RADIO
Welcome, RotoBallers! If you do not know me, my name is Brandon and I write both The First-Serve and The Kick-Off for Tennis and Soccer respectively. If you have not checked those out, make sure you do! It is the return of the NHL season which means it's time to sharpen our MLB skills and partake in NHL DFS! 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 Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 7:00 PM EST. 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 at [email protected] or via Twitter @df_solutions or in our premium slack chat. Good luck, RotoBallers!
NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 4/8/23
The league is approaching the final stretch run as many teams fight for a date with Lord Stanley and we have already started to see some teams like the Boston Bruins playing their star players less, to rest them for playoffs. This will become a bigger trend as we close in on playoffs and it can impact fantasy in a big way. It is important to understand this when making roster decisions. Tonight we have an 11-game slate with no teams playing on a back-to-back. The currently live top-3 highest implied team totals are: Toronto with 4.4, New York Rangers with 4.2, and Seattle with 4.1. I will do my best to guide you through this eleven-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:00 p.m. EST.
DISCLOSURE: Make sure to monitor the news feed and play at your own risk
Goalies
Ilya Sorokin-DK $8K || FD $7.4K
Opponent - Philadelphia Flyers
There is a plethora of goalies tonight at the disposal with Sorokin leading the bunch. The Flyers are being outscored 10 to 22 in their last five away games with their most recent loss coming in Dallas, 4-1 on Thursday. Sorokin and the Islanders are coming off a thrilling 6-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and they are tightly gripping one of the wild card spots in the Eastern Conference as the Pittsburgh Penguins knock on their door. Sorokin himself has 3 wins in his last five games and he has posted a 0.900 Save Percentage or better in all but one of those games. With the post-season on the line and a favorable matchup at home, this is one of the best netminder spots on the slate.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP): Lyon (DK $7.7K || FD $7.5K), Hellebuyck (DK $7.6K || FD $8.2K)
Centers
Austin Matthews-DK $9.2K || FD $10K
Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets
Matthews and company have playoffs already cemented, however, they seem to be tinkering with the lineup a bit in hopes of driving efficiency across the top nine heading into the postseason. Despite an ever-revolving door of wingers, Matthews is still producing, with 2 goals, 1 assist, 24 shots, and 4 blocked shots in his last five games. Montreal continues to flutter back in forth between in-form and out-of-form while being outscored 17 to 24 through their last five away games. As the story goes, they are bottom five in the league when comparing their last 10 games to their season averages and are being held together by their goaltending. Can expected starter Cayden Primeau hold back a surging and healthy Maple Leafs?
Alex Barkov- DK $7.2K || FD $7.6K
Opponent - Washington Capitals
Barkov is finding his groove with perfect timing as the postseason looms and so does a ticket to it, with the Panthers holding the top Wild Card in the Eastern Conference. Over his last five appearances, he has 2 goals, 7 assists, 11 shots, and 3 blocked shots. The Capitals just got walked over by Montreal in a 6-2 loss on Thursday and they will be coming home in hopes of halting the tameless Panthers. However, Washington is another team being outscored – 17 to 20 in their last five home games – and the Panthers possess a much more potent offense than what Montreal contains. Barkov will have every chance to explode tonight against a Capitals team that is the tenth-worst in Scoring Chances Against Per 60 and the second-worst in Expected Goals Against Per 60, both comparing their last 10 games to their season averages.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Nelson (DK $5.7K || FD $6.8K), Gaudreau (DK $3.3K || FD $4.7K)
Wings
Alexis Lafreniere- DK $3.6K || FD $4.4K
Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets
Many would argue that Lafreniere has not had a successful NHL career thus far – third season in the league – however, he has been a crucial player on a strong third line for the Rangers this season. In the winger’s last five games, he has 1 goal, 2 assists, and 7 shots. Surprisingly, the third line for the Rangers has been their most productive line this season and it is quite worrisome for their postseason hopes considering the talent they brought in at the deadline. Acquisitions aside, Lafreniere has a great matchup tonight against the Blue Jackets who are being outscored 13 to 23 in their last five home games. For under $4K salary on DraftKings with high-upside, this is a great pay-down play.
Kyle Palmieri- DK $4.2K || FD $5.9K
Opponent - Philadelphia Flyers
Staying in New York, we have Kyle Palmieri of the Islanders. Palmieri and company will have a solid matchup tonight against the Flyers who continue to be one of the worst road teams in the league. They are currently being outscored 10 to 22 in their last five away outings and no matter who starts in net, they will have a tough road ahead of them. The second line for the Flyers is one of their worst defensive lines and Palmieri will get the benefit of seeing them the most. Furthermore, he has been dropped down to the second power-play unit, although that has done little to impact his production. With salary a hot commodity tonight, Palmieri makes for another great ‘less-expensive’ play.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Marner (DK $6.8K || FD $7.7K), Eberle (DK $4.9K || FD $5.5K)
Defense
Samuel Girard- DK $4K || FD $4.9K
Opponent - Los Angeles Kings
As expected, Cale Makar is out indefinitely – for the rest of the regular season. Launching Girard into an everyday ‘lock’ until his salary skyrockets. He did not disappoint on Thursday night with 2 assists, 1 shot, and 3 blocked shots. Pushing it back to his last five games and he has 1 goal, 3 assists, 7 shots, and 9 blocked shots. His peripherals are starting to climb now that he is seeing an increase in ice time and his point production has seen the same positive regression. Even against the stingy Kings, it is hard to find better value at defense tonight.
Ryan Pulock- DK $3.6K || FD $4.1K
Opponent - Philadelphia Flyers
If seeking out a second value defenseman, there are a few to choose from, however, Pulock is quickly climbing the ranks and has a great matchup. Throughout his last five games, he has 1 goal, 1 assist, 12 shots, and 7 blocked shots. Pulock has always been a peripheral player, even dating back to his days in juniors. The difference between now and past years with the Islanders is that he is seeing top power-play minutes right now. In the last five away games, the Flyers are being outscored 10 to 22, setting up a potential blowup game for Pulock and the Islanders.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Fox (DK $6.1K || FD $6.9K), Brannstrom (DK $2.7K || FD $3.9K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- FLA1
- TOR1
- NYR1
- COL1
- SEA1
- OTT1
Brandon's Stack of the Day
- NYI: Lee-Horvat-Pulock
Chalk Stack
- TOR: Nylander-Tavares-Marner
Sneaky Stack
- OTT: DeBrincat-Greig-Giroux
