NHL DFS for Thursday the 25th
There are many benefits to using an NHL Optimizer when making daily fantasy lineups for DraftKings or Fanduel. FantasyData uses expert fantasy projections which creates an opportunity for spotting value in the cost when making your lineup. DFS sites do not adjust the prices of players of any slate once available, which means that if a player is ruled out from an injury the backup player’s price is not adjusted. Staying on top of all injuries can be a huge task; thankfully, FantasyData’s team is making updates to their projections constantly to allow their subscribers an edge in finding the best players. All of our NHL player projections are fed into our NHL optimizer daily to allow the user the best possible DFS NHL Lineup.
Using FanDuel Salaries
Centers
Brayden Point $8,500
Point is very involved in every game and has a good matchup against the Coyotes. Point plays top-line minutes and is on the top powerplay unit. He has recorded 11 points in his last 10 games, and 5 of those points have been goals. He even notched the sole goal the Lightning scored in their first matchup with the Coyotes earlier this year.
Nico Hischier $6,400
With Jack Hughes hurt with an upper-body injury, Hischier will be the top-line center. In what is shaping up to be a competitive matchup with the Hurricanes, the Devils top line could see extra playing time. Hischier has recorded a point in 4 straight games and should see plenty of opportunities in this game.
Leo Carlsson $5,300
Carlsson is now playing top-line minutes and he has impressed this season. Carlsson has had a pretty good rookie season, racking up 8 goals and 10 assists in 28 games. The Ducks do have a tough matchup with the Stars, but the sheer opportunity should be enough for Carlsson to be a game-changer.
Wingers
Yegor Sharangovich $6,200
Sharangovich is playing top-line minutes on the Flames and has a very reasonable salary cost. The matchup is great too, the Blue Jackets are averaging 3.7 goals against per game. He has been prone to have some big games recently as well, scoring 13 or more DFS points in 4 of his last 6 games, with two of those contests being more than 30 DFS points.
Timo Meier $5,700
Since returning from injury 4 games ago, Meier has scored double-digit DFS points in all 4 contests. Recording assists in 3 of those games. Meier also has one of the highest ‘Value’ scores from the Optimizer. He has recorded 4 or more shots in each game since returning from injury as well. New Jersey needs the spark, and stacking him with Hischier is affordable and has a good opportunity to score some points in your lineup.
VALUE- Projected Value based on Fantasy Points per dollar ratio
Michael Bunting $5,300
Another player who should see more playing time because of an injury on his team, Bunting is projected to move up to the top-line left-wing position for this game. He is fairly inexpensive and is playing with Sebastian Aho, who has recorded 12 assists in his last 10 games. Bunting isn’t a prolific scorer, but the uptick in ice time he should see and his great play-making linemates make him a good value for your lineup.
Defensemen
Jake Sanderson $6,200
Sanderson has been letting shots fly lately, recording 4 or more shots on goal in 5 straight games. That’s what you want from a defenseman in these DFS games. Getting goals and assists from the defensemen position is huge in having high-scoring lineups. Sanderson has scored 16 or more points in 4 of his last 5 games. The Senators have a tough matchup with the Bruins, so that could lead to more shots from the blue line from him.
Seth Jones $6,000
Jones and the Blackhawks face off with the Oilers and they are massive underdogs. This can play to the player’s advantage though, especially defensemen. Jones is always on the ice so he will have more shooting opportunities but an underappreciated way to make points is by blocking shots. Jones and the Blackhawks should see plenty of shots from the explosive Oilers offense, so the opportunity to record some blocked shots will help out the DFS score if Jones does not record a goal or assist during the game.
Goalie
Stuart Skinner/ Calvin Pickard $8,400
You have to play the matchups with goalies and the Oilers tandem has the best matchup, facing off with the Blackhawks. The Oilers are (-410) on the money line on the sportsbooks. With many of the other matchups in this NHL slate being evenly matched, I like taking a goalie on a team that has a good chance to win, because a win is worth 12 DFS points.
Recap From Last Articles Picks (Thursday the 18th)
Centers
- Nazem Kadri: Kadri scored against his former team and had a very well-rounded game. He scored 18.9 DFS points on 1 goal, 3 shots, and 1 blocked shot.
- Dylan Strome: Strome and the Capitals beat the Blues 5-2 and he was heavily involved. Strome recorded 1 goal, 2 shots, and 1 assist. Good for 23.7 DFS points.
- Dylan Cozens: Cozens missed this game due to injury.
Wingers
- Jason Robertson: The Stars got beat by the Flyers 5-1 and Robertson only recorded 1 shot on goal. He only scored 1.6 DFS points.
- Cole Caufield: Even though Montreal lost to Ottawa 6-2, Caufield was heavily involved. He stayed hot and scored a goal on 4 shots. Scoring a solid 18.4 DFS points.
- Pontus Holmberg: Holmberg had an opportunity on the top line and he delivered with a solid game. Recording 3 shots and 1 assist was good for 12.8 DFS points.
Defensemen
- Adam Fox: The Rangers struggled to get the offense going and lost in this game 5-1 to the Golden Knights. Fox scored 8 DFS points on 2 shots and 3 blocked shots.
- Devon Toews: The Avalanche lost to the Bruins 5-2 but Toews was still very involved in the game. He recorded 2 shots, 1 blocked shot, and 1 assist, good for 12.8 DFS points.
Goalie
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Luukkonen and the Sabres had a great game, beating the Blackhawks 3-0. Luukkonen only had to make 19 saves but with the win and the shutout and scored a great 35.2 DFS points.
