Today's NHL DFS Lineup Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (5/20/23) - Showdown Slate: Daily Fantasy Hockey

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 Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 8:00 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 5/20/23

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. I will do my best to guide you through this showdown slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 8:00 p.m. EST.

DISCLOSURE: Make sure to monitor the news feed and play at your own risk.

Vegas Odds for the Day

Playoff Series Standings

Florida Panthers-1 at Carolina Hurricanes-0

NHL DFS Core Plays- Showdown Edition For 5/20/2023

Captain

Sam Bennett - DK $11.1K || FD $K

Thankfully, Game 1 went into crazy quadruple overtime. If not for that, Bennett would have never come close to maintaining value. The center had an up-and-down game, as did the rest of the line. Game 2 will surely set the stage for the rest of the series regarding Florida's top line and the plethora of space they got. In Game 1, Bennett had one assist, four shots, and two blocked shots.                                                                                

Carter Verhaeghe - DK $11.7K || FD $K

Verhaeghe once again dominated and carried the Panthers past another team. The winger managed one goal, one assist, and six shots. As mentioned, Florida's top line played with ample space in Game 1, which led to Verhaeghe's high shot output.

Verhaeghe has done much more than score a series-winning goal or notch a goal and an assist in the Conference Finals. In 13 games in the playoffs, he has six goals, eight assists, 32 shots, and three blocked shots. If Florida is to move onto the Stanley Cup Finals, Verhaeghe is going to be a big reason why.  

Brent Burns - DK $13.8K || FD $K

Brent Burns was undoubtedly the MVP of Game 1 despite his team losing in quadruple overtime. The veteran defenseman had one assist, eight shots, and nine blocked shots thanks to the extended TOI. He also now has a three-game point streak where he has amassed two goals, two assists, 15 shots, and nine blocked shots.

Burns is easily one of the best players the Hurricanes have in the lineup and it is expected that he will remain a force for the rest of Carolina’s stay in the playoffs, making him a constant top choice for the ‘CAPTAIN’ role on DraftKings.

Value Plays

Jesper Fast - DK $3.4K || FD $K

Fast has been an undervalued winger in the playoffs. In 12 games, he has five goals, three assists, 25 shots, and 10 blocked shots. He is exceeding the pace that he set in the regular season where he totaled 10 goals and 19 assists in 80 games. However, he is now playing a more offensive role compared to his shutdown role on the third line.

Fast is not a player to have a massive game, but he is a secondary producer filling the holes for the Hurricanes. It is always worth the mention when he is averaging three shots per game in his last five performances.                                                                                             

Anthony Duclair - DK $4.6K || FD $K

Duclair was mentioned as inconsistent in the article highlighting plays for Game 1. During that game, he was the complete opposite, utilizing his speed and vision to create ample space while setting up two goals. He also had eight shots and one blocked shot during the game. As mentioned a few times now, Florida’s top line will be a situation to watch in Game 2 after the amount of freedom they received in Game 1. If they continue to get free space, Duclair could be in line for a similar outcome.  

Jaccob Slavin - DK $5.4K || FD $K

For how much talent Carolina has, you would think that more forwards would be highlighted. However, we will roll out another Carolina defender, Jaccob Slavin, who is in stellar form. In his last five games, he has one goal, three assists, seven shots, and 10 blocked shots. The Panthers are a shot-heavy team, leaving plenty of chances for Slavin to block. With a similar floor and ceiling to that of teammate Brent Burns thanks to peripherals, Slavin has the possibility of breaking a slate each game.

Brandon's Stacks

• FLA PP1: Verhaeghe-Bennett-Tkachuk
• CAR3: Teravainen-Staal-Necas
• CAR PP1: Burns-Aho-Jarvis
• FLA1: Verhaeghe-Barkov-Duclair