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 Saturday, December, 30, 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!
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NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 12/30/23
We have finally made it! The 2023-2024 season is just about halfway done as the holiday season closes. There have been some surprises in the good and the bad, and generational talent Connor Bedard has not disappointed. With teams still in flux and many unwritten stories yet to take fold, the race to the Stanley Cup is heating up!
Tonight we have a seven-game slate and five teams playing on a back-to-back: New Jersey, Nashville, Washington, Carolina and Toronto. The currently live top-3 highest implied team totals are: Florida with 4.1, Pittsburgh with 3.8 and Toronto with 3.7. I will do my best to guide you through this seven-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
Yaroslav Askarov - DK $7.3K || FD $6.5K
Opponent - Washington Capitals
Depending on whether you need $300 extra for lineup building on DraftKings is whether you take Askarov or Allen. Also need to consider if you want to stack the Panthers or not. Here, Askarov is the champion who gets highlighted. The Capitals are playing in the second half of a back-to-back with new line combinations and a staggering 5-1 loss at the hands of the Islanders.
The only downfall to running Askarov is his limited floor and ceiling. The Capitals over the season are the fourth-worst in Shots For Per 60, but they are the third-worst in Goals For Per 60. If he concedes more than a goal, his value could be shot. If you want a floor goalie from save volume, look at Jake Allen of Montreal who will be traveling to Florida to play the Panthers.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Jones (DK $7.9K || FD $8.1K)
- Allen (DK $7K || FD $7K)
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!
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— 🇺🇦Shockmain (@Shockmain) January 6, 2023
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
Sam Bennett - DK $4.5K || FD $5.2K
Opponent - Montreal Canadiens
Nothing like taking a nice stroll down Panther Parkway, expecting goals from the second line and not getting them. Bennett and company are struggling in more ways than one and it is honestly a bit of a head-scratcher for most. The trio is one of the top lines in the entire league in terms of production. Luckily, they are hosting the Canadiens who are coming off a 5-3 loss in Cary, North Carolina.
In that matchup, they were dominated the entire game by the top line. Typically, Montreal’s top line – the reason they lost –, sees both the first and second line of the opposition. In that specific game, they strictly saw Carolina’s top line for the majority of the game. Nevertheless, Bennett and the Musketeers will have ample opportunity as well to produce. In the center’s last five games, he has 1 goal and 15 shots.
Mika Zibanejad - DK $6.2K || FD $7.9K
Opponent - Tampa Bay Lightning
Zibanejad’s salary has fluctuated at the bottom of the $6K range for a few games now, despite his constant production. In his last five games, he has 5 goals, 5 assists, 15 shots and 2 blocked shots. Now he gets another prime matchup in Tampa Bay. The Lightning are still in the bottom ten in both Shots Against and Goals Against – both Per 60 –. Vasilevskiy is also not playing his best game, conceding 13 goals in his last five starts.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Crosby (DK $7.8K || FD $9.1K)
- Geekie (DK $3.8K || FD $4.4K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Rickard Rakell - DK $3.8K || FD $4.9K
Opponent - St. Louis Blues
Welcome to the ‘chalk’ of the slate. If any non-Penguins fans paid attention to Rakell at all to start the season they would have been confused as to why he was playing so poor. As suspected, he was playing with an injury to start the season and it was severely hampering his production. Since his return – four games –, he has 2 goals, 2 assists, 14 shots and 2 blocked shots.
A drastic difference of what being healthy does to a player, am I right? Over the last ten away games, the Blues are not doing terrible, conceding 15 goals in all strengths, however, they did just concede five goals in a high-scoring affair to the Chicago Blackhawks. If the Blackhawks can put up five, imagine what the Penguins can do, coming off their thumping of the Islanders.
Matthew Tkachuk - DK $6.4K || FD $6.8K
Opponent - Montreal Canadiens
It has been quite some time since Matthew Tkachuk was this ‘affordable’. The winger has 5 assists, 16 shots and 3 blocked shots in his last five appearances and he is on an eight-game goal drought. Surprisingly, Tkachuk is not scoring as many goals this season and that could be part of why the second line is underperforming so much in the goal department. Over the season, the Canadiens remain in the bottom five in Shots Against, Scoring Chances Against and High Danger Chances Against – all Per 60 –. If the Panthers can crack open Allen early, expect a goal fest.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Forsberg (DK $7.4K || FD $9.2K)
- Nugent-Hopkins (DK $5.5K || FD $7.2K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Simon Nemec - DK $3.5K || FD $4.4K
Opponent - Boston Bruins
After a big win last night, Nemec and the Devils head to TD Garden for a battle with the Bruins. This game is expected to be as fast-paced as the matchup with the Senators last night. This provides the perfect game script for Nemec to thrive. The rookie defenseman has 2 assists, 10 shots and 8 blocked shots in his last five games. Nemec is currently filling the role of teammate Dougie Hamilton – shoot and block shots with points coming as a bonus –. Nemec will have ample opportunities to maintain and exceed value here.
Marcus Pettersson - DK $3.4K || FD $4.4K
Opponent - St. Louis Blues
Ever since Pettersson’s promotion to the top pairing, he has been a force to be reckoned with. The two-way defenseman has 8 assists, 7 shots and 12 blocked shots in his last five games. Pettersson is already ten points away from tying his career-high – 24 points in the 22-23 season –. As long as he shares ice time with the Penguins top line and Kris Letang, he will always have the chance for an explosive night.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Fox (DK $5.5K || FD $7.2K)
- Roy (DK $3.9K || FD $4.5K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- FLA1
- PIT1
- TOR1
- NYR1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- NSH: Forsberg-O’Reilly-Nyquist
Chalk Stack
- FLA: Verhaeghe-Bennett-Tkachuk
Sneaky Stack
- BOS: Marchand-Coyle-DeBrusk
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
