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Get today's top DraftKings daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for November 12, 2026. Doug's expert NHL DFS goalies picks, value plays, stacks, and power play picks.
A rousing week of NHL hockey continues with our third straight day with six or more games. Tonight’s slate is highlighted by a battle of two original six teams, as the Canadiens head to Boston to face the Bruins. This one has all the makings of a classic game. Do we like either team for fantasy purposes?
The night ends with the Kings hosting the Islanders. LA was a major disappointment for us on Tuesday night. They once again look well positioned for a big game. Are we going to trust them, or is the burn still too fresh? Read on to find out the answers to these and other DFS questions.
I aim to help you narrow your plays to get the most bang for your DFS buck. NHL Premium members can find the RotoBaller NHL family on Discord, where the chat is always active. I'll bring my NHL lineup picks, analysis, and advice for DraftKings NHL DFS contests on Thursday, November 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Also check out RotoBaller's awesome NHL tools, including our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, and Heat Map.
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NHL DFS Analysis And Picks For 11/12/26
Ottawa Senators (OTT1 - Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens, Tim Stuetzle; $16500 DK)
Defensive Addition: Jake Sanderson ($6100 DK)
Attack the Avalanche, you say? Yes, I do! Colorado has allowed 3.23 even-strength goals per 60 minutes on the road this year. Only one other team on tonight’s slate has allowed more than that, and only two teams have an expected goals allowed per 60 minutes higher than Colorado’s 2.96. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood has given up three goals in three of his past four starts, and in all but one road game.
Their defensive pairing of Brett Kulak and Cale Makar has been wretched in limited ice time together, giving up 27.22 high-danger chances and 54.43 scoring chances per 60 minutes on the road. Clearly, those numbers are a bit skewed by a small sample size, but their 8.44 expected goals allowed speaks volumes about how poorly this duo has been. It wouldn't shock me if the Avs made a switch before puck drop, but if they don’t, this is the pairing we want to attack.
We will do that with Ottawa’s top line of Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens, and Tim Stuetzle. More importantly, we can add defender Jake Sanderson, who returned to the lineup in late October and has produced four multi-point games since then. He’s also posted at least three SABS (shots and blocked shots) in 60% of the games he’s played, giving him a decent floor. He’s the quarterback on the power play for the Senators, making him an important piece of any Ottawa tournament stack.
Boston Bruins (BOS1 - David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, JJ Peterka; $17400 DK)
Defensive Addition: Charlie McAvoy ($5500 DK)
Ottawa may have a slightly better top-line matchup, but for my money I’d prefer to run Boston's top line tonight. Superstar forward David Pastrnak is better than anything you’ll get from the Senators, with 24 goals and assists in 18 games. He’s been on a tear recently, riding a four-game point-scoring streak that’s seen him net one goal and five assists, combining for 18 shots on goal.
He’s scored at least 14.5 DraftKings points during this run, pacing a line that includes value linemates Pavel Zacha and JJ Peterka, both of whom have had two multi-point games over the last two weeks. The Bruins host a Montreal team that has allowed nearly a full goal fewer than expected on the road this year, a run of luck that will break at some point.
Boston goal!
Scored by JJ Peterka with 19:02 left in the 3rd. Assisted by David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha.
BOS: 4 | FLA: 1
#FLAvsBOS #NHLBruins #FlaPanthers https://t.co/IJHuqKt0xD
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 8, 2026
Goalie Jacob Fowler has saved an unsustainable 96.2% of the high-danger shots he’s faced on the road. He’s not keeping that up, especially not against a team playing as well as Boston. The defensive pairing of Alex Carrier and Kaiden Guhle has allowed 15.16 high-danger chances per 60 minutes on the road.
They’ll offer no help to Fowler, and should get taken to school by Pastrnak and company. This slate lines up nicely, as Boston and Ottawa pair together without having to punt your defense. That’s my preferred avenue if I’m running just one tournament lineup tonight.
Dallas Stars (DAL1 - Jamie Benn, Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston; $15700 DK)
Defensive Addition: Thomas Harley ($5400)
Dallas piques my interest more than any team outside of Boston and Ottawa. I like how they’ve configured their top line, adding Jamie Benn after trying a plethora of lesser players who don’t have the veteran's reliability. He’s getting older, but Benn has been playing well lately, scoring a point in four of his past five games while sitting at a near-minimum $3000 price point.
His low cost helps you afford linemates Mikko Rantanen, who has double-digit fantasy points in eight of nine games, and Wyatt Johnston, who has double-digit fantasy points in eight of ten; a pair of guys who can break a slate. Defender Thomas Harley should still be on the top pairing with Miro Heiskanen injured, and he’s been white-hot. He’s scored at least 12.8 DraftKings points over his past four games, surpassing 18 three times. He’s a SABS beast, averaging 4.6 over his past 10 games.
Dallas goal!
Scored by Mikko Rantanen with 13:33 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Wyatt Johnston.
CBJ: 0 | DAL: 1
#DALvsCBJ #CBJ #TexasHockey https://t.co/P5QuOrY4xQ
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 6, 2026
The Stars haven’t broken out at home yet, but they should, as their expected goals are 0.72 higher than their actual production. On the other side of the ice, the Jets have given up a quarter-goal fewer than expected on the road while allowing a robust 14.27 high-danger chances per 60 minutes. Goalie Stuart Skinner has allowed three or more goals in six of his past nine games and has a 4.00 GAA on the road in seven starts. You can take your shots against him away from home, and to do so with a line this affordable, yet with a ton of upside, is ideal.
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NHL DFS Value Stack of the Night
Buffalo Sabres (BUF3 - Ryan McLeod, Josh Doan, Jason Zucker; $9600 DK)
I’m not sure there’s a better matchup tonight than the Sabers, and their third line looks to be the best on the team. They’ll be lined up against Chicago’s defensive pairing of Artyom Levshunov and Ethan Del Mastro. They’ve given up 22.52 high-danger chances, 37.54 scoring chances, and over five expected goals per 60 minutes at home.
Those are high numbers in any situation, but to be that bad at home is eye-opening. Goalie Spencer Knight is a turnstile, having allowed at least three goals in 83% of his 14 starts this season. It’s been money attacking him, and we will do so again with one of the better value lines on the slate.
Josh Doan is probably the most aggressive player on this line, having taken at least three shots on goal in four of his past five games. Jason Zucker is the veteran who's done it before, and although he’s slumped a bit this year, he's had three or more shots on goal in 38% of his games this season. Ryan McLeod hasn’t done much this year, but he’s had strong games in past seasons, and at just $2900 he doesn’t need to do much to pay off his price.
Even if you don’t run a full stack, a mini-stack of Doan and Zucker should give you the savings you need to spend up at other positions while still taking advantage of this matchup.
NHL DFS Goalie to Target
Linus Ullmark (OTT - $7500 DK)
Let’s try this again! We liked Linus Ullmark on Tuesday night, priced $500 higher at $8000, but he didn't start while still recovering from an injury. He’s once again expected to be healthy enough to start this game and comes in at a great price point of just $7500. He was more of a cash-game-only option at his higher price earlier this week, but today he’s squarely in the conversation for all formats.
Ullmark hasn’t allowed more than two goals in any game this year, having saved 25 or more shots in half of his starts. Tonight, he faces a Colorado team that takes more than 30 shots per game, giving him a chance for a ceiling game. The Avs are a scary team to run a goalie against, but they look due for some negative regression on the road.
They’ve scored nearly a full goal more than expected, and if they regress, they’re far less of a challenge. We always risk getting blown out when we use a goalie against Colorado, but if Ullmark can hold them to three or fewer goals, he should be fine with the expected shot volume.
Others in consideration: Joel Hofer, Jeremy Swayman, Colton Ellis, Jesper Wallstedt
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