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 Wednesday, May, 24th, 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!
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NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 5/24/23
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.
Playoff Series Standings
Florida Panthers 3 vs Carolina Hurricanes 0
NHL DFS Core Plays- Showdown Edition For 5/24/2023
Captain
Sam Bennett - DK $11.4K || FD $10.5K
Bennett now has 3 assists, 13 shots and 4 blocked shots through 3 games versus the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals. He has been undeniably good in the postseason for the Panthers and he could be relied on heavily here with teammate Alexsander Barkov potentially missing Game 4 with a leg injury. The Panthers lineup will be something to keep an eye on leading up to puck drop as they are in a unique situation where they must weigh if it is worth running Barkov in a potential series-sweeping game and risk further injury, or because they are up 3 games to none, they rest him this game. Either way, Bennett will still be a focal point of the offense as he has proved.
Carter Verhaeghe - DK $11.7K || FD $14K
Verhaeghe who has been held off the score sheet in back-to-back games is another candidate to see added pressure if his linemate Barkov misses tonight. The winger in 3 games this series, has 1 goal, 1 assist, 10 shots and 2 blocked shots. If Barkov does miss tonight, that only means increased shot production for Verhaeghe.
Brent Burns - DK $15K || FD $14.5K
It is do or die for Burns and company tonight with even more added pressure playing on the road. The veteran defenseman has had poor performances in back-to-back games, after stringing together a big run of form. Has Burns lost steam? Is the extended playoff run catching up to him? Either way, the Hurricanes will be heavily leaning on him to guide the team through a potential series-sweeping game. In his 3 games versus the Panthers, he has 1 assist, 10 shots and 12 blocked shots and dating it back to the start of the postseason, in 10 games, he has 2 goals, 7 assists, 51 shots and 26 blocked shots.
Value Plays
Anton Lundell - DK $3.8K || FD $7.5K
Lundell is for the most part a game-time decision that depends on Barkov’s official status for Game 4. If he is out, Lundell is full send as he will at least play in the top six, but is expected to center the top line for the Panthers. In Game 3 where Barkov played just 3 and a half minutes, Lundell managed zero points, shots and blocked shots. He has taken an overwhelmingly big drop in form since having a solid stint in the middle of the season when Sam Bennett was out. However, he has shown that he can handle a heavier workload already and he could be the key to unlocking the slate.
Anthony Duclair - DK $4.6K || FD $9.5K
Duclair is still questionably underpriced and to assume for his lack of consistency. This is a great spot to attack tonight whether his center, Barkov is out or not. The Hurricanes have their backs up against the wall and they will be playing to not lose which in return will give more space for Duclair to utilize his speed and vision that he has showcased already this postseason. Through 3 games in this series, he has 2 assists, 11 shots and 1 blocked shot.
Jack Drury - DK $4K || FD $7.5K
Drury has been a bit underwhelming in his rookie season despite playing a fourth line role for the majority of it. The winger/center has seen his share of power-play chances and even top six moments, but has failed to ‘cash in’. He has played in each game in this series so far, amassing 9 shots and 2 blocked shots. He is expected to play on the third line tonight and he could have a great matchup with some potential bodies missing for Florida, forcing players to play in different spots. Drury is a boom-or-bust option at best.
Brandon's Stacks
- FLA PP1: Verhaeghe-Bennett-Tkachuk
- CAR3: Drury-Staal-Necas
- CAR PP1: Burns-Aho-Jarvis
- FLA1: Verhaeghe-Barkov-Duclair
