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 Thursday, October, 26, 2023, at 7:00 PM EDT. 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 10/26/23
We have finally made it! The 2023-2024 season is upon us and we welcome the next generational talent, Connor Bedard to the front and center! With many big moves over the offseason – Karlsson to Pittsburgh – and many signings during Free Agency, this season will make for yet another interesting race to Lord Stanley!
Tonight we have an 11-game slate and two teams playing on a back-to-back: Buffalo and Montreal. The currently live top-3 highest implied team totals are: Tampa Bay with 4.2, Boston with 3.9 and Carolina with 3.9. I will do my best to guide you through this eleven-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
DISCLOSURE: Make sure to monitor the NHL news feeds for the latest player status and injury news.
DraftKings and FanDuel Goalies - NHL DFS Picks
Jordan Binnington - DK $7.2K || FD $6.8K
Opponent - Calgary Flames
After proving himself against tough competition – 2-1 loss to Dallas, 2-1 win against Seattle and 4-2 win against Pittsburgh –, Binnington now has an ‘easier’ matchup with just as promising of value. The Flames are the eighth-best in Shots For Per 60, but the tenth-worst in Goals For Per 60. This sets a high ceiling for Binnington to reach. Currently, Calgary is averaging 31 Shots For Per 60 and the Save Bonus on DraftKings requires 35 or more. With the shot volume and lack of goals in return, Binnington has the potential to become the goalie of the slate.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Kochetkov (DK $8.3K || FD $7.7K)
- Gustavsson (DK $8K || FD $7.8K)
Want more NHL DFS tools and content? Our NHL Premium package includes our daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Lineup Optimizer and access to our VIP Discord Chatrooms. Doug Shain (@BanksterDFS) joins the NHL team in 2023 with his proven track record - join in on the winning!
Back to back @DraftKings Fantasy Hockey World Championship trips! Let’s get the main prize this year! Thank you to @banksterdfs for the amazing daily fantasy content! @NHL pic.twitter.com/dONSvJMtIR
— 🇺🇦Shockmain (@Shockmain) January 6, 2023
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
Sean Couturier - DK $4.6K || FD $4.7K
Opponent - Minnesota Wild
Although Filip Gustavsson is an option in the net tonight, looking past Philadelphia’s top line is nearly impossible. They do not have the most noteworthy of Scoring Chances For Per 60, however, their opposition is very giving. The Wild is the eighth-worst in Scoring Chances Against Per 60, the fifth-worst in both Shots Against Per 60 and High-Danger Chances Against Per 60 and the worst in Goals Against Per 60. Furthermore, the top line of the Wild is their worst defensive line, conceding 16 Relative Scoring Chances Against Per 60 and 13 Relative High-Danger Chances Against Per 60. Couturier may not shoot often, however, being slotted in between two shooters gives him the opportunity of value.
Tim Stuetzle - DK $8.2K || FD $7.8K
Opponent - New York Islanders
Stuetzle and company are in for a big night. The Islanders are getting carried by their goaltending right now. So far this season, they are the sixth-worst in Shots Against Per 60, the fourth-worst in High-Danger Chances Against Per 60 and the worst in Scoring Chances Against Per 60. Also, the third line of the Islanders is surprisingly their worst defensive line giving up 28 Relative Scoring Chances Against Per 60 and 21 Relative High-Danger Chances Against Per 60. With many ‘young’ and speedy teams already giving the Islanders fits, the Senators are expected to do the same. In Stuetzle’s last five games, he has 1 goal, 5 assists, 21 shots and 4 blocked shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- MacKinnon (DK $9.3K || FD $10.5K)
- Chytil (DK $4.2K || FD $5.2K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Alex Barre-Boulet - DK $3.6K || FD $3.5K
Opponent - San Jose Sharks
Many will be on the Lightning tonight thanks to Alex Barre-Boulet. The winger is getting another massive opportunity to start the season after failing to impress last year. In his last five performances, he has 2 goals and 9 shots and the majority of that production has come in his past two games. At the other end of the ice, the Sharks are another team getting bailed out by their goaltending. They are the third-worst in Shots Against Per 60, the second-worst in Scoring Chances Against Per 60, the worst in High-Danger Chances Against Per 60 and the thirteenth-worst in Goals Against Per 60. With plenty of big names to pay up for, Barre-Boulet is an optimal value play tonight.
Cam Atkinson - DK $4.6K || FD $4.8K
Opponent - Minnesota Wild
To continue the top line stack of the Philadelphia Flyers, we have bounce-back candidate Cam Atkinson. The winger has been a major key to the offense since his recovery from being out all of last season due to injury and in his past five matches, he has 3 goals, 14 shots and 4 blocked shots. As mentioned, his opposition is very giving and at under $5K on DraftKings and FanDuel, his potential is sky-high.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Tkachuk (DK $8.7K || FD $7.6K)
- Rust (DK $5K || FD $6K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Esa Lindell - DK $3.1K || FD $3.7K
Opponent - Toronto Maple Leafs
The Dallas Stars like to grind down teams with shutdown defense and physical play. This comes in handy against high-pace teams, especially when considering the Stars’ defense. Lindell over the past five games has 7 shots and 11 blocked shots but has yet to register a single point. This matchup with the Maple Leafs is the perfect spot for him to have a big night and finally break his point drought. The Leafs are averaging 31 Shots For Per 60 leaving ample room for Lindell to maintain and exceed value tonight.
Justin Barron - DK $3K || FD $3.6K
Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets
Justin Barron has no excuse if he does not blow past his value mark tonight. The young defenseman is getting a major boost in Time On Ice in his past few games, seeing a five-minute increase. This is in thanks to his new role alongside Mike Matheson on both the top pairing and the top penalty kill. In Barron’s three games this season, he has 2 goals, 4 shots and 5 blocked shots. He is very capable of hitting value tonight and against the Columbus Blue Jackets, anything is possible.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Dobson (DK $5.6K || FD $5.6K)
- Ferraro (DK $3.5K || FD $4K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- TB1
- OTT1
- COL1
- PHI1
- NYR1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- PHI: Tippett-Couturier-Atkinson
Chalk Stack
- TB: Barre-Boulet-Point-Kucherov
Sneaky Stack
- ANA: Vatrano-McTavish-Strome
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis