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Chris Wassel's top DraftKings and FanDuel NHL DFS value plays and research for November 5th, including DFS analysis for goalies, power plays, and stacks.
The NHL season has hit week number four! Some hockey trends have established themselves but many are still to come. 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 starting on Friday, November 5th, 2020 at 8:00 PM. 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 [email protected] or via Twitter @ChrisWasselDFS or in our premium slack chat. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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We feature a five-game slate, featuring the Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, and the Los Angeles Kings.
There is some news worth mentioning. The New Jersey Devils have called up sniper Alexander Holtz from Utica of the AHL. It is something to see.
The goal will be to keep things as simple as possible. Our focus will be as much on interactions on social media and in chatrooms. This is because news and numbers have become that fluid now. Everything changes at a breakneck pace.
NHL DFS Goalies
Calvin Petersen - DK $7.8K || FD $7.0K
Opponent - New Jersey Devils
The question is who to choose goaltending-wise on Friday night. Most anyone is scared to death at seeing a goaltender on the back end of a back-to-back. However, with injuries to several New Jersey players, it may be worth looking into especially on FanDuel. This is because Petersen is salaried like a free square there. Aside from one awful start against St. Louis, Petersen has given up two goals in each of his other three outings.
Karel Vejmelka - DK $7.4K || FD $6.6K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
The Arizona goaltender faces the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night. Now, the good news is that Vejmelka keeps delivering quality starts. He has three consecutive appearances where he has allowed two or fewer goals. In these contests, the goaltender has faced 31 or more shots. The risk lies in the fact that Arizona is still winless on the season. At some point, they have to find a way to hit the win column. It is worth the risk especially on FanDuel where Vejmelka is minimum-salaried basically.
Stay tuned during the day for potential goaltending pivots.
NHL DFS Centers
Leon Draisaitl - DK $8.6K || FD $9.6K
Opponent - New York Rangers
The idea is to keep things simple and stack Edmonton against yet another high-chance-yielding team. This is an Oilers team that benefits immensely from being rested so far during the first month of the regular season. Draisaitl is a somewhat cheaper alternative to Connor McDavid who now nears $10,000 on FanDuel. The center is slightly more inconsistent but does lead the NHL with 20 points and nine goals on the season.
Dawson Mercer - DK $4.4K || FD $4.5K
Opponent - Los Angeles Kings
Dawson Mercer is a pure risk play considering he has three goals and two assists in six home games. His ice time has gradually inched up to the top-six level while seeing more and more power-play time. There is that nagging problem of no road points in the early going. On the other hand, he has seven scoring chances in those two contests. From a fantasy standpoint, Mercer may be reunited with Alexander Holtz at some point. This was one of the darling duos of the pre-season and something to watch out for.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Kopitar (DK $7.7K || FD $8.2K), Dubois (DK $6.3K || FD $5.5K)
NHL DFS Wings
Patrick Kane - DK $6.7K || FD $8.6K
Opponent - Winnipeg Jets
There are just a few different ways to look at possible additions to a lineup. Kane's slanted DraftKings price is one of those such necessities. His production combined with how many DFS points per game Winnipeg allows to wingers is a big reason. Kane has a whopping 20 shots, 23 scoring chances, and points in three-straight games. Winnipeg and Chicago, at the very least, expect to be a game where chances are traded constantly. After all, why tinker with what worked on Wednesday night at this juncture.
Alex Iafallo - DK $5.0K || FD $5.3K
Opponent - New Jersey Devils
This is one of the more advantageous plays on this short slate. Iafallo averages four shots a game and nearly four scoring chances a night during the last five games. He is also on the ice for nearly 17 minutes a game this season. Now, the results are definitely noticeable. It helps playing with Anze Kopitar but four goals and four assists in nine contests are noticeable. His salary is even more so. Iafallo is shooting at 12% which is relatively sustainable as long as Anze Kopitar can continue at close to his incredible pace. Keep playing the Los Angeles winger until he hits DraftKings or FanDuel salary average.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Terry (DK $5.2K || FD $5.2K, Stastny (DK $4.0K || FD $4.0K), Hyman (DK $6.2K || FD $6.9K), Hagel (DK $3.1K || FD $3.6K).
NHL DFS Defensemen
Patrik Nemeth - DK $2.7K || FD $3.5K
Opponent - Edmonton Oilers
The New York Rangers' defenseman is a reasonable floor play possibility on Friday night. Consider the fact that he has three or more blocks in four straight games. Now, goals or assists are none for the New York blueliner but again it is those 14 blocked shots over the past four contests. When a player is minimum-salary, it is like taking a shot at a free-square on bingo. This allows one to spend up literally everywhere else.
Kevin Shattenkirk- DK $6.4K || FD $4.8K
Opponent - Arizona Coyotes
The quest to keep things simple points us to Kevin Shattenkirk who is an excellent option, especially on FanDuel. He has become priced out on DraftKings but may be worth a shot. Why? Simply, Arizona allows the second-most DFS points to defensemen. It sounds like a very familiar theme when it comes to Arizona and being accommodating to DFS targets. Again, no one knows how long Shattenkirk, Terry, etc, will average a point a game but why not ride it anyway.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Bouchard (DK $4.8K || FD $4.3K), Jones (DK $5.6K || FD $6.5K), Mayo (DK $3.6K || FD $4.1K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- EDM1
- CHI2
- WPG1
- LAK1
Chris’s Line Stack of the Day
WPG: Connor-Stastny-Pionk/Schmidt
Obvious Stack
EDM: McDavid-Draisaitl-Bouchard (If Power Play units hold)
Sneaky Stack
LAK: Iafallo-Kopitar-Clague/Roy
Please keep in mind that there will be many shifts in lines with most teams especially early. COVID and injuries have tended to shift things all-around in morning skates. Be mindful.
NHL Player News and Updates
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
