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, December 7, 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/X @df_solutions, or in our premium Slack chat. Good luck, RotoBallers!
NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 12/7/23
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 a 13-game slate and a few teams playing on a back-to-back: Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Carolina. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are: Detroit with 4.2, Los Angeles with 4, and Boston with 3.8. I will do my best to guide you through this 13-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:00 PM 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
Connor Ingram - DK $7.9K || FD $8.5K
Opponent - Washington Capitals
Ingram is on a crazy hot streak with a 5-0 record in his last five games while holding an impressive 0.99 Goals Against Average and a 0.968 Save Percentage. On the season, Ingram is the sixth-best goalie at Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 -- 0.94 -- for all goalies who have played a minimum of 120 minutes. The Flyers are within the top five in Shots For Per 60 and just outside the bottom 10 in Goals For Per 60. This sets up Ingram for a potential sixth-straight win and another big performance.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Wedgewood (DK $7.9K || FD $8.9K)
- Kochetkov (DK $7.7K || FD $6.6K)
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
Nico Hischier - DK $4.9K || FD $5.3K
Opponent - Seattle Kraken
Hischier is mispriced once again on DraftKings and he has one of the best matchups of the night. The second line center who is not typically known for his point production – hence the misprice – has been contributing ever since his return from injury. Over his last five performances, he has 2 goals, 4 assists, 10 shots, and 2 blocked shots. As mentioned in previous articles, Hischier is not a shooter at heart and he looks for the pass first. This limits his upside, however. As long as he is getting on the score sheet, he will maintain value. The Kraken sit outside the bottom 10 in Goals Against Per 60 thanks to their defense. If projected starter Philipp Grubauer does start tonight, he is the sixth-worst goalie in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60.
Ryan O’Reilly - DK $6K || FD $6.8K
Opponent - Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning are coming into Nashville on the second-half of a back-to-back after an ‘easy’ road win in Pittsburgh last night. Although, tonight won’t be the same story. The visitors are expected to roll out Jonas Johansson in net, who just makes it outside the bottom 10 in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60. Furthermore, the Lightning are still conceding too many shots and chances – 10th-worst in Shots Against Per 60 and 15th-worst in High Danger Chances Against Per 60.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond is Nashville’s top line, who also happens to have one of the best line matchups on the slate. Winger Filip Forsberg is reaching hard to pay up for territory, but that is not the case for his center and linemate, Ryan O’Reilly. O’Reilly is a full $2.1K less on DraftKings compared to his counterpart and over his last five games, he has 2 goals, 2 assists, 14 shots, and 2 blocked shots. The biggest thing to mention here is O’Reilly’s massive uptick in shot volume over his last three games – 13 shots. In the five games prior, he had a combined nine shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Miller (DK $7.5K || FD $9.5K)
- Compher (DK $4.5K || FD $5.6K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Patrick Kane - DK $5.5K || FD $6K
Opponent - San Jose Sharks
Let’s try this again, shall we? After Kane did not ultimately make his season and team debut with the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, he is confirmed to be making his debut tonight. Do keep in mind that his minutes will be limited, but he will be run through the gambit, playing on the second line and having a share on the top power-play unit. Despite the lack of minutes to help him get into game shape, Kane is fully expected to get onto the score sheet. The Sharks are the worst team in all metrics coming into tonight and Detroit has one of the highest goal totals on the slate because of it. At $5.5K on DraftKings and $6K on FanDuel, Kane is worth every penny.
Jakob Silfverberg - DK $2.6K || FD $3.4K
Opponent - Chicago Blackhawks
With numerous options to pay up for at essentially all of the positions, it is incredibly important to find a few value pieces and veteran Jakob Silfverberg fits the bill. The winger has been elevated to the second line ever since teammate Mason McTavish went down with an injury. In the three games since the promotion, Silfverberg has four shots and one blocked shot. The production is far from what is needed, although having a minimum salary creates a large window to hit value. The Blackhawks are the fifth-worst in Shots Against, the third-worst in Scoring Chances Against, the second-worst in High Danger Chances Against, and the fourth-worst in Goals Against – all Per 60.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Bratt (DK $6.8K || FD $7.8K)
- Marchment (DK $4K || FD $4.9K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Drew Doughty - DK $4.2K || FD $5.3K
Opponent - Montreal Canadiens
Doughty saved face on Tuesday with a late game-winning goal and he is now on a two-goal game streak. During the 4-3 win over Columbus, he also had three shots and one blocked shot. Throughout his most recent five games, he has 2 goals, 2 assists, 7 shots, and 11 blocked shots. The Kings have another favorable matchup in Montreal. The Canadiens are the seventh-worst in Shots Against, the fifth-worst in Scoring Chances Against, and the 12th-worst in High Danger Chances Against – all Per 60.
Jake Sanderson - DK $4.5K || FD $6K
Opponent - Toronto Maple Leafs
Sanderson is back to his $4K range salary due to inconsistencies from all of Ottawa. In his last five games, he has nine shots and 11 blocked shots. Sanderson started off the season as one of the hottest defensemen in the league and has since cooled off despite being on the top pairing and top power-play unit. In a matchup against the Maple Leafs at home, he has a solid chance of finally breaking his six-game point drought.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Jones (DK $4.7K || FD $5K)
- Hughes (DK $4.2K || FD $4.6K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- SJ1
- DET1
- TOR1
- OTT1
- DAL1
- LA1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- NJ: Toffoli-Hischier-Toffoli
Chalk Stack
- DET: DeBrincat-Compher-Kane
Sneaky Stack
- VAN: Joshua-Blueger-Garland
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis