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Get today's top DraftKings daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for November 18, 2025. Doug's expert NHL DFS goalies picks, value plays, stacks, and power play picks.
An eight-game slate is smaller than the usual Tuesday, but that doesn't mean we are lacking options for our tournament lineups. Shootouts can be expected in Toronto and Winnipeg, as all four teams involved have leaky defenses. Both home teams can score, but don't sleep on the Blues in Toronto or Columbus in Winnipeg, with both looking relatively strong in these matchups.
The late-night hammer could come in San Jose, where the hottest goalie in the league, Yaroslav Askarov, could have a ceiling game against an aggressive Utah offense. Calgary and Dallas also look good in the later window, giving you options up and down the slate to keep you active all night long. There's a lot of money to be won, as Tuesday night has the biggest prize pools of the week on DraftKings. Let's get it!
I aim to help you narrow your plays to get the most bang for your DFS buck. NHL Premium members can find members of the RotoBaller NHL family on Discord, where our chat is always active. I'll bring my NHL lineup picks, analysis, and advice for NHL DFS contests on DraftKings for Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. ET. Be sure also to check out RotoBaller's awesome NHL tools, including our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, and Heat Map.
NHL DFS Analysis And Picks For 11/18/25
Detroit Red Wings (DET1 - Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat; $21200 DK)
Defensive Addition: Moritz Seider ($5600 DK)
Forget worrying about Detroit’s matchup (which is solid); they are playing so well that it makes fading them a dicey proposition. Over the past three games, the trio of Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, and Dylan Larkin has combined for 17 goals and assists, as well as 41 shots on goal.
That comes out to a combined 66 DraftKings points per game over that span, which is precisely the kind of upside that wins tournaments. Their aggressive nature in the offensive zone always gives them a chance to stand out. Oddly, this stack costs $500 less than it did on Saturday; something we should take advantage of tonight.
Tonight’s matchup is golden against a Seattle team that has struggled on the road, especially on defense. Their pairing of Ryker Evans and Jamie Oleksiak has combined to allow 3.43 expected goals, 33.8 scoring chances, and 14.08 high-danger chances per 60 minutes. Philipp Grubauer is expected to be the goalie for Seattle tonight, and he’s allowed three goals in three of five starts this year, including two of three on the road.
How about this give-and-go between Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond!? 🤩 pic.twitter.com/1oBSojN8Pk
— NHL (@NHL) November 16, 2025
Dallas Stars (DAL1 -Wyatt Johnston, Mikko Rantanen, Sam Steel; $17600 DK)
Defensive Addition: Miro Heiskanen ($5700 DK)
Although he’s improved a little bit lately, Ilya Sorokin continues to be one of the worst goalies in the league. He’s allowed three or more goals in nine of 13 games this year, including five of seven on the road. The defensive pairing of Alexander Romanov and Scott Mayfield is one of the worst on the slate. They’ve surrendered 4.11 expected goals, 33.89 scoring chances, and 15.19 high-danger chances per 60 minutes on the road, giving no help to the beleaguered Sorokin.
At first glance, it would appear as if the Dallas offense hasn’t played well, as they’ve scored just 1.49 even-strength goals per 60 minutes at home, but that’s not precisely true—that 1.49 total is 1.15 goals fewer than expected. The team has produced 12.51 high-danger chances per 60 minutes at home, indicating that they’re due for a surge in goals shortly.
Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen are each scoring over 14 DraftKings points per game, which is more than sufficient. However, with the positive regression we expect to see, they appear to be values at their current price points (particularly Johnston at $6900). Sam Steel hasn’t produced much since his promotion to the top line, but at $2800, he’s a must-play if you’re stacking the Stars because he can pay off with the slightest productivity.
Toronto Maple Leafs (TOR1 - William Nylander, John Tavares, Nicholas Robertson; $18900 DK)
Defensive Addition: Morgan Rielly ($4400 DK)
Even without Auston Matthews in the lineup, the top stack for the Maple Leafs is still one of the most dangerous in hockey. The trio of William Nylander, John Tavares, and Nicholas Robertson has combined for six goals and assists, along with 12 shots on goal in the two games since Matthews went on IR.
Nylander has turned into more of a distributor, recording an assist in each of those two games, continuing his hot start to the season. He has at least one goal or assist in all but one game this year, recording multiple points in half.
Their matchup today is outstanding against a Blues squad that has been awful on the road. As a team, they have allowed 3.01 even-strengh goals and 13.44 high-danger chances per 60 minutes away from home. Jordan Binnington hasn’t done anything in net to help, saving just 75% of the high-danger shots he’s faced, and just 86% of all shots.
Both of those numbers are substandard by today’s goalie expectations. The defensive pairing of Colton Parayko and Philip Broberg has allowed 3.13 expected goals, 36.49 scoring chances, and 14.6 high-danger chances per 60 minutes on the road, giving no help to Binnington.
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— 🇺🇦Shockmain (@Shockmain) January 6, 2023
NHL DFS Value Stack of the Night
Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ3 - Charlie Coyle, Cole Sillinger, Mathieu Olivier; $9000 DK)
It’s rare to find a full stack that costs under $10,000 in salary, let alone one that’s shown the ability to produce a tournament-winning upside. That’s precisely what we have here with the Blue Jackets as they head into Winnipeg to face the Jets. Charlie Coyle has scored at least 14.3 DraftKings points in one-third of his past nine games, which is a reasonable hit rate for a player who costs just $3,400.
Cole Sillinger and Mathieu Olivier have a lower floor than Coyle, but their ceiling is just as high, as they’ve combined to produce three games of more than 28 DraftKings points since October 29. Obviously, there is no sure thing at this price point, but when the matchup is right, this line has shown the ability to pay off.
Tonight’s matchup is precisely that, as the defensive pairing of Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn has combined to allow 14.76 high-danger chances and a slate-high 39.37 scoring chances per 60 minutes at home. They should spend a high percentage of their ice time faced off against this third line for Columbus.
NHL DFS Goalie to Target
Yaroslav Askarov (SJ - $7100 DK)
Although he didn’t win his last start on Thursday night, nor did he get the 35-save bonus, Yaroslav Askarov still managed to score at least 20 DraftKings points for the fifth straight game. This is easily one of the best runs any goalie has gone on this season, and one we are going to ride until it dies.
Askarov has saved at least 94% of the shots he’s faced in each of those games, saving over 96% in four. He’s allowed just six goals and has saved at least 28 shots in all five of the games, three times going over 30 saves.
Tonight, he faces a Utah squad that produces nearly 30 shots on goal per game, giving him the kind of volume he would need to create a solid floor of fantasy points. The Sharks have allowed over 31 shots on goal per game, meaning Askarov has the potential for a ceiling game if he were able to keep the Mammoth to two or fewer goals. He’s a play in tournaments for his upside, but his low price points make him a solid cash game option as well.
Yaroslav Askarov has found himself over the last 5 games:
- 4-1-0 Record
- Only 6 Goals Against
- .965SV%
- 13(!) Goals Saved Above Expected
- 1st in GSAx since November 1st#TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/d5slwAtyO2— Nathan "Grav" Murdock (@NathanGraviteh) November 14, 2025
Others in consideration: Elvis Merzlikins (CBJ), Igor Shesterkin (NYR), Jake Oettinger (DAL)
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