RADIO
Get today's top DraftKings daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for November 20, 2025. Doug's expert NHL DFS goalies picks, value plays, stacks, and power play picks.
It's been a while, but the mega-slate is back with 12 games on the docket tonight. The slate starts with a powerhouse matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Toronto and Florida are the other two big teams to feature in the early window, with the Leafs hosting the Blue Jackets and the Panthers facing a struggling Devils team.
The late window starts with the Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers squaring off in Denver, with the best road team and one of the best home teams in the league. The night finishes up with a young guns twofer, as Cutter Gauthier and the Ducks play host to Ottawa, and Yaroslav Askarov looks to continue his hot goalie play as the Sharks take on the Kings.
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 Thursday, November 20, 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.
Featured Promo! Save 30% on any Premium Pass using discount code NEW. Win more with our DFS, Betting and Season-Long Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! GAIN ACCESS
NHL DFS Analysis And Picks For 11/20/25
Tampa Bay Lightning (TB1 - Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli; $19,200 DK)
Defensive Addition: Darren Raddysh ($3,800 DK)
Calvin Pickard is expected to start in goal for the Edmonton Oilers tonight, and that’s fantastic news for Tampa Bay. Pickard has allowed three or more goals in six of seven starts this year, and more than four goals in five of seven. On the road, he’s saved just 64% of the high-danger shots he’s faced and just 86% of all shots. Both of those numbers are among the worst on the slate.
The defensive pairing of Jake Walman and Darnell Nurse doesn’t make Pickard’s life any easier, as they’ve allowed 2.95 expected goals, 35.38 scoring chances, and 12.38 high-danger chances per 60 minutes on the road. While those are far from the worst numbers on the slate, they’re below league average, and Pickard needs all the help he can get.
This is especially true when facing one of the best snipers in the league, Nikita Kucherov. Kuch has gotten hot over the past three games, totalling a combined four goals and assists on 11 shots on goal. Stacking him has gotten easier recently, with Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli joining him on the top line. They have combined to average 20 DraftKings points per game this year, but will cost you just $10,500.
If defender Victor Hedman is once again out for this game, Darren Raddysh will join Kucherov on the top power play line for just $3,800. He’s been great the past two games, recording a combined four goals and assists to go along with six SABS (shots and blocked shots).
🗣️ KUUUUUUUUUUUUCH https://t.co/r3I3iISHXB pic.twitter.com/Xmxa4gXR3E
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) November 19, 2025
Florida Panthers (FLA2 -Jesper Boqvist, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Reinhart; $13,300 DK)
Defensive Addition: Aaron Ekblad ($3,200 DK)
The best matchup on tonight’s slate will go to the second line from the Florida Panthers. They’ll go up against the New Jersey Devils, who have allowed 3.15 even-strength goals per 60 minutes on the road this year. Jake Allen will be in net for New Jersey, and although he’s played better recently, for the season, he’s given up 3.32 even-strength goals per game on the road while saving just 67.6% of the high-danger shots he’s faced.
The defensive pairing of Simon Nemec and Jonas Siegenthaler has been equally as bad, allowing a slate-high 4.22 expected goals and 17.62 high-danger chances per 60 minutes on the road.
The Panthers, despite their early-season struggles, have been one of the better home teams in the league, averaging 2.8 even-strength goals per 60 minutes. Sam Reinhart is on fire, recording a combined eight goals and assists over his past four games after combining for eight over the first 15 games of the season.
His price hasn’t caught up to his production, still coming in below $7000. Evan Rodrigues has increased his aggressiveness, taking at least four shots on goal in four of his past six games, three of which saw him score more than 10 DraftKings points.
Anaheim Ducks (ANH2 - Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, Mason McTavish; $14,900 DK)
Defensive Addition: Jacob Trouba ($4,500 DK)
They may not have the best matchup, and they’re surely not the most economical team, but there isn’t another line I want on my tournament roster than the second line of the Anaheim Ducks. Gauthier is a stud, recording double-digit DraftKings points and taking at least three shots on goal in 16 of 19 games. He’s received the five-shot bonus 10 times this year, giving him a high floor even if he doesn’t put the puck in the back of the net.
Beckett Sennecke is nowhere near as consistent as Gauthier, but he has a combined 13 goals and assists in 19 games, and has hit double-digit DraftKings points seven times. He’s also half the cost of Gauthier, which helps make this line a little more affordable. Defender Jacob Trouba is a cheap addition to your lineup, averaging just under 10 fantasy points per game.
The matchup for Anaheim is outstanding, facing an Ottawa team that’s allowed just shy of three even-strength goals per 60 minutes on the road. Goalie Linus Ullmark has saved fewer than 80% of the high-danger shots he’s faced, which is bad news against an aggressive Ducks’ offense. He allows over a whole goal per game more on the road than at home, including five games with more than three goals allowed in seven road starts.
Here it is, and it is the wonderful pick 🙂
Cutter Gauthier leads #FlyTogether by:
Goals: 12 (Carlsson is runner-up with 11)
SOG: 77 (Carlsson with 46) 🔥
xG: 6.363 (Carlsson with 6.105)
GAx: 5.637 (Kreider with 4.921)
Unblocked Shots: 103 (Carlsson with 71) 🔥
Shots: 132… https://t.co/2GpfezOB8K pic.twitter.com/LBmx4Cmlev— Benchrates (@benchrates) November 14, 2025
Want more NHL DFS tools and content? Our NHL Premium package includes our daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Lineup Optimizer, and access to our VIP Discord Chatrooms. Doug Shain (@BanksterDFS) joined the NHL team in 2023 with his proven track record - join in on the winning!
Back-to-back @DraftKings Fantasy Hockey World Championship trips! Let’s get the main prize this year! Thank you to @banksterdfs for the amazing daily fantasy content! @NHL pic.twitter.com/dONSvJMtIR
— 🇺🇦Shockmain (@Shockmain) January 6, 2023
NHL DFS Value Stack of the Night
Detroit Red Wings (DET4 - James van Riemsdyk, Andrew Copp, Michael Rasmussen; $7,500 DK)
Ilya Sorokin and the Islanders started the season on a horrendous run, but over their previous six games, they’ve allowed more than three goals just once. This turnaround would scare me a little bit if I had to spend up on Detroit’s top line, but when I saw that it was their fourth line that popped on the Heat Map, I got a little more comfortable. Spending over $20,000 on a stack against an improving defense is one thing, but spending $7,500 is quite another.
The key to the team’s defensive turnaround has been Sorokin's play, while some defensive pairings are leaving something to be desired. The most generous pairing is Scott Mayfield and Alexander Romanov. The duo has combined to allow 3.9 expected goals, 34.11 scoring chances, and 14.75 high-danger chances per 60 minutes. Romanov is now on IR, but replacing him with someone who couldn’t beat him out before the season isn’t going to improve the defense.
Detroit’s fourth line should see a lot of Mayfield and Romanov. This makes them an interesting secondary stack if you’re spending up on a team like Tampa, Colorado, or Edmonton for your main stack.
NHL DFS Goalie to Target
Yaroslav Askarov (SJ - $7,100 DK)
If you’re a regular reader of my articles (and if you’re not, why?), this may seem like deja vu, as this is the third straight time I’ve recommended Askarov as our goalie to target. Heading into Tuesday night’s game, he had scored 20 or more DraftKings points in five straight games, and while he didn’t hit that number in that game, he still was able to score over 15 DraftKings points for the sixth game in a row. That is one of the best runs of the NHL season, yet his price hasn’t increased in line with his production.
Until that happens, we have to keep riding Askarov in both cash and tournament lineups. Askarov hasn’t allowed more than two goals in any of his past six games despite seeing a high volume of shots come his way. A high number of shots faced isn’t a bad thing, as it allows a goalie to rack up fantasy points, since each save is worth 0.7 DraftKings points.
The Kings take 29 shots on goal per game, which is the sixth highest on tonight’s slate. It doesn’t take a big leap for 29 to turn into 35, which leads to a save bonus. The Sharks' offense has done enough to help Askarov win games, further adding to his potential ceiling, and making him the best goalie option on the slate once again.
Others in consideration: Spencer Knight (CHI), Joseph Woll (TOR), Dan Vladar (PHI)
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
