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 for Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. 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/X @df_solutions, or in our premium Slack chat. Good luck, RotoBallers!
Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 10% off using code BALLER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!
NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 2/13/24
We have finally made it! The 2023-2024 season is halfway complete and the All-Star festivities have come and gone! We are now entering the final stretch with many teams having an idea of where they stand for the rest of the season. This will also open up the slew of trades to be made, with Calgary and Montreal kicking things off. The race to the Stanley Cup is heating up!
Tonight we have an 11-game slate and two teams playing on a back-to-back: Seattle and New Jersey. The currently live top three highest implied team totals are Toronto with 3.9, Vancouver with 3.9, and Edmonton with 3.9. I will do my best to guide you through this 11-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
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - DK $7.3K || FD $7.1K
Opponent - Los Angeles Kings
All signs point to Luukkonen. The Kings are the second-best value team in terms of Shots Per Goal Per 60 on the slate. This comes to no surprise when analyzing the Kings’ last 10 games, excluding splits. They are in the top five in Shots For Per 60 and just outside the bottom 10 in Goals For Per 60. This immediately sets up Luukkonen for an optimal floor. Out of 50 goalies in their respective last 10 games, Ukko-Pekka is in the top 20 goalies in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60. Thanks to Luukkonen’s ‘affordable’ salary, he ranks as the second-best value goalie on the slate.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Jeremy Swayman (DK $8.2K || FD $8.7K)
- Pyotr Kochetkov (DK $7.5K || 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!
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
Nathan MacKinnon - DK $10K || FD $10.6K
Opponent - Washington Capitals
Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche are in one of the top matchups on the slate tonight. Expected Capitals starter, Charlie Lindgren, is in the bottom eight in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 in the last 10 games with a -0.14. In the last 10 games, the Capitals are also in the bottom half of the league in Scoring Chances Against Per 60 and the bottom 12 in Goals Against Per 60. Over the last five games, MacKinnon has two goals, one assist, 19 shots, and four blocked shots. Despite the history with Jonathan Drouin, the winger is ultimately getting bumped off the top line once again in favor of Artturi Lehkonen, someone Nathan MacKinnon has had past success with at the professional level. Expect MacKinnon to get a jump in production.
Erik Haula - DK $3.8K || FD $5.2K
Opponent - Nashville Predators
If you haven’t been paying attention to the drowning Devils, their savior, Jack Hughes has returned to the lineup, and their goal production has immediately seen positive regression. The biggest talking point of the center’s return is his new role. Hughes was inserted into the third line at first with center Erik Haula taking over second line duties. However, Hughes is now playing as a winger on Haula’s line. With Hughes playing as a winger, instead of a center, his production is expected to skyrocket even further than what it has been and the prime beneficiary of this newfound production will be Haula. In his first game with Hughes on his line as a winger, Haula had one assist, three shots, and one blocked shot in a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken last night. The Predators are no slouch when it comes to their defense. However, in their last 10 home games, they are being outscored 14 to 24 at even strength and the second line of the Devils has the best matchup.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Nick Suzuki (DK $5.6K || FD $7.3K)
- Josh Norris (DK $4.5K || FD $6.2K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Artturi Lehkonen - DK $4.5K || FD $5K
Opponent - Washington Capitals
Continuing with the Avalanche in Washington, we have the aforementioned Arturri Lehkonen. In the six games since returning from his lengthy injury, he has one assist, 10 shots, and three blocked shots. As mentioned, the Capitals are still floundering and expected starter Charlie Lindgren is not doing any better. Lehkonen could become one of the top-owned players on the slate in any position.
Juraj Slafkovsky - DK $3.6K || FD $4.8K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
If there is one player on the slate that is worth mentioning, it is sophomore Juraj Slafkovsky. The winger has four goals, two assists, 13 shots, and one blocked shot in his last five appearances. Luckily, Slafkovsky and the Canadiens are hosting the flightless Ducks tonight. Anaheim is in the bottom 10 in both Shots Against Per 60 and High Danger Chances Per 60, and they are in the bottom half of the league in both Scoring Chances Against Per 60 and Goals Against Per 60. The only major concern is Montreal’s poor form. They are currently getting extremely lucky in the goals department, weighing in at the bottom 10 in all meaningful offensive metrics over their last 10 games, excluding Goals For Per 60. Nevertheless, Slafkovsky is more than ‘affordable’ and with his current production, it is nearly impossible to find a player in any position with the same ceiling at that salary point.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Matthew Tkachuk (DK $7.5K || FD $8.6K)
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (DK $5.6K || FD $7.3K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Jake McCabe - DK $3.6K || FD $4.4K
Opponent - St. Louis Blues
At the time of writing, it has been announced that teammate and defenseman Morgan Reilly has received an in-person hearing with the NHL Player Safety Board, setting him up for at least a six-game suspension. Cue Jake McCabe. Currently, McCabe is set to take over Reilly’s duties on the top power-play unit for the Maple Leafs and it instantly makes him the projected highest-owned defenseman on the slate tonight. However, whether he stays on the top power-play unit is a different story with teammate Timothy Liljegren a viable option as well. Nevertheless, in McCabe’s last five outings, he has seven shots and 12 blocked shots. If he does manage to secure and hold the power-play role, McCabe is expected to see a jolt in production.
Jacob Bryson - DK $2.8K || FD $3.5K
Opponent - Los Angeles Kings
Another player who may miss tonight is defenseman Owen Power of the Buffalo Sabres. If he does ultimately miss the matchup with the Los Angeles Kings, it will be his first missed game of the season and either Jacob Bryson or Henri Jokiharju will take over the second power-play unit and second pairing duties. Going off of pure skill and history, Bryson has the better chance to take over both roles and will likely be inserted back into the lineup if Power does miss time. Throughout Bryson’s most recent five performances, he has one assist, nine shots, and eight blocked shots. Similar to Power, Bryson produces in more ways than one on the ice. Sitting just above the minimum salary on DraftKings, Bryson could quickly be a sought-after commodity to help afford the bigger names on the slate.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Mike Matheson (DK $6.5K || FD $7.2K)
- Ryker Evans (DK $3.4K || FD $K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- COL1
- EDM1
- OTT1
- MTL1
- NJ1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- MTL: Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky
Chalk Stack
- COL: Lehkonen-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Sneaky Stack
- VAN: Joshua-Blueger-Garland
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis