DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks (12/28/23): Today's Top NHL DFS Lineups

12 months 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 28, 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 12/28/23

We have finally made it! The 2023-2024 season is just about halfway done as the holiday season closes. There have been some surprises in the good and the 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 four-game slate and four teams playing on a back-to-back: Carolina, Los Angeles, Vegas, and San Jose. The currently live top-three-highest implied team totals are: Edmonton with 4.6, Carolina with 4.1, and Vancouver with 3.7. I will do my best to guide you through this four-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

Cayden Primeau - DK $6.8K || FD $6.9K

Opponent - Carolina Hurricanes

Primeau is the most ‘affordable’ goalie on the slate by $300 on DraftKings and he has much better odds to win his respective matchup than Mackenzie Blackwood. Furthermore, over the season, Carolina is the second-best in Shots For Per 60 and they offer the most value in terms of Shots Per Goal Per 60 on the slate. Whether Montreal does win tonight or not, it will take Carolina scoring multiple goals on a season-low shot count for Primeau to not maintain value. In his sporadic four starts this season, Primeau has a 3-1-0 record with a 2.64 Goals Against Average and a 0.916 Save Percentage.

Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):

Demko (DK $8.1K || FD $8K)
Talbot (DK $7.5K || 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

Nick Suzuki - DK $5.6K || FD $7.1K

Opponent - Carolina Hurricanes

On a small four-game slate and Edmonton in the best possible matchup -- besides them being at home -- first line center Connor McDavid will be the clear chalk of the slate. This gives the perfect opportunity to highlight others in his position instead. That keeps us in Carolina with Canadiens’ center, Nick Suzuki.

After failing to gain traction through the beginning of the season, Suzuki has caught fire in his last five games. In that window, he has 2 goals, 6 assists, 17 shots, and 4 blocked shots. Not only is he generating points again, but he is also generating a fair share of peripherals as well. Carolina will be coming back home after thumping the Predators 5-2 on Broadway last night.

What is the catch? Well, Antti Raanta, who hasn’t started for the Hurricanes in 13 days, will be due in net. Before Raanta was demoted to the AHL, in 14 starts in the NHL, he had a putrid 0.854 Save Percentage and is in the bottom 15 in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 when considering all goalies who have played at least 120 minutes this season. Suzuki and company will see plenty of chances to make a dent here.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):

McDavid (DK $9.5K || FD $10.2K)
Couturier (DK $5.2K || FD $6.5K)

DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - DK $5.6K || FD $6.9K

Opponent - San Jose Sharks

In what will most likely be the ‘chalkiest’ of plays on the slate, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is back with top line center, Connor McDavid. After bench boss Kris Knoblauch ran the Cupid Shuffle and it brought mixed results, he decided to go back to what works the best. In the two games since, RNH has 1 goal, 1 assist, 6 shots, and 2 blocked shots.

Dating it back to the winger’s last five outings, he has 2 goals, 4 assists, 17 shots, and 3 blocked shots. As mentioned time and time again in each article when San Jose plays, they are the worst team in the league and are historically bad at that. Perhaps even surpassing the Eddie Olczyk 2004 Penguins.

At this point, it will be a shock if RNH does not post at least two points tonight. Also, something to keep an eye on, expected starter Mackenzie Blackwood is battling an illness and if he does start, he won’t be at 100 percent. However, if he does not start, Kaapo Kahkonen will be expected to play in back-to-back games after getting shelled 5-1 last night by the Los Angeles Kings.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):

Svechnikov (DK $4.9K || FD $5K)

Kuzmenko (DK $3.8K || FD $4.6K)

DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks

Jan Rutta - DK $2.8K || FD $3.7K

Opponent - Edmonton Oilers

To pay up for the big guns tonight, it is imperative that there is at least one ‘punt’ play in the lineup and Jan Rutta of San Jose fits the bill. The defenseman is on the third pairing and the second penalty-kill unit -- a unit that will see significant ice time tonight.

Going up against one of the fastest teams in the league on a back-to-back spells lazy defense. This will lead to numerous power-play chances for the Oilers and numerous chances for Rutta to block shots. All he needs is three or more blocked shots and he will get the Blocked Shots Bonus on DraftKings -- three or more -- paying off his salary and some. Over his last five performances, he has 1 assist, 5 shots, and 7 blocked shots.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):