DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks (12/21/23): 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, December 21, 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/X @df_solutions, or in our premium Slack chat. Good luck, RotoBallers!

NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 12/21/23

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, such as Erik 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 12-game slate and no teams playing on a back-to-back. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are: Florida with 3.9, Colorado with 3.8, and Arizona with 3.7. I will do my best to guide you through this 12-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:00 PM 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

Andrei Vasilevskiy - DK $7.8K || FD $7.7K

Opponent - Vegas Golden Knights

There are multiple options in the net tonight that ‘could’ have a great game. However, predicting who will work out is more than difficult. Nevertheless, in one game, Tampa Bay seems to be a much better team, beating the Blues 6-1 on Tuesday. In that game, Victor Hedman returned and there were multiple lineup changes for the Lightning. That lineup will stay the same tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights, who will either have a bad game or a great game –- going with the former, of course. Over Vasilevskiy’s last five starts, he has a 3-2 record with a 3.02 Goals Against Average and a 0.907 Save Percentage.

Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):

Jarry (DK $7.6K || FD $7.3K)
Saros (DK $7.4K || FD $7.1K)

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

John Tavares - DK $6.8K || FD $8.7K

Opponent - Buffalo Sabres

As home favorites against the depleted Columbus Blue Jackets, the Buffalo Sabres may have hit the lowest of lows in their everlasting poor stretch spanning numerous years. In that game, Buffalo conceded 29 Scoring Chances Against and 11 High Danger Chances Against; meanwhile, their goalie tandem of Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gave up four goals on 18 shots and five goals on 16 shots, respectively. After an uneventful 5-2 loss at home to the New York Rangers on Tuesday, Toronto will be looking to bounce back in a big way. In the last five appearances, Tavares has 2 goals, 4 assists, 26 shots, and 3 blocked shots.

Sam Bennett - DK $4.9K || FD $5.1K

Opponent - St. Louis Blues

As referenced, the Blues lost 6-1 in Florida on Tuesday, bringing the visitors to a whopping 27 Goals Against in their last 10 away games. That is the fourth-worst Goals Against in the league during that time frame. Over the season, the Blues are in the bottom five in Shots Against, High Danger Chances Against, and Goals Against – all Per 60. Jordan Binnington is also in the bottom-20 in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 this season when considering all goalies who have played 120 or more minutes. Bennett and the second line of the Panthers have lost their mojo, but this is the ideal spot for them to get it back. In Bennett’s last five games, he has 1 goal, 3 assists, 12 shots, and 1 blocked shot.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):

Kadri (DK $5.7K || FD $6.3K)
Bjugstad (DK $4.8K || FD $5.4K)

DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks

Mitch Marner - DK $6.7K || FD $8.9K

Opponent - Buffalo Sabres

Continuing the Maple Leafs trend, Marner is next up at the plate, or should I say crease. The winger is still under $7K on DraftKings, despite his production. Throughout his last five appearances, he has 4 goals, 5 assists, 10 shots, and 2 blocked shots. His shot volume is less than ideal. However, his point production is more than enough to make up for the low Shots Per 60. As mentioned, Buffalo is pushing the limits of their lowest low in franchise history and there is no better time than now for Toronto to deliver yet another devastating blow.

Matias Maccelli - DK $3.9K || FD $5.4K

Opponent - San Jose Sharks

A spot that could become very sneaky – unless you play in higher-entry contests – is the Arizona Coyotes. Many still don’t believe they are a good enough team, despite their success this season and they are playing the San Jose Sharks tonight. This matchup will either be a low-scoring affair or a goal fest for the visitors. Maccelli happens to be one of the best-producing players for the Coyotes this season. The winger has 2 goals, 2 assists, 15 shots, and 4 blocked shots in his last five games. The Sharks have not changed either. They still rank as the worst defensive team in all metrics in the league. For under $4K on DraftKings tonight, Maccelli may be one of the best value players at any position.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):

Verhaeghe (DK $6.3K || FD $7.8K)
Nugent-Hopkins (DK $5.6K || FD $6.9K)

DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks

J.J. Moser - DK $4.1K || FD $4.8K

Opponent - San Jose Sharks

Staying with the desert dogs, Moser has taken over the top responsibilities for Arizona since teammate Sean Durzi went down with an injury. In the five games since, Moser has 1 goal, 2 assists, 6 shots, and 7 blocked shots. Unsurprisingly, Moser has not produced many points due to his matchups in that span, but they did play San Jose once. In that game, Moser had one assist and one blocked shot. All Moser needs is a point at the very least to make value tonight.

Darren Raddysh - DK $2.7K || FD $3.6K

Opponent - Vegas Golden Knights

Along the same lines, Darren Raddysh is in a similar position. Fellow teammate and blueliner Mikhail Sergachev was injured in the first period of the dominating 6-1 win against the Blues on Tuesday night and he did not return. In his stead, Darren Raddysh took his spot on the second pairing and as the quarterback of the second power-play unit. Raddysh did not produce anything worthwhile; however, in a very promising position for $200 above the minimum salary on DraftKings, Raddysh doesn’t need much to exceed value. In his last five games, he has 2 assists, 6 shots, and 6 blocked shots.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):