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 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 on Friday, May, 12th, 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], via Twitter @df_solutions, or in our premium Slack chat. Good luck, RotoBallers!
NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 5/12/23
The National Hockey League playoffs have yet to disappoint this season – depending on who your team is – as it flaunts its competitive parity with multiple upsets in the first round, notably Presidents’ Trophy winner Boston Bruins and reigning champions Colorado Avalanche.
During the playoffs, it is much more common to find low-scoring and heavy-hitting games. Keep in mind that teams who showcase a high aptitude to score goals will play much tighter and be a bit pickier with their shots. Tonight we have a 2-game slate as we head to the middle of Round 2 of the NHL Playoffs. I will do my best to guide you through this two-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.
Playoff Series Standings
Vegas Golden Knights 2 vs Edmonton Oilers 2
Toronto Maple Leafs 1 vs Florida Panthers 3
Goalies
Sergei Bobrovsky - DK $7.4K || FD $7.8K
Opponent - Toronto Maple Leafs
After the Panthers dropped the puck in Game 4 with a chance to make franchise history, they are back for another shot at the Eastern Conference Finals in Game 5 in Toronto. Despite losing on Wednesday, Bobrovsky had yet another tremendous showing. The goalkeeper had a 0.920 Save Percentage and he should have gotten the win if not for postseason debuter Joseph Woll who stole the show. The save floor is concerning after Game 4, however the Maple Leafs are at home and should be juiced up in front of their fans. Bobrovsky is easily the best value at netminder tonight.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP): Skinner (DK $7.9K || FD $8.2K)
Centers
Sam Bennett - DK $5.1K || FD $6.2K
Opponent - Florida Panthers
Bennett makes another appearance in the article for Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bennett is the overall best value center on the slate and if you want a ‘less-expensive’ option, Chandler Stephenson of the Vegas Golden Knights could fill that void, however, be wary as Leon Draisaitl has dropped down to center the second line for Edmonton again. Bennett had another assist and he took 3 shots in the 2-1 loss on Wednesday. Until his salary spikes or he takes a massive dip in form, there are zero reasons not to play him. In 4 games versus Toronto, he has 1 goal, 2 assists, 13 shots and 5 blocked shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): McDavid (DK $9.8K || FD $9.8K), Stephenson (DK $4.3K || FD $5.7K)
Wings
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - DK $5.3K || FD $7.4K
Opponent - Vegas Golden Knights
Nugent-Hopkins will easily vie for the best value player on the slate now that he is back on a line with teammate Connor McDavid. In the first game since the line shuffle, the winger had 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots and 1 blocked shot. After Edmonton lost 5-1 at home in Game 3, Edmonton decided to shuffle lines again for Game 4 and after the successful 4-1 win, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this lineup remain for the rest of the series and further if they are to win.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Tkachuk (DK $7.2K || FD $9.2K), Stone (DK $5.1K || FD $5.7K)
Defense
Evan Bouchard - DK $4.9K || FD $5.6K
Opponent - Vegas Golden Knights
Bouchard scored yet another power-play goal in Wednesday’s successful 4-1 win. The defenseman is on an entirely different level and he is easily the most productive blueliner in the playoffs this year. In 4 games versus the Golden Knights, he has 2 goals, 3 assists, 9 shots and 3 blocked shots. His peripherals are still a bit off compared to where they are expected to be, however, his point production is easily making up for it. With teammate Darnell Nurse questionably suspended for a game, Bouchard may be relied on even more in Game 5.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Rielly (DK $5.1K || FD $5.8K), Martinez (DK $4K || FD $4.7K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- FLA1
- EDM1
Brandon's Stack of the Day
- EDM: Nugent-Hopkins-McDavid-Bouchard
Chalk Stack
- FLA: Tkachuk-Bennett-Verhaeghe
Sneaky Stack
- TOR: Bunting-O’Reilly-Acciari
