DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks (10/12/23): Today's Top NHL DFS Lineups

1 year ago by Brandon Wampler

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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 on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 7:00 PM 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 @df_solutions, or in our premium Slack chat. Good luck, RotoBallers!

NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 10/12/23

We have finally made it! The 2023-2024 season is upon us and we welcome the next generational talent, Connor Bedard to the front and center! With many big moves over the offseason – Karlsson to Pittsburgh – and many signings during Free Agency, this season will make for yet another interesting race to Lord Stanley!

Tonight we have a 7-game slate and no teams playing on a back-to-back. The currently live three highest implied team totals are Vegas with 4.1, New Jersey Devils with 4.1, and Dallas with 4. I will do my best to guide you through this seven-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

Devon Levi - DK $7.5K || FD $7.4K

Opponent - New York Rangers

Levi didn't disappoint in his preseason play and he is now the favorite for the starting job in Buffalo, especially after his play at the end of last season. The young netminder has stepped up to the plate quickly and he has an ideal matchup against interstate rivals, the New York Rangers. Yes, the visitors have added during the off-season, however, they will be relying heavily on Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere to produce this year, something they have struggled thus far. With many options on the slate, Levi is a great way to also be a bit contrarian when entering 'Single Entry' contests. In seven games played last year, Levi had a 0.53 Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60.

Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):

Thompson (DK $8.2K || FD $8.2K)
Saros (DK $7.7K || FD $7.5K)

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

Chandler Stephenson - DK $5.4K || FD $6.5K

Opponent - San Jose Sharks

The second-line center had a career year last year and topped it off with his first Stanley Cup. Stephenson managed to set a new mark for both assists and points – 49 and 65 respectively –. He has already opened his account for the 23-24 campaign, notching 1 goal, assisting 1 goal, and taking 2 shots in the 4-1 win against Seattle on Tuesday. The Sharks are a far cry away from being mentioned in the playoff conversation and they will be rolling out Kaapo Kahkonen to start the season. Last season, the Sharks were the third-worst in Goals Against Per 60 and in the bottom ten in both Scoring Chances Against Per 60 and Shots Against Per 60. Furthermore, Kahkonen was the ninth-worst goalie in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 when considering all goalies starting five or more games. Stephenson and company are in for a big night tonight, especially considering that he may see a lot of San Jose’s second line featuring Mikael Granlund, someone exiled out of Minnesota and Pittsburgh.

Sean Couturier - DK $4.8K || FD $4.3K

Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets

Couturier has risen! All jokes aside, the Flyers center has returned from a lengthy injury once again, and hopefully, for his own sake, he can play a full season this year. It has been so long since he last played, that he was actually the #2 center behind Claude Giroux. Furthermore, the last season where he played 75 percent or more of the games was in the 19-20 season. In 69 games, he had 22 goals, 37 assists, 59 points and 185 shots. His salary to open up the 23-24 campaign is very low, especially considering his role and his opponent. Couturier is on the first power-play and the first penalty kill for the Flyers and the Blue Jackets are a god-awful team. Last year, they were the worst in Goals Against Per 60, the second-worst in both Scoring Chances Against Per 60 and Shots Against Per 60, and the third-worst in High-Danger Chances Against Per 60 and they don’t have goaltending to save them. Expected starter Elvis Mezlikins was the fifth-worst in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 when considering all goalies who played five or more games. Couturier is expected to maintain value and the entire Flyers top nine is well worth the consideration tonight.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):

Eichel (DK $7.9K || FD $7.9K)
Cozens (DK $5.9K || FD $5.8K)

DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks

Tyler Toffoli - DK $3.6K || FD $6.8K

Opponent - Detroit Red Wings

Plug and play and wash your hands of all sin. Toffoli should be an automatic ‘lock’ for tonight at his salary. It is criminal that a winger of his pedigree playing alongside Jack Hughes is under $4K on DraftKings. Last season with Calgary in 82 games, Toffoli had 34 goals, 39 assists, 73 points, and 268 shots. The Red Wings last season were the ninth-worst in Goals Against Per 60 and the eleventh-worst in Scoring Chances Against Per 60. However, Ville Husso performed well in the net considering all variables. Despite that, New Jersey is expected to once again go deep in the playoffs this year and Hughes and Toffoli will be a big piece of the puzzle.

Mark Stone - DK $6.2K || FD $6.4K

Opponent - San Jose Sharks

To continue the chalk plays of the night, we return to San Jose. In the 4-1 win over Seattle, Stone had 2 assists, 1 shot, and 1 blocked shot. His peripherals were far from expected, however, his points surely made up for it. Stone is a shooter through and through and that will start to show as the season takes form. Last season in 43 games played, he had 17 goals, 21 assists, and 113 shots. As mentioned, San Jose does not have a good defense or goalie, leaving Stone as one of the top-expected wingers on the slate tonight.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):

Gaudreau (DK $6.3K || FD $6.3K)
Farabee (DK $4.1K || FD $4.8K)

DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks

Alex Pietrangelo - DK $6.4K || FD $6.1K

Opponent - San Jose Sharks

To cap off the Vegas stack, we have Alex Pietrangelo. The veteran defenseman is one of the most valuable defensemen to start the season. He is pulling an Alex Ovechkin and playing on both power plays with the only major difference coming in the role on the power-play – Pietrangelo is the quarterback –. In his season debut against Seattle, he managed three shots and two blocked shots but failed to record a point. That is expected to change tonight when he and the Golden Knights ride into San Jose. Last season in 80 games, he had 13 goals, 31 assists, 44 points, 227 shots, and 164 blocked shots. It won’t be much longer before his salary surpasses $7K on DraftKings and this will be one of his top matchups of the season.

Cam York - DK $3.5K || FD $4.2K

Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets

York is once again getting the opportunity to showcase his skills and prove he can handle a bigger role with the club. Last year in his third season in the NHL, he played 54 games and scored 2 goals, assisted 18 goals, and managed 42 shots and 69 blocked shots. The peripheral game was almost non-existent. Despite the inconsistencies of the young defenseman, he has a juicy matchup to start the season and for under $4K on DraftKings, you can’t beat the value.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):