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, January 23, 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 1/23/24
We have finally made it! The 2023-2024 season is just about halfway done as the holiday season closes. There have been some surprises, both good and 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 nine-game slate and two teams playing on a back-to-back: Vegas and San Jose. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are: Edmonton with 4.8, New York Rangers with 4.0, and Buffalo with 3.7. I will do my best to guide you through this nine-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
Ilya Sorokin - DK $7.8K || FD $7.9K
Opponent - Vegas Golden Knights
Weighing in as the second-best valued goalie on the slate, Sorokin has his hands full. Vegas has now scored four or more goals in three of their last four games. However, only one of those four games was away. Nevertheless, Vegas is starting to find form and in their last 10 games, not excluding splits at even strength, they are in the top 10 in Shots For Per 60 and sit just outside the bottom 10 in Goals For Per 60. If Sorokin can have a vintage performance, he can easily surpass value. In the netminder’s last five performances, he has a 1-3-1 record with a 3.01 Goals Against Average and a 0.917 Save Percentage.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Gustavsson (DK $8.1K || FD $7.5K)
- Blackwood (DK $7.1K || FD $6.8K)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
Connor McDavid - DK $K || FD $10.4K
Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets
Unsurprisingly, Connor McDavid and the rest of Edmonton will be one of the biggest ‘chalk’ stacks of the slate due to their home matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Excluding even strength splits in the last 10 games, the Blue Jackets remain in the bottom three in Shots Against Per 60, Scoring Chances Against Per 60, and Goals Against Per 60.
Furthermore, in their last 10 away games, they are being outscored 30 to 37, and expected starter Daniil Tarasov is in the bottom five in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 when analyzing all goalies who have played 120 minutes or more in their respective team’s last 10 games. For McDavid, he has one goal, three assists, 20 shots, and four blocked shots in his last five outings. If he doesn’t get at least two points in a favorable matchup at home tonight, the field will be astonished.
Shane Pinto - DK $2.5K || FD $3K
Opponent - Montreal Canadiens
Shane Pinto has finally returned to the NHL after sitting out due to a lengthy sports betting suspension to start the season. In his season debut on the third line, Pinto had one assist and two shots. Despite Pinto being out for so long, his performance was much better than most would have anticipated and it provides hope for Senators fans who are begging for a turn in fortune.
Keep in mind that Pinto’s debut was also in Philadelphia and now he gets a much improved matchup at Montreal. It is the same Canadiens on a different day. Excluding even strength splits, in their last 10 games they are in the bottom five in Shots Against Per 60, Scoring Chances Against Per 60, and High Danger Chances Against Per 60. However, they are just outside the top 10 in Goals Against Per 60, indicating that their goalies are standing on their heads. If Pinto and company can break through early, it could be a goal fest in Montreal.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Horvat (DK $7.1K || FD $8.6K)
- Rossi (DK $3.9K || FD $5.7K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - DK $6.1K || FD $7.3K
Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets
Part 49, ‘Return of the Nugent-Hopkins’. RNH always manages to make it back into articles and for good reason. He does play alongside one of the ‘greatest’ players to ever play the game. In the winger’s last five games, he has three assists, 20 shots, and one blocked shot. Nugent-Hopkins is averaging one shot less than what is needed for the Shots Bonus on DraftKings -- five or more shots -- and he is starting to get back into the point column again.
As mentioned above, the Blue Jackets are one of the worst teams in the league and they are expected to roll out Daniil Tarasov tonight. RNH just cracks the $6K range on DraftKings and in this good of a matchup, he is one of the top-value plays of the night.
Jonathan Huberdeau - DK $3.7K || FD $4.9K
Opponent - St. Louis Blues
Unsure what to call it, but Jonathan Huberdeau has five assists in his last five outings. He also has six shots and two blocked shots. Unfortunately, it isn't considered a bump in form with his lack of shots. Perhaps he's just been a bit lucky? Either way, Calgary is playing at home against St. Louis tonight.
Excluding all even strength splits in their last 10 games, the Blues are bottom 10 in Per 60, Shots Against, Scoring Chances Against, and High Danger Chances Against. They are also being dominated in their last 10 away games, being outscored 17 to 33. Will Huberdeau make value in a good matchup, or will he continue his struggles this season?
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Panarin (DK $8.9K || FD $10K)
- Johnston (DK $4.4K || FD $5.8K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Brock Faber - DK $4.9K || FD $5.3K
Opponent - Washington Capitals
At this point, Faber can be considered a ‘lock’ until he starts getting priced appropriately. The rookie defenseman has one goal, six assists, eight shots, and nine blocked shots in his last five games. Even though he is producing points, he still lacks a peripheral game, which will eventually haunt him. A matchup with the Washington Capitals though should see him extend his current four-game point streak, making up for the lack of shots and blocked shots.
Alexander Romanov - DK $4K || FD $4.7K
Opponent - Vegas Golden Knights
Okay, after passing Alex Romanov up on Sunday, the same mistake cannot be made twice. Romanov is having a little resurgence this year after a down year last season in his first stint with the Islanders. Throughout his last five performances, he has one goal, one assist, seven shots, and 10 blocked shots. The Golden Knights are playing at the Island in the second half of their back-to-back, setting up Romanov for a potentially big night.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Fox (DK $5.6K || FD $7.1K)
- Lindell (DK $4.1K || FD $4.7K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- EDM1
- OTT1
- NYR1
- DAL1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- NYI: Lee-Horvat-Barzal
Chalk Stack
- EDM: Nugent-Hopkins-McDavid-Hyman
Sneaky Stack
- CGY: Mangiapane-Backlund-Coleman
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis