Thursday features a 10-game NHL slate, which begins at 7:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings. In this article, you will find DFS advice for DraftKings lineups, plus some DraftKings Sportsbook bets to target.
Set your DraftKings fantasy hockey lineups here: NHL $30K Kick Save [$10K to 1st]
DraftKings Sportsbook
Canucks Puck Line (-1.5) +110
The Coyotes are a favorable target most nights when they’re on the slate. They’re 2-8 in their last 10 games and are also just 10-23-1 at home, having lost three of their last four home games by two or more goals. The Canucks are 19-14-4 and have beaten solid teams like Vegas and Dallas by wide margins in two of their last three road starts. The plus-money on tap for a puck-line cover looks like a bet. Vancouver may not be world beaters. but they’re respectable, and that’s enough to bet them to cover the spread against the Coyotes.
Flyers Moneyline +115
We targeted the Flyers over total a couple of days ago against the Blue Jackets and got “Merzlikin-ed.” Philadelphia landed 49 shots on net, but goalie Elvis Merzlikins stopped 47 of them. The effort has been there of late for the Flyers, though, who kept the game close in that game until very late. Their young core has been the better unit of late, landing wins over the Islanders, Blues and Rangers over their last 10 games. Taking the +115 on tap for a money line win makes sense.
Parlay both on DraftKings Sportsbook +351
Place your NHL bets at DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Top Stack
Dallas Stars vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Roope Hintz ($6,000) — Jason Robertson ($5,800) — Joe Pavelski ($5,600)
I’ve probably written more about the Stars’ top unit this year than any other line in hockey. It’s for good reason though, as it’s hard to match their blend of upside and value. Dallas’ top unit again looks very affordable today, with all three men coming in at $6,000 or cheaper, and they have an underrated matchup against the Leafs, which will likely see heavy ownership numbers on the other side of this game.
The Stars’ first line gives you solid leverage in GPPs and, more importantly, will save us salary space to pay up at other positions like defense, where we have the best fantasy producer on the back-end in play today. The Stars’ top trio have gone pointless in their last three games but get the Leafs at the tail-end of a big Southern swing—that has seen them play top teams over the last week or so. Dallas’ top unit still ranks fifth in overall goal production as a line this year, and all three men have put up solid home splits, with Hintz and Pavelski being far more efficient goal scorers at home.
This game has a 6.5 goal total that’s rising as we speak. The close point spread and cheap salaries means stacking Dallas in GPPs is likely the way tonight and makes for a fine way to start daily fantasy hockey lineups.
Superstar to Target
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks vs. Seattle Kraken ($8,100)
It certainly feels like a slate where Patrick Kane is likely to go a bit overlooked. The Oilers and Leafs are both playing, so most people will be looking to get up to Auston Matthews or Connor McDavid, which will leave them without room for Kane. The veteran winger comes in having landed over 20.0 DKFP in three of his last seven games and still possess plenty of upside for us in spots like this. Seattle has been woeful on the penalty kill the last half of the year, and the Blackhawks sit with a bigger implied goal total than Edmonton at 3.6.
Kane’s cheaper and going to be in a great spot to pick up some easy power-play points against the Kraken, who have allowed four or more goals against in four straight road games.
Value on Offense
Joel Farabee, Philadelphia Flyers at Columbus Blue Jackets ($4,400)
The Flyers take on a Blue Jackets team who are dead last in scoring chances allowed on the season (and have allowed four or more goals against in four of their last eight games). Forward Joel Farabee has been seeing tons of top-six minutes for the Flyers of late and comes in averaging over 18 minutes per game—and also averaging 2.8 shots on net and 11.0 DKFP over that same span. He’s not doing anything crazy good but has flourished with the increased opportunities, and he makes for a good upside play against a lowly Blue Jackets team who remains the best matchup on the board for daily fantasy hockey purposes.
Tanner Pearson, Vancouver Canucks at Arizona Coyotes ($3,800)
Pearson is another cheap forward with a fantastic matchup today. He’s playing in a top-line role across from two skilled forwards in Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, and he has landed three or more shots in net in three of his last four games. The Canucks have a solid implied team total of around 3.4 goals today and (as mentioned above) have performed well on the road lately. The Coyotes rank fifth-last in scoring chances allowed and make Pearson a solid upside candidate at under $4,000 today.
Goalie
Mike Smith or Mikko Koskinen, Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings ($7,700)
The Oilers’ goaltenders are at a nice price tonight and have a solid matchup against the Kings. Los Angeles is a mere .500 over their last 10 games and have now been held to three goals or fewer in four straight games. The Oilers’ goalies have been getting terrific support of late and will face off against what can best be described as an inefficient Kings offense. L.A. has attempted 35.1 shots per game this year (fifth-best in the league) but average under 3.0 goals per game.
Both Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith have played better of late, with Smith stopping 62 of the last 64 shots he’s faced—and Koskinen stopping 69 of the last 73 he’s faced. It would make sense for the Oilers to give the older Smith a rest tonight, but with both goalies in form—and available at a great price for daily fantasy hockey purposes—we should be comfortable rostering either. The Oilers sit as small road favorites at -130 on the DraftKings Sportsbook, making their goalies excellent value targets today.
Value on Defense
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Vancouver Canucks at Arizona Coyotes ($3,700)
The Canucks will be without their main power-play option on defense in Quinn Hughes. This should open up plenty of ice for Ekman-Larsson who has really benefited for fantasy purposes when Hughes has been out. The former Coyote has assists in three straight games and picked up his first power-play point in over 10 games in his last outing.
As of now, we should be expecting Ekman-Larsson to handle big minutes today and be the main distributor on the back-end on the power play against an Arizona team who ranks third-last in penalty-kill efficiency. Ekman-Larsson will be playing in a familiar barn tonight in Arizona and have plenty of chances to pay off this smaller salary. He’s a great value on the back-end.
Power Play Defensemen
Roman Josi, Nashville Predators at Ottawa Seantors ($8,900)
With a weaker upper tier of defensemen to choose from on this slate, it feels like a night where we should be trying to “jam-in” Roman Josi. The Swiss superstar has been tearing up slates on a nightly basis over the past month or so, and he has now averaged 20.8 DKFP over his last 10 games. What’s more impressive, is that he’s achieved this mark by scoring just two goals. Josi has averaged over 1.5 assists per game over that span and 5.3 blocked shots + shots on goal.
The Senators have grabbed three wins in a row, but they’ve all been against teams slightly worse than they are. Nashville thumped them 4-1 a few games ago and need to keep winning given the tight Western Conference playoff race. We have some good value options with Vancouver and Philadelphia today, so going for the ceiling with Josi at this price seems like a good way to approach the slate.
Set your DraftKings fantasy hockey lineups here: NHL $30K Kick Save [$10K to 1st]
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is wavegoodbye) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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