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 postseason, 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 Thursday, May 16, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Be sure also to 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 5/16/24
The race for Lord Stanley continues!! Welcome to the Nightmare Bear Part Three. Can Carolina continue its desperate form in front of its home crowd and push a Game 7 at the Big Apple, or will it finally succumb to the building pressure? Tonight, we have a two-game slate and no teams playing on a back-to-back. The currently live top-two highest implied team totals are Vancouver with 3.6 and Carolina with 3.2. I will do my best to guide you through this two-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.
Playoff Series To-Date
New York Rangers at Carolina Hurricanes: New York is leading 3-2
Edmonton Oilers at Vancouver Canucks: Series is tied 2-2
DraftKings and FanDuel Goalies - NHL DFS Picks
Frederik Andersen - DK $8.2K || FD $8.1K
Opponent - New York Rangers
Carolina returns home for its second potential series-ending matchup with the New York Rangers. Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen has to be sharp in the net if they want to continue to survive in this series. In Game 5 at New York, Andersen managed to produce a 1.02 Goals Against Average and a 0.952 Save Percentage. A similar performance is needed if he is to assure his team makes it to a Game 7. In his last five playoff games, he has a 3-2 record with a 2.77 Goals Against Average and a 0.886 Save Percentage. It remains to be seen if his last performance is more of an outlier or not.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Skinner (DK $7.8K || FD $8K)
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— 🇺🇦Shockmain (@Shockmain) January 6, 2023
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
Jordan Staal - DK $3.2K || FD $4.6K
Opponent - New York Rangers
Captains are built for the playoffs, right? Jordan Staal certainly is. This is the most productive the center has been all season. Throughout his most recent five playoff appearances, he has one goal, 18 shots, and eight blocked shots. Why is he performing so well? It could be for a multitude of reasons and one of the main reasons is because of his line matchup. Staal and Co. see New York’s second line -- most productive line -- for the bulk of the game. New York’s second line is dynamic offensively, but poor defensively, leading to a plethora of chances on both ends of the ice to produce peripherals. At almost minimum salary on DraftKings and playing with the most talented line he has seen all season, expect the captain to continue to thrive in a do-or-die Game 6 at home.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Lindholm (DK $4.9K || FD $6.2K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - DK $5.3K || FD $6.9K
Opponent - Vancouver Canucks
Right as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins starts to gain chemistry and form, he is pulled once again to go to a new line. Luckily for him, he is reuniting with star center, Connor McDavid. In RNH’s last five playoff games, he has one goal, six assists, and eight shots. Every game matters in the playoffs; however, if RNH and the Oilers are able to take a win back home to Edmonton, they have the chance to clinch the series in front of their home crowd. With plenty of big names to pay up for, Nugent-Hopkins offers the optimal salary and production for half the ownership.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Lafreniere (DK $5.1K || FD $6.4K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Brady Skjei - DK $4.3K || FD $5.8K
Opponent - New York Rangers
It’s the return of Brady Skjei. Yet again, the two-way defenseman makes it into the article, thanks to his all-around play. In Game 5, Skjei produced one assist, three shots, and one blocked shot. Throughout his most recent five playoff games, he has one goal, three assists, 12 shots, and five blocked shots. For the last two games of the series, it is do-or-die for Carolina and similar to Jordan Staal above, Skjei also sees a bulk of his ice time against New York’s second line. In what should be a back-and-forth battle, expect the defenseman to generate three shots and two blocked shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Myers (DK $3.3K || FD $3.9K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- EDM1
- VAN1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- VAN: Joshua-Lindholm-Garland
Chalk Stack
- EDM: Nugent-Hopkins-McDavid-Hyman
Sneaky Stack
- CAR: Martinook-Drury-Necas
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis