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 Thursday, 23rd, 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!
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NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 2/23/23
The trade market is starting to open up and more and more moves will be made as we get closer to the trade deadline – March 3rd –. Be aware of late-minute scratches. Tonight we have a 9-game slate and just one team playing on a back-to-back: Calgary. The currently live top-3 highest implied team totals are: Tampa Bay with 4.3, Capitals with 3.9 and Edmonton with 3.6 goals. I will do my best in guiding you through this nine-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
Laurent Brossoit- DK $8.3K || FD $7.5K
Opponent - Calgary Flames
After a big performance – 0.949 Save Percentage in a 3-2 loss to the Blackhawks – in his season debut, Brossoit is in another ‘good’ spot to produce a similar outing. The Flames are traveling on the second-half of their back-to-back after a third period surge in the 6-3 win against the Coyotes last night. The Flames over the season are the second-best team in Shots For Per 60 – 35.11 –, however, they struggle to produce Scoring Chances Per 60 – 30.65 – and Goals For Per 60 – 2.8 –. This provides a great floor for Brossoit tonight in what is expected to be a fast-paced matchup.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP): Gustavsson (DK $8K || FD $8.4K), Silovs (DK $6.9K || FD $6.5K)
Centers
Ryan Hartman-DK $4.2K || FD $5K
Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets
Hartman is on a two-game tear right now with 3 goals, 1 assist, 7 shots and 2 blocked shots and now he gets one of the worst defenses in the league. The Blue Jackets over the season are the second-worst in Shots Against Per 60 – 33.81 – the seventh-worst in Scoring Chances Against Per 60 – 30.87 –, the eleventh-worst in High Danger Chances Against Per 60 – 12.58 – and the third-worst in Goals Against Per 60 – 3.15 –. Over Hartman’s last five games, he has 3 goals, 1 assist, 11 shots and 5 blocked shots. Outside of the two-game blowup, Hartman has little to show in terms of production. This will be the ultimate bounce-back spot for the center at a more than manageable salary.
Vincent Trocheck- DK $5.2K || FD $6.4K
Opponent - Detroit Red Wings
Trocheck has struggled at the hands of consistency once again this season, producing in bunches. However, ever since newly acquired Tarasenko went down to his line, Trocheck has had 1 goal, 2 assists, 11 shots and 2 blocked shots through two games. Going back further, in his last five games, he has 1 goal, 5 assists, 19 shots and 3 blocked shots. Detroit has seen opposite ends of the spectrum this season against the Blue shirts, losing 8-2 in the first meeting and winning a thrilling 3-2 overtime match in the second meeting. As long as Trocheck keeps Russian wingers Panarin and Tarasenko on his line, he will always find a way to produce.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): McDavid (DK $9.5K || FD $10.5K), Novak (DK $3.6K || FD $5.2K)
Wings
Alex Ovechkin- DK $8.8K || FD $8.5K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
This is the ‘lock’ of the night. The Capitals have been without Ovechkin for approximately two weeks due to the passing of his father. In that time, the Capitals have lost 4 straight games, while being outscored 16-7 and have fallen out of the playoffs. This could not be any better of a spot for Ovechkin to come back. Not only is he playing with a heavy heart, but he will be heavily relied on to boost his team back into playoffs and they are playing the worst defense in the league, the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks over the season are the worst in Shots Against Per 60 – 38.71 –, Scoring Chances Against Per 60 – 35.74 –, High Danger Chances Against Per 60 – 16.67 – and Goals Against Per 60 – 3.61 –. Plug and play and reap the rewards.
Andrei Kuzmenko- DK $4.9K || FD $6.4K
Opponent - St. Louis Blues
After blowing up to start the season, Kuzmenko has been streaky ever since, that is, until now. The winger over his last five games, has 3 goals, 2 assists, 12 shots and 2 blocked shots. He has finally cemented top-line minutes along with center Elias Pettersson and newly acquired Anthony Beauvillier after new bench boss Rick Tocchet took over. Despite the Blues getting Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich back tonight, over the season, they are in the bottom ten of the league in Shots Against Per 60 – 31.15 –, Scoring Chances Against Per 60 – 30.98 –, High Danger Chances Against Per 60 – 12.7 – and they are the sixth-worst in Goals Against Per 60 – 3.03 –. Seeing consistent minutes, playing on the first power-play unit and producing consistently, sets Kuzmenko up for a big night against the Blues.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Kaprizov (DK $7.4K || FD $8.9K), DeBrusk (DK $6.5K || FD $7K)
Defense
Colton Parayko- DK $4K || FD $4.8K
Opponent - Vancouver Canucks
On the flip side of the ice, we have Colton Parayko who has taken over the duties of often-injured Torey Krug. Krug is expected to be out yet again and Parayko has been playing on the second pair and quarterbacking the second power-play unit. In his last five appearances, he has 1 goal, 1 assist, 11 shots and 16 blocked shots. As mentioned earlier in the season when Krug was out, Parayko is a peripheral player with points coming as an added bonus. In what should be a high-event and fast-paced meeting with the Canucks, it would not be surprising if he at least gets the Blocked Shots Bonus on DraftKings – 3+ blocked shots –.
Alex Goligoski- DK $3.1K || FD $3.6K
Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets
I would pay attention to Minnesota’s lineup tonight and power-play groups with their team in a fluid state right now. Several rumors have surfaced over the last week or so, including several Minnesota defensemen with one of them being Goligoski. Nevertheless, the defender is still starting over Calen Addison and he is also quarterbacking the top power-play unit for the Wild. In Goligoski’s last five games, he has 1 assist, 7 shots and 4 blocked shots. He is completely past his prime and he is yet another Wild defenseman not capitalizing on a powerful power-play. However, he is near minimum salary in a prime matchup. This is a ‘punt’ play worth taking to pay up for the bigger guns of the slate.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Gustafsson (DK $4.8K || FD $5.3K), Ekholm (DK $4.3K || FD $4.5K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- WAS1
- EDM1
- MIN1
- TB1
Brandon's Stack of the Day
- MIN: Kaprizov-Hartman-Boldy
Chalk Stack
- WAS: Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Sneaky Stack
- NSH: Nieddereiter-Novak-Parssinen
