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, April 16, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. 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 4/16/24
THIS IS IT! The final games of the regular season are here and teams are in make-or-break mode with several on the edge of clinching titles or missing the playoffs! Lord Stanley is about to take off!
Tonight we have an eight-game slate and five teams playing on a back-to-back: Detroit, Montreal, Boston, Ottawa, and Washington. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are: Vegas with 4, Vancouver with 3.9, and Carolina with 3.8. I will do my best to guide you through this eight-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
Cayden Primeau- DK $7.2K || FD $7.2K
Opponent - Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings may not be a top team in terms of raw Shots Per Goal Per 60 in their last 10 games, however, expected Canadiens starter Cayden Primeau is projected to make 30 or more saves in this contest. The Red Wings and the Canadiens will be playing the back half of their home-and-home series with Detroit making an impressive comeback last night in Detroit. The Wings need to win this matchup in order to maintain their playoff position, forcing their hand to apply pressure early and often. This could set up Primeau to save even more than originally projected. With 30 or more saves and an estimated two goals against, Primeau is expected to make value.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Ullmark (DK $8.3K || FD $8.6K)
- Greaves (DK $7K || FD $6.9K)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
Tomas Hertl - DK $4.7K || FD $6.2K
Opponent - Chicago Blackhawks
Hertl is easily one of the top ‘locks’ of the night. The ex-Sharks center has thrived in Vegas since making his debut on April 8. In four games, Hertl has two goals, one assist, eight shots, and two blocked shots. Now he gets his ‘easiest’ matchup of his short tenure with the Knights, at home, against the Chicago Blackhawks. The visitors have been outscored 10 to 27 in their last 10 away games. Furthermore, in Per 60 stats, in their last 10 games, excluding splits, Chicago is the seventh-worst in High Danger Chances Against, the fifth-worst in Scoring Chances Against, and the second-worst in Shots Against. Even if Hertl does not generate any points tonight, he should be able to maintain value from shot volume alone.
Anton Lundell - DK $4K || FD $4.9K
Opponent - Toronto Maple Leafs
Anton Lundell has a great matchup tonight at home against Toronto. However, he may have an even better matchup if teammate Aleksandar Barkov is out tonight, with the former taking over first line and top power play duties. In Lundell’s last five games, he has three goals, one assist, 16 shots, and one blocked shot. Out of 56 possible goalies in their last 10 respective games, expected starter Joseph Woll is the sixth-worst in Goals Saves Above Expected Per 60. Things look good for Florida’s final home game of the regular season.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Aho (DK $8K || FD $8.5K)
- Lindholm (DK $4K || FD $5.8K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Brad Marchand - DK $5.8K || FD $6.9K
Opponent - Ottawa Senators
It is hard to remember the last time Brad Marchand was this low in salary. The winger has guided the second line throughout the season with a handful of games where he played on the top line. Despite playing away from teammate David Pastrnak at even strength, Marchand still produced. Over his most recent five games, he has two goals, one assist, 11 shots, and two blocked shots. Ottawa remains in the bottom 10 in Goals Against Per 60 over their last 10 games, when excluding splits. The veteran is expected to have two shots and one point at the very least.
Pavel Dorofeyev - DK $3.7K || FD $4.4K
Opponent - Chicago Blackhawks
Pavel Doroyev seems to be loving life next to new teammate and center Tomas Hertl. In Doroyev’s last five appearances, he has one goal, three assists, 13 shots, and one blocked shot. Dorofeyev produced 90% of his production in the four games since Hertl’s debut. Chicago will offer the winger a chance to extend his point streak to three games. As mentioned above, Chicago remains a bottom team in the league defensively. Dorofeyev is expected to produce three shots and two points.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Tarasenko (DK $4.8K || FD $5.8K)
- Garland (DK $4.8K || FD $5.9K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Noah Hanifin - DK $5K || FD $6.1K
Opponent - Chicago Blackhawks
There are a plethora of options on the blueline tonight with Noah Hanifin a leading candidate. The two-way defenseman has turned up a few gears since arriving in Vegas from Calgary. In 17 games with the Golden Knights, Hanifin has two goals, 10 assists, 37 shots, and 30 blocked shots. Diving deeper into his last five games, he has one goal, five assists, seven shots, and 11 blocked shots. Now mentioned a few times, Chicago’s defense is below average at best, leading to Hanifin having plenty of opportunities tonight to produce. The defenseman is expected to produce two shots, one blocked shot, and one point.
Justin Barron - DK $3K || FD $3.6K
Opponent - Detroit Red Wings
Justin Barron is not only back in the lineup, but he is also on the top pairing and the quarterback on the second power-play unit. Over his last five games, he has one goal, seven shots, and six blocked shots and he produced his only goal last night in Detroit. The Red Wings are in the bottom 10 in both Shots Against Per 60 and Scoring Chances Against Per 60, leaving their goaltending to carry the bulk of the weight most of the time. Expected starter James Reimer is not as bad as he has been in the past, but he is nowhere near the level of his teammate Alex Lyon. If Barron and the Canadiens can get to the Wings early, it could be a big night in their final home game of the season.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- York (DK $4.7K || FD $5.2K)
- DeAngelo (DK $3.2K || FD $3.5K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- VGK1
- CAR1
- FLA1
- TOR1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- FLA: Tarasenko-Lundell-Reinhart
Chalk Stack
- VGK: Barbashev-Eichel-Marchessault
Sneaky Stack
- VAN: Joshua-Lindholm-Garland
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis