Today's NHL DFS Lineup Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel (1/21/25)

Welcome, RotoBallers! My name is Brandon, and I'll be writing both The First-Serve and The Kick-Off for tennis and soccer. 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, January 21, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. EST. Be sure also to check out RotoBaller's 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 X @df_solutions or in our premium Slack chat. Best of luck, and also, Happy New Year!

NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 1/21/25

Tonight, we have an eight-game slate and four teams playing on a back-to-back: San Jose, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, and Carolina. Tonight’s slate offers value across the board, offering creativity when building lineups.

The currently live top three highest implied team totals are Nashville with 4.4, Tampa Bay with 3.6, and Florida with 3.5. I will do my best to guide you through this eight-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:00 p.m. EST. 

DISCLOSURE: Make sure to monitor the NHL news feeds for the latest player status and injury news.

DraftKings and FanDuel Goalies - NHL DFS Picks

Logan Thompson - DK $7.1K || FD $8K

Opponent - Edmonton Oilers

Logan Thompson is on fire and has made it nearly impossible for teammate and fellow goaltender Charlie Lindgren to take back any sort of 60/40 split in the net. In Thompson’s last five starts, he has a 4-0-1 record with a 1.06 Goals Against Average and a 0.957 Save Percentage.

Diving deeper into his last 10 away starts, he has a 1.44 Goals Against Average, a 0.948 Save Percentage, and a 0.96 Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60. Furthermore, that is the highest Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 on the slate when considering all projected starters and ignoring splits.

The Edmonton Oilers are always a dangerous team to play a goalie against, and it doesn’t help they are one of the worst teams in value when assessing Shots Per Goal Per 60.

Luckily, their start center Connor McDavid is out for three games following a cross-check to the head of winger Conor Garland of the Vancouver Canucks. This is a detrimental loss for the Oilers and only boosts Thompson’s value further.

Others To Consider (Cash/GPP): 

• Shesterkin (DK $8.1K || FD $7.5K)
• Dobes (DK $7.4K || FD $7.4K)

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DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks

Elias Pettersson - DK $5.7K || FD $6K

Opponent - Buffalo Sabres

The Vancouver Canucks drama is coming to an end, and they have made it clear that Elias Pettersson is their star center going forward. They have also stacked his line, providing him with the assets needed to be successful. He has one assist, six shots, and 11 blocked shots throughout his last five outings.

Expected starter Devon Levi of the Buffalo Sabres is the furthest thing from in form right now. Of all goalies who have played at least 80 minutes in their last ten games without splits, Levi is a bottom-five goalie in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60. He also has a 1-4 record in his last five starts, with a 4.10 Goals Against Average and a 0.877 Save Percentage.

The Buffalo Sabres are a bottom-10 team in their previous ten games, without splits in all meaningful metrics at a Per 60 view. Expect the center to exceed value at Pettersson’s salary and the matchup tonight at home. 

Steven Stamkos - DK $5.6K || FD $6.1K

Opponent - San Jose Sharks

Steven Stamkos, otherwise known as ‘Stammer’, is on fire right now. Throughout his last five games, he has four goals, one assist, seven shots, and one blocked shot. He also has a three-game point streak. After struggling to start the season and his promotion to the top line for the Nashville Predators, the veteran has taken off.

He also has a prime matchup at home against the San Jose Sharks. The visitors in Per 60 metrics against, over their last 10 away games, are a bottom-5 hockey club in everything, excluding High-Danger Chances. The veteran center is projected to produce at least one point and three shots.    

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Barkov (DK $7.4K || FD $7.6K)
• Frost (DK $3.9K || FD $5.5K)

DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks

Filip Forsberg - DK $7.3K || FD $8.1K

Opponent - San Jose Sharks

Similar to teammate and center Steven Stamkos, Filip Forsberg is in terrific form. The winger has six goals, three assists, 26 shots, and two blocked shots throughout his most recent five games. Forsberg and the top line for the Nashville Predators are projected to play against San Jose’s worst line and defensive pairing, further boosting their projected ceilings tonight.

As mentioned, the Sharks are the furthest away from being a shutdown defense, and playing high-flying Predators won’t be easy. Forsberg is projected to produce two points and four shots.       

Pius Suter - DK $2.8K || FD $4.7K

Opponent - Buffalo Sabres

Pius Suter is the furthest thing from being a ‘lock’ tonight, however, his salary, role, and matchup make him too hard to pass up. Suter has eight shots and two blocked shots over his last five games.

Keep in mind the majority of these games were played in the bottom six, if not the fourth line. Now that teammate J.T. Miller is on his way out of Vancouver, someone needs to step in and fill the second line and Suter is the next man up.

As previously mentioned, projected starter Devon Levi is the furthest thing from an elite goaltender. With a Goals Against Per 60 north of 4.00 and his Save Percentage below 0.900, expect Suter to maintain value and more with ease.                                                                                     

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Kasper (DK $3K || FD $4.5K)
• Bourque (DK $2.9K || FD $4.8K)

DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks

Jake Sanderson - DK $5.5K || FD $5.6K

Opponent - New York Rangers

Does anyone remember the hype for Jake Sanderson when he debuted for the Ottawa Senators? The two-way young defenseman was producing point after point but has since cooled off and become more of a peripheral player.

In his last five games, he has two assists, 16 shots, and 19 blocked shots. He is averaging almost three shots and four blocked shots per game, easily setting him up for a floor in any matchup.

Add the New York Rangers into the mix, and it is a recipe for success. The Rangers, in their last 10 home games in a Per 60 viewpoint, are a top-10 team in Shots and a bottom-ten team in all metrics against. Considering this matchup could be closer than expected, Sanderson will be relied on heavily at both ends of the ice, setting him up for a value night at a minimum.    

Nate Schmidt - DK $3.1K || FD $3.9K

Opponent - Anaheim Ducks

Nate Schmidt continues to disappoint despite his role with the Florida Panthers. The defenseman has two assists, four shots, and six blocked shots over his last five games. With all the injuries on the blueline for the Panthers, Schmidt has found his way onto the top power-play unit, but his production has not increased. 

Nevertheless, Schmidt remains one of the top-value plays of the slate tonight at any position due to his role, salary, and matchup.

The Anaheim Ducks in Per 60 metrics against, in their last 10 home games, are much better than their away metrics. Although, they still remain a bottom-10 team in most meaningful metrics. Playing Schmidt tonight can unlock other higher-salaried players that would typically not be an option.                                                               

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Hughes (DK $8K || FD $7.3K)
• Josi (DK $7.7K || FD $7.2K)

NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks

• NSH1
• FLA1
• VAN1
• TB1

NHL DFS Stacks of the Day

Brandon's Stack

• VAN: DeBrusk-Pettersson-Boeser

Chalk Stack

• NSH: Forsberg-Stamkos-Marchessault

Sneaky Stack

• PHI: Tippett-Frost-Konecny

NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis