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NHL DFS: Top Daily Fantasy Expert Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (4/12/25)

Free daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Andy's NHL DFS expert picks to build winning DFS lineups on April 12, 2025.

Hello, RotoBallers! We are approaching the final week of the regular season, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are right around the corner. This is the final Saturday slate of the regular season.

In this piece, I will discuss my favorite forward lines to target, defensemen, and goalies in tonight's action. Keep updated with any injury notes on our newsfeed before setting your lineup.

If you have questions about further strategy and managing the slate, please chat with me on X @A_Smith_FS. All player salaries will be listed as ($DK/FD).

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Forward Lines To Target - NHL DFS Picks

Winnipeg Jets L1 - Kyle Connor ($7.9K/$8.3K) - Mark Scheifele ($6.3K/$7.6K) - Alex Iafallo ($4.5K/$4.6K)

Opponent - Chicago Blackhawks

The Winnipeg Jets are on the verge of clinching the top seed in the Central Division, and a win over the Blackhawks can put them in the driver's seat. As a result, stacking the top unit is a strong choice on this slate.

According to MoneyPuck, this line has generated 2.78 xGoals For Per 60 with a 59.8 percent xGoals. On Thursday evening, Kyle Connor found the back of the net twice during their victory over the Dallas Stars. Mark Scheifele has tallied seven points (three goals) over his last seven.

This evening, they will face the Blackhawks, who have allowed the fourth-most Expected Goals Against Per 60 according to MoneyPuck during 5-on-5 play.

Toronto Maple Leafs L1 - Matthew Knies ($5.9K/$6.4K) - Auston Matthews ($9.3K/$9.1K) - Mitch Marner ($7.2K/$7.5K)

Opponent - Montreal Canadiens

The top unit in Toronto has generated an impressive 3.4 xGoals For Per 60 with a 58.4 percent xGoals. These metrics should play very well against the Canadiens, who have allowed the third-most Expected Goals Against Per 60 according to MoneyPuck.

Matthew Knies enters Saturday's divisional contest on a hot stretch as he scored a hat trick against Tampa Bay on Wednesday evening. In addition, both Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews have only been held off the scoresheet once over their past nine contests.

St. Louis Blues L1 - Pavel Buchnevich ($6K/$6.1K) - Robert Thomas ($6.7K/$7.4K) - Jordan Kyrou ($6.5K/$7K)

Opponent - Seattle Kraken

Robert Thomas enters this contest against the Seattle Kraken riding a 10-game point streak. During this impressive stretch, Thomas has tallied 18 helpers with four goals. Even though Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou have not enjoyed as much success, they are a top play against the Seattle Kraken.

According to MoneyPuck, the Kraken have allowed the seventh-most Expected Goals Against Per 60 during 5-on-5 play and the ninth-most while shorthanded. This top unit has generated a strong 3.3 xGoals Per 60 and should be set up for continued success against a weak Seattle defense.

Dallas Stars L1 - Jason Robertson ($7.1K/$7.8K) - Roope Hintz ($5.8K/$7.5K) - Mikko Rantanen ($6.8K/$6.9K)

Opponent - Seattle Kraken

My final top unit to target is the top unit in Dallas. While Dallas will have an uphill battle to claim the top spot in the Central Division over Winnipeg, they will enter this game still in the mix, and as a result, will continue to give their starters a full workload. According to MoneyPuck, this unit has generated a solid 2.73 xGoals For Per 60.

Mikko Rantanen has tallied nine points over his last eight games, while Jason Robertson has tallied four in his last five. Even though they have a slightly tougher matchup against Utah (11th-fewest Expected Goals Against Per 60 during 5-on-5), fantasy managers should expect them to be busy in this game, with a division title on the line.

Other Lines To Target (Cash/GPP):  

  • TOR L2
  • VGK L1

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) joins the NHL team in 2023 with his proven track record - join in on the winning!

 

Defensemen To Target - NHL DFS Picks

Quinn Hughes - Vancouver Canucks ($6.8K/$6.3K)

Opponent - Minnesota Wild

Quinn Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks will play host to the Minnesota Wild. Even though the Wild are one of the better defensive units during 5-on-5 play, their penalty kill does not carry similar metrics. According to MoneyPuck, during 4-on-5 situations, they have allowed the 11th-most Expected Goals Against Per 60.

Hughes has tallied seven points over his last eight games, with three of them coming on the power play. During this stretch, he has logged two shots on goal per game and seen just under four minutes of average power-play ice time per game.

Cam Fowler - St. Louis Blues ($4.2K/$5.3K)

Opponent - Seattle Kraken

Came Fowler is a great target to stack with the top St. Louis forward line. As said above, the Kraken have struggled to defend in both aspects of the game. While shorthanded, they have allowed the ninth-most Expected Goals Against Per 60 according to MoneyPuck.

Fowler has become St. Louis' clear top quarterback on the power play. Over his previous eight contests, Fowler has found the back of the net twice and added seven helpers. The 33-year-old has tallied three of these assists while on the man advantage.

Lane Hutson - Montreal Canadiens ($5.3K/$6.2K)

Opponent - Toronto Maple Leafs

My final defenseman to target has been a popular play of mine this season. The rookie star has a great matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs as he looks to lead the Canadiens to a playoff birth.

Lane Hutson is the top power-play quarterback in Montreal. Over his last nine games, Huston has tallied 10 helpers with one goal. During this stretch, he has averaged two blocked shots per game and just over 2.5 minutes of power-play time each game. He has a great matchup against the Leafs, who have allowed the fourth-most Expected Goals Against Per 60 while shorthanded.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

  • Thomas Harley - Dallas Stars ($5.8K/$5.9K)
  • Shea Theodore - Vegas Golden Knights ($5.7K/$5.8K)
  • Josh Morrissey - Winnipeg Jets ($6.1K/$6K)

 

Goalies To Target - NHL DFS Picks

Connor Hellebuyck - Chicago Blackhawks ($8.4K/$8.2K)

Opponent - Chicago Blackhawks

The Winnipeg Jets will look to clinch the Central Division with a victory over the Blackhawks. Connor Hellebuyck will be a popular play on this slate, but still carries elite upside and is worth considering.

In his last outing on Thursday, he shut the door against the Dallas Stars, stopping all 25 shots he saw. Over his last eight, he has held a strong 6-2 record with a 1.63 GAA. According to MoneyPuck, the Blackhawks have generated the fewest Expected Goals For Per 60 this season.

Jordan Binnington - St. Louis Blues ($7.6K/$7.8K)

Opponent - Seattle Kraken

My other goaltender to consider is Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues. While his incredible seven-game winning streak came to an end in his previous start against the Oilers, he is poised to bounce back against the Kraken.

During his seven-game winning streak, Binnington held a stellar 1.84 GAA with a .931 save percentage. This evening, he will face the Kraken, who have generated the sixth-fewest Expected Goals For Per 60 during 5-on-5 play according to MoneyPuck.

Other Options To Consider:

  • Adin Hill - Vegas Golden Knights ($8.3K/$8.1K)

NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Darren Waller

Not Expected to Play in Week 3
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
Jameson Williams

Records Long Touchdown in Week 2, Still Limited to Downfield Role?
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Jayden Daniels

Considered "Day-to-Day" with Knee Injury
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Tops 200 Yards From Scrimmage in Week 2 Win
Joe Burrow

Could Miss Three Months if he Requires Toe Surgery
Davante Adams

Headlines Rams Receiving Corps Sunday
Wan'Dale Robinson

Explodes for 142 Yards, Touchdown in Overtime Thriller
Joe Flacco

Browns Not Considering Benching Joe Flacco After Week 2
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Lamar Jackson

Throws for Four Touchdowns in Week 2 Win
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
Luis Arraez

Takes a Seat on Sunday With Head Injury
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Activated, Starting on Sunday
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
Bryan Woo

Records Career-High 13 Strikeouts
Max Muncy

Exits Early on Saturday
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
Tarik Skubal

Avoids Serious Injury, Expected to Make Next Start
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
Tanner Bibee

Fans 10 in Two-Hit Shutout
Zach Neto

Dealing With Wrist Soreness
Masyn Winn

Shut Down for Rest of Season
Tarik Skubal

to Undergo Imaging on Saturday
Tyler Soderstrom

Scratched on Friday With Groin Tightness
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

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Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

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Joel Dahmen

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Bud Cauley

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied for Seventh at Tour Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 25th at Tour Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 19th at Tour Championship
Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied for 10th at Tour Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for Second at Tour Championship
Gary Woodland

Could Hang Around at Procore Championship
Karl Vilips

Ready for Napa Valley This Weekend
Taylor Montgomery

Heating Up at the Right Time
Jackson Koivun

May Be a Little Rusty at Procore Championship
Doug Ghim

Looking to Rise Up at Napa Valley

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