teams play a different style. The Blues are a little more grind-it-out, and the Wild are a little more wide open. That should make for an interesting series. The keys here will come down to goaltending and depth scoring. Both teams have struggling goaltending, but only the Blues have more depth scoring. The Blues’ veteran “been there, done that” presence should give them a slight advantage in this one. Blues in 6.
Make sure to hop in our Expert Discord Chat for FREE! Jon and the NHL team will be there answering questions right up until lock! Be sure to be on the look out for future articles at https://windailysports.com/daily-fantasy-hockey/
All line combinations are courtesy of www.dailyfaceoff.com, and any advanced rates referenced in the above article are pulled from www.naturalstattrick.com.
On this, the final day of the NHL regular season, we are blessed with a MASSIVE 15 game slate. What is wild about tonight’s slate is that there is basically nothing left to play for, outside of first round matchups. The Stars locked up the last playoff spot on Wednesday, and the Panthers locked up the President’s Trophy last night. We will have full rosters for some teams, while others rest their stars to get ready for the playoffs. Because of this, we MUST pay attention to news throughout the day. Let’s find the best NHL DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel. Good luck!
Casey DeSmith – Pittsburgh Penguins: The Pens host the Blue Jackets tonight in what should be a one-sided affair. The Pens should be able to handle Columbus, and DeSmith has been playing well of late.
Andre Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning head to New York to take on the Islanders, who have been scoring a little bit, but should be no match for Tampa tonight.
Jake Oettinger – Dallas Stars: The Stars host the Ducks tonight in what should be a fairly easy matchup for them. However, keep an eye on this one. With the Stars clinching a playoff spot, they may choose to rest some of their players. If they do, then Oettinger becomes a little more risky.
High Risk GPP Goalie Pick – Jeremy Swayman – Boston Bruins: The Bruins are headed to Toronto tonight to take on the Leafs, who are resting their studs. This is a nice spot for Swayman, and he should be able to still see some decent shot upside.
These NHL DFS lines are considered top plays for the night and can be considered the focal point of your builds. They will be listed by position in the following order: Center/Winger/Winger/Correlating Defenseman (if applicable).
Pittsburgh Penguins 1 – Sidney Crosby/Jake Guentzel/Bryan Rust/Kris Letang: This line should have a field day against the Blue Jackets and J.F. Berube tonight. Berube is a pretty bad goalie, sporting a 3.61 GAA this season, and the Pens should be in a position to take full advantage.
Edmonton Oilers 1 – Connor McDavid/Evander Kane/Jesse Puljujarvi/Tyson Barrie: The Oilers host the Canucks tonight in a game they should be able to dominate. The Canucks have been playing well of late, but in their last five games, are still giving up a bunch of goals. The Oilers are red hot, and they should be able to continue that tonight.
Tampa Bay Lightning 1 – Steven Stamkos/Nikita Kucherov/Ondrej Palat/Victor Hedman: So long as this line stays together tonight, they should have a really nice night against the Islanders. The Lightning are priming for the playoffs, while the Isles are priming for the golf course. The Lightning are playing for the 3 seed, so expect these guys to get some playing time tonight.
Dallas Stars 1 – Roope Hintz/Joe Pavelski/Jason Robertson/John Klingberg: The Stars host the Ducks tonight, and this line should be in a great spot against the Ducks. The Stars are better on home ice, and this is their primary scoring line.
These are NHL DFS plays that carry significantly more risk, but could pay off at low ownership. They will be listed by position in the following order: Center/Winger/Winger/Correlating Defenseman (if applicable).
Nashville Predators 1 – Mikael Granlund/Matt Duchene/Filip Forsberg/Roman Josi: The Preds head to the desert tonight to take on the Coyotes in what is ultimately a meaningless game. Nashville should dominate this game overall, but expect goals to come from both sides of this game, thanks to poor goaltending.
Boston Bruins 2 – Erik Haula/David Pastrnak/Taylor Hall: With Pasta back in the fray for Boston, this line has become viable once again. Against the Leafs lineup that will be without its stars, this is a nice little chance to jump on them tonight.
Buffalo Sabres 1 – Tage Thompson/Jeff Skinner/Victor Olofsson/Rasmus Dahlin: This line is generally better with Tuch up there, but that doesn’t change the chances they should see tonight. Chicago looks to be rolling out Collin Delia in net tonight, which gives these guys even more upside.
St. Louis Blues 1 – Robert Thomas/Pavel Buchnevich/Vladimir Tarasenko: As usual, or so it seems over the last month or so, this line is in a good spot tonight against the Golden Knights. This line has been absolutely dominant for a while now, and there is no reason that can’t continue tonight.
Florida Panthers 1 – Sam Bennett/Sam Reinhart/Anthony Duclair/Ben Chiarot: The Panthers just continue to score, as we saw last night against the Sens. They rested a bunch of their starters and still put up 4 goals. Tonight, they get an even nicer matchup as they head north to Montreal to face the Canadiens.
NHL DFS Honorable Mentions: ARI2, CHI1, CGY1, MIN1, VAN1, MTL1, COL1
Consider these NHL DFS plays to help save you some salary in your lineups on DraftKings. Be sure to stack!
Center: Erik Haula ($3300) – Boston Bruins
Wing: Patric Hornqvist ($2800) – Florida Panthers
Defense: Chris Tanev ($3300) – Calgary Flames
Consider these NHL DFS plays to help save you some salary in your lineups on FanDuel. Be sure to stack!
Center: Erik Haula ($4600) – Boston Bruins
Wing: Jesse Puljujarvi ($4800) – Edmonton Oilers
Defense: Erik Brannstrom ($4100) – Ottawa Senators
Consider these NHL DFS plays for your cash lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. Cash lineups do not need to be stacked, and it is recommended to play no more than two players from a given team.
Center: Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins
Wing: Jason Robertson – Dallas Stars
Defense: Victor Hedman – Tampa Bay Lightning
Goalie: Jake Oettinger – Dallas Stars
In this section, we will highlight some NHL player props that we like for the upcoming NHL slate.
Sidney Crosby (PIT): anytime goal scorer
Steven Stamkos (TBL): over 0.5 points
Connor McDavid (EDM): anytime goal scorer AND over 1.5 points
Roope Hintz (DAL): anytime goal scorer
Make sure to hop in our Expert Discord Chat for FREE! Jon and the NHL team will be there answering questions right up until lock! Be sure to be on the look out for future articles at https://windailysports.com/daily-fantasy-hockey/
All line combinations are courtesy of www.dailyfaceoff.com, and any advanced rates referenced in the above article are pulled from www.naturalstattrick.com.
On this final Monday of the regular season, we have a single game showdown slate. Tonight’s game features the Philadelphia Flyers taking on the Chicago Blackhawks in Chicago at 8pm Eastern. Let’s find the best NHL DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel. Good luck!
Tonight, we have a showdown slate! These can be super fun, but they are also very volatile. In the breakdown below, we will highlight the line matchups as well as some intriguing value plays. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out our NHL DFS Showdown Strategy Guide for guidance on building your lineups for tonight.
Implied Vegas Totals: PHI 3.1 / CHI 3.6
Tale of the Tape: Well, what a game to have for a showdown. These are two teams who are well outside the playoff hunt, so this game basically means nothing. Philly played yesterday afternoon, while the Hawks last played on Friday. Both of these teams come into this game giving up over 4 goals per game in their last five, and they are both in the bottom of the rankings on special teams.
Poor defensive play means variance, which just adds volatility to the already volatile nature of showdown. The reality is, scoring can come from anywhere tonight, so it will be a tough one to play. It is safe to assume that there will be a lot of goals tonight, so power play stacks (see Showdown Guide) may be the way to go.
The reality is, this game is way up for grabs, and either team can win, realistically. If you are looking to bet the game, a bet of over 6.5 is probably a safe one. Chicago probably gets a slight edge here, with the Flyers traveling on a back to back, but that is a risky bet.
YUCK! These goalies tonight are not what we would consider good. Starting with Sandstrom, he is an AHL goalie who has been called up due to an injury to Carter Hart. He is basically backup to the backup, and he is still very green. He only has three NHL games under his belt, and a career GAA over 3.
On the other hand, Lankinen comes into this game around the same age (26), but with plenty more experience at an NHL level (67 games). Lankinen carries a 3.62 GAA this season, which is massive, and just has not been very good.
With all of that being said, one of these goalies has to get a win. Both teams are 1-4 in their last five games, and it really is a coin flip. However, from a DFS standpoint, it is very possible that neither goalie is optimal tonight.
With this game being in Chicago, we have to go by what the Hawks do with their line matching.
Top Line: The Hawks’ top line generally matches the bottom two D pairings of their opposition on home ice. That being said, this will generally set them up against the depth of the opposing team. They still spend a few minutes per game against the top line, but their focus is the second and third lines.
Second Line: The Hawks’ second line tends to spend their time mostly against the opposing top line. We can’t quite consider this a hard match, as they spend a little bit of time against the second and third lines, but it is minimal.
Third Line: The Hawks’ third line fills in for the second line when needed, so they see a little bit of time against the opposing top line. Otherwise, they see a lot of the opposing third and fourth lines.
Fourth Line: The Hawks’ fourth line is used occasionally in the same spot as the third, but will mostly see the 3rd and 4th lines for the Flyers tonight.
Put it all Together: These matchups put both the Philly second line and the Hawks’ top two lines in play tonight, and will be a good place to start your lineups.
CHI1 – Dylan Strome/Patrick Kane/Alex Debrincat/Seth Jones: The top line for the Hawks has a very solid matchup tonight against the depth for the Flyers.
CHI2 – Jonathan Toews/Tyler Johnson/Dominik Kubalik: The second line for the Hawks has arguably the best matchup on the board tonight, from an even strength perspective.
PHI2 – Joel Farabee/Bobby Brink/James van Riemsdyk: This second Philly line is in a decent spot, but they have lacked scoring recently. However, keep in mind that the whole team was allergic to scoring until yesterday’s game against Pittsburgh.
Others to Consider: PHI3 has gotten a lot of scoring recently
These are build recommendations based on the NHL Showdown Strategy Guide
Chicago Power Play – Patrick Kane or Alex Debrincat captain
Sandstrom Captain/PHI2
Philly Power Play – Farabee or Brink captain
These are value plays that offer upside at a very low salary
Caleb Jones (D)
Noah Cates (W)
Ronnie Attard (D)
Taylor Raddysh (W)
Bobby Brink (W)
These are some interesting player props for tonight’s showdown
Patrick Kane (CHI): anytime goal scorer
Alex Debrincat (CHI): over 1.5 points
Ivan Provorov (PHI): over 0.5 points
Make sure to hop in our Expert Discord Chat for FREE! Jon and the NHL team will be there answering questions right up until lock! Be sure to be on the look out for future articles at https://windailysports.com/daily-fantasy-hockey/
All line combinations are courtesy of www.dailyfaceoff.com, and any advanced rates referenced in the above article are pulled from www.naturalstattrick.com.
The penultimate Friday Night Forecheck of the NHL regular season breaks down a small, four game slate. Within those four games, there are four top-end offenses and a marquee matchup, making for an interesting slate. Let’s find the best NHL DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel. Good luck!
Ilya Samsonov – Washington Capitals: The Capitals are on a Western road swing, and the have a visit tonight to Arizona. Samsonov should have a very good shot at a win, and this is considered the safest play on the goalie board tonight.
Marc-Andre Fleury – Minnesota Wild: The Wild host the Kraken tonight in a game they should be able to win, and fairly easily. MAF should get the start, and is in a very good spot. The Kraken have been scoring, but not on the road, so this becomes a spot that we can definitely use.
High Risk GPP Goalie Pick – Mike Smith – Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers/Avalanche game should be the marquee matchup tonight, and the Oilers may have a slight advantage because the Avs are slightly depleted at the moment. With both Rantanen and Landeskog out of the lineup, the lean is that the Oilers should get the win. Smith has been playing well, and he should see a ton of shots tonight. Hopefully, this is not the night where he regresses, as the upside potential is very nice here. You can also consider Elvis Merzlikins (CBJ) in this spot if you prefer. He is not quite as risky, but the play makes sense. He just has been shaky all year, so it becomes a tough sell.
These NHL DFS lines are considered top plays for the night and can be considered the focal point of your builds. They will be listed by position in the following order: Center/Winger/Winger/Correlating Defenseman (if applicable).
Washington Capitals 1 – Evgeny Kuznetsov/Alex Ovechkin/Tom Wilson/John Carlson: The Caps should dominate tonight, and they should do so with this line. They are in a great spot against the lowly Coyotes tonight. Expect them to be heavily owned, and rightly so.
Edmonton Oilers 1 – Connor McDavid/Evander Kane/Jesse Puljujarvi/Tyson Barrie: There are a couple of ways you can approach the Oilers tonight. First, you can just run this line out as is. They do have the more favorable matchup tonight against the Avs. The risk with that approach is that you may get absolutely nothing from Puljujarvi and/or Kane, and it’s tough to determine who will help on this line. Secondly, you can just pair McDavid and Draisaitl together, but that hamstrings your lineup salary wise. Either way you choose is good though, because Edmonton is in a great spot in what should be a fairly wide open game.
These are NHL DFS plays that carry significantly more risk, but could pay off at low ownership. They will be listed by position in the following order: Center/Winger/Winger/Correlating Defenseman (if applicable).
Colorado Avalanche 2 – Nazem Kadri/Andre Burakovsky/J.T. Compher: On the other side of the Edmonton game, we have the Avs, and we know what they are capable of. However, with Rantanen out, the top line takes a hit, so the second line looks like a slightly better play. You can run a similar approach with Avs, like mentioned above, but pairing MacKinnon and Kadri. The correlation is enough on the power play, and the primary offense should run through them.
Minnesota Wild 2 – Frederick Gaudreau/Matt Boldy/Kevin Fiala: If we are looking to play Colorado, Washington, AND Edmonton in some way, we will absolutely NEED some value. Enter Minnesota’s second line. This line should see a lot of the third line for Seattle, and are up against Grubauer in net. They should have plenty of chances to light the lamp tonight, and should give us a good bit of leverage on the field.
Columbus Blue Jackets 1 – Jack Roslovic/Gustav Nyquist/Jakub Voracek/Jake Bean: As much as it might seem like we need to fade this game, it looks like this could be another leverage spot. The field should be focused on the big names tonight, and this line has a real chance at multiple points in this game. The Senators are rolling out Gustavsson in net tonight, and he has some rough looking numbers. On top of that, Ottawa has been giving up 3 goals per game over their last five. There is some risk in this play, but there is also a good bit of upside.
NHL DFS Honorable Mentions: WSH3, MIN1, OTT1
Consider these NHL DFS plays to help save you some salary in your lineups on DraftKings. Be sure to stack!
Center: Jack Roslovic ($3300) – Columbus Blue Jackets
Wing: J.T. Compher ($2600) – Colorado Avalanche
Defense: Jake Bean ($3000) – Columbus Blue Jackets
Consider these NHL DFS plays to help save you some salary in your lineups on FanDuel. Be sure to stack!
Center: J.T. Compher ($4600) – Colorado Avalanche
Wing: Jakub Voracek ($4800) – Columbus Blue Jackets
Defense: Jake Bean ($3600) – Columbus Blue Jackets
Consider these NHL DFS plays for your cash lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. Cash lineups do not need to be stacked, and it is recommended to play no more than two players from a given team.
Center: Connor McDavid – Edmonton Oilers
Wing: Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals
Defense: Jake Bean – Columbus Blue Jackets
Goalie: Ilya Samsonov – Washington Capitals
This is a newly added section to the Friday Night Forecheck, where we will highlight some NHL player props that we like for the upcoming NHL slate.
Jakub Voraceck (CBJ): anytime goal scorer
Matt Boldy (MIN): over 0.5 points
Connor McDavid (EDM): anytime goal scorer AND over 1.5 points
Alexander Ovechkin (WSH): anytime goal scorer
Make sure to hop in our Expert Discord Chat for FREE! Jon and the NHL team will be there answering questions right up until lock! Be sure to be on the look out for future articles at https://windailysports.com/daily-fantasy-hockey/
All line combinations are courtesy of www.dailyfaceoff.com, and any advanced rates referenced in the above article are pulled from www.naturalstattrick.com.
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