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The top daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on April 18, 2024. Brandon's NHL DFS goalies, value plays, stacks, and power play picks.
Welcome, RotoBallers! If you do not know me, my name is Brandon and I write both The First-Serve and The Kick-Off for tennis and soccer, respectively. If you have not checked those out, make sure you do! It is the return of the NHL season, which means it's time to sharpen our skills and partake in NHL DFS! As always, I'll give you the best tools to succeed and the info you need to build the best lineups possible for your GPP and cash game NHL contests on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Today, I'll be bringing you my NHL lineup picks, analysis, and advice for NHL DFS contests on DraftKings and FanDuel for Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Be sure to also check out our awesome NHL tools, including our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, Projections, and DFS Cheat Sheets!
If you have any questions on today's slate, bankroll management, GPP strategy, cash game strategy, or anything else, don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected], via Twitter/X @df_solutions, or in our premium Slack chat. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 4/18/24
THIS IS IT! The final regular season article!! The race for Lord Stanley is about to take off!
Tonight we have a six-game slate and no teams playing on a back-to-back. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are Los Angeles with 4.1, Vegas with 4, and Calgary with 3.8. I will do my best to guide you through this six-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
DISCLOSURE: Make sure to monitor the NHL news feeds for the latest player status and injury news.
DraftKings and FanDuel Goalies - NHL DFS Picks
Goalies
Devin Cooley - DK $7.2K || FD $6.8K
Opponent - Calgary Flames
Without surprise, the Calgary Flames are the top team in terms of value when assessing Shots Per Goal Per 60 in their last ten games, excluding splits. This is backed up by more Per 60 stats in their last ten games, excluding splits, where they are in the top ten in Shots For, but in the bottom six in Goals For. Expected starter Devin Cooley, has had a much better first five games with the Sharks than his stats suggest. After a rough outing on Tuesday, where he conceded eight goals on 22 shots, his stats plummeted. Now he has a 2-2-1 record, a 4.37 Goals Against Average, and a 0.882 Save Percentage in his last ten starts. Take out the ugly performance against Edmonton, and his record becomes 2-1-1 with a 2.99 Goals Against Average and a 0.918 Save Percentage. The latter stats look much better, which is the expected performance here. In their last meeting in San Jose, Calgary won 3-2 in overtime after registering 41 shots. Over their last ten home games, the Flames are being outscored 19 to 24 suggesting one thing. They are peppering goalies with low-quality shots and that bodes well for Cooley. The rookie goalie is expected to make 35 or more saves while conceding two goals.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Fleury (DK $8K || FD $7.6K)
- Mrazek (DK $7K || FD $7.1K)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
Nazem Kadri - DK $7.4K || FD $7.5K
Opponent - San Jose Sharks
On the other end of the ice are Nazem Kadri and the Calgary Flames. It is essential to cover both sides due to the circumstances. Tonight is Calgary’s final home game which means Fan Appreciation Night. Teams always try to show up for their fans during this game for a multitude of reasons. Either way, San Jose is still San Jose, and Edmonton showcased that Tuesday. In Per 60 stats, in their last ten games, excluding splits, the Sharks are the third-worst team in both Shots Against and High Danger Chances Against. They are also the worst in Scoring Chances Against. If Kadri and the Flames can break Cooley early, they will feast in their final regular season game. The center has four goals, five assists, and 22 shots in his last five games.
William Karlsson - DK $5.3K || FD $6.9K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
Karlsson has by far the best matchup for the Vegas Golden Knights. The third-line center should see the middle six of the Anaheim Ducks for the bulk of the game. Furthermore, in Anaheim’s last ten away games, they are being outscored right to 22. In Karlsson’s last five appearances, he has three goals, one assist, 12 shots, and two blocked shots. With another Fan Appreciation Night on the docket, expect Karlsson to produce two shots and one point at a minimum.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Eriksson Ek (DK $7.2K || FD $7.2K)
- Draisaitl (DK $8.1K || FD $9.4K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Viktor Arvidsson - DK $6.2K || FD $6.4K
Opponent - Chicago Blackhawks
Whether Arvidsson is able to register a point tonight or not, he is a "lock." Throughout his last five games, he has had two goals, two assists, 18 shots, and seven blocked shots. Furthermore, over his last three games, he is averaging four shots per game. Those are great numbers and stellar shot volume. Add in Chicago’s poor defense numbers and Arvidsson is set up for a big night. The hosts in Per 60 stats, in their last ten games, excluding splits, are the seventh-worst in High Danger Chances Against, the fifth-worst in Scoring Chances Against, and the second-worst in Shots Against. If Arvidsson and the Kings can break expected starter, Petr Mrazek early, they are going to have a field day in their final home game of the season.
Pavel Dorofeyev - DK $3.8K || FD $4.6K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
Dorofeyev makes it back-to-back articles after another decent performance against Chicago on Tuesday. The winger managed one assist, three shots, and one blocked shot. However, he should have had at least three points had he actually scored on one of his shots and a few other missed attempts by teammates. Nevertheless, he is back at it again, this time at home for Fan Appreciation Night against the hapless Anaheim Ducks. If he is able to replicate his performance from Tuesday, it will be smooth cruising.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Kuzmenko (DK $4.9K || FD $5.1K)
- Henrique (DK $4K || FD $6.3K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Noah Hanifin - DK $5.3K || FD $6K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
The final piece of the Golden Knights puzzle is defenseman, Noah Hanifin. The two-way defender disappointed in a big way on Tuesday, registering just two shots and one blocked shot. Dating him back to his last five performances, he has one goal, five assists, six shots, and seven blocked shots. Therefore, Tuesday’s performance is more of a fluke than anything else. As mentioned, the Ducks are being skated around in their last ten away games, and if Hanifin is able to muster a rebound night, he could have a big performance heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Brock Faber - DK $4.9K || FD $5.5K
Opponent - Seattle Kraken
It has been a while since Brock Faber last made it onto this article. After a long period of bad form, he returns for the final home game of the season. In Faber's last five outings, he has four assists, 14 shots, and seven blocked shots. Seattle is no slouch, although they do sit just outside the bottom 10 in both Goals Against Per 60 and High Danger Chances Against Per 60. Expect the young defenseman to produce two shots, and one blocked shot, and one point.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Miromanov (DK $4.1K || FD $4.3K)
- Walker (DK $3.6K || FD $4.8K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- VGK1
- LA1
- EDM1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- LA: Moore-Danault-Arvidsson
Chalk Stack
- VGK: Barbashev-Eichel-Marchessault
Sneaky Stack
- VGK: Howden-Karlsson-Cotter
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
