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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 Tuesday, December 5, 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!
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NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 12/5/23
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 an eight-game slate and no teams playing on a back-to-back. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are: Colorado with 4.3, Los Angeles with 4.0, and the New York Islanders with 3.8. I will do my best to guide you through this eight-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
Mackenzie Blackwood - DK $7K || FD $6.8K
Opponent - New York Islanders
Blackwood is far from being the most ideal goalie on tonight’s slate; however, he may be one of the most optimal at his position. In his last five games, he has a 1-3-1 record with a 3.18 Goals Against Average and a 0.896 Save Percentage. Keep in mind though that Blackwood is within the top 25 goalies in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 who have played 120 or more minutes this season.
That still doesn’t take away the fact that the Sharks are having a historically bad season and they are the second-worst in Goals Against Per 60 and the worst in Shots Against Per 60, Scoring Chances Against Per 60, and High-Danger Chances Against Per 60. This is surely a ‘boom-or-bust’ play at goalie tonight. One thing to remember though. The Islanders are the fourth-worst in Goals For Per 60 and could be down both Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Lyon (DK $7.7K || FD $7.7K)
- Gustavsson (DK $7.6K || FD $6.7K)
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
Vincent Trocheck - DK $6.2K || FD $6.2K
Opponent - Ottawa Senators
Trocheck was quickly written off in the books this season after a poor start and due to his history of not being a solid contributor in the top six; however, things have changed. The center is on fire and that could be thanks to linemate Artemi Panarin’s blazing hot form or just because Trocheck is setting up quality chances. Either way, he is still underpriced in what is expected to be a fast-paced shootout in Ottawa. In the center’s last five appearances, he has 1 goal, 6 assists, 22 shots, and 3 blocked shots. With the Senators being in the bottom 10 in all meaningful metrics, it sets up Trocheck and the second line to have a good night.
Phillip Danault - DK $4.7K || FD $5.6K
Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets
Danault is not the most sought-after player when building lineups, although he does have a prime matchup tonight in Columbus. The entire Kings second line has a solid matchup against the Blue Jackets’ top line, which happens to be their worst defensive line, conceding a combined 93 Scoring Chances Per 60. In Danault’s most recent five games, he has 1 goal, 2 assists, 9 shots, and 2 blocked shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- MacKinnon (DK $9.6K || FD $9.9K)
- Hischier (DK $5K || FD $5K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Patrick Kane - DK $5.5K || FD $6K
Opponent - Buffalo Sabres
It would not be surprising to see Patrick Kane’s ownership 30 percent or higher in almost all contests tonight as the veteran and star winger with his more than manageable salary makes his long-awaited return to the NHL after a lengthy injury recovery. To make things even more interesting, Buffalo, who was thought to be one of the top teams to get his signature, will be hosting him as a Detroit Red Wing -- old rivals of the Chicago Blackhawks.
In 19 games last season with the New York Rangers, Kane managed 5 goals, 7 assists, and 12 points along with 45 shots. Yesterday, Red Wings center J.T. Compher missed practice and in his stead, Joe Veleno took over the second line. If this ends up being the game lineup, expect Patrick Kane to be fed all game.
Artemi Panarin - DK $8.5K || FD $10K
Opponent - Ottawa Senators
Now that all of the family drama has subsided for Panarin, the winger has taken off. In his last five appearances, he has 5 goals, 4 assists, and 17 shots. He is carrying the bulk of the Rangers’ offense right now with the help of linemates Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere. As mentioned above, this is expected to be a fast-paced meeting with Ottawa and they are no stranger to conceding goals. It would be shocking for Panarin to not register at least a point in this outing.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Fiala (DK $6.6K || FD $7.1K)
- Lee (DK $3.2K || FD $4.5K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Drew Doughty - DK $4.6K || FD $5.2K
Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets
Thanks to the lack of production from Doughty this season and the Kings' defense in general, the former comes at a significant ‘discount’ tonight. Throughout his last five games, Doughty has 1 goal, 2 assists, 5 shots, and 13 blocked shots. Surprisingly, the bulk of his production is coming on defense now, whereas in the past, it came on the offensive side of the puck.
Nevertheless, the Blue Jackets are the sixth-worst in Scoring Chances Against Per 60 and they are the fifth-worst in both Shots Against Per 60 and Goals Against Per 60. Furthermore, Elvis Merzlikins is the projected starter for tonight. In his last five starts, he is averaging 2.6 Goals Against Per 60.
Devon Toews - DK $4.4K || FD $5.5K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
This is a more speculative play until further notice. Teammate Cale Makar missed the last game due to an undisclosed injury and Devon Toews took over the top pairing and top power-play unit as a result. In that game, he had two shots and two blocked shots in what was a 4-1 loss to the Kings. In the four games before the last, Toews had 1 goal, 6 shots, and 5 blocked shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Fox (DK $5.5K || FD $7K)
- Hronek (DK $5.1K || FD $6.5K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- COL1
- LA1
- NYI1
- NJ1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- LA: Fiala-Danault-Moore
Chalk Stack
- COL: Nichushkin-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Sneaky Stack
- SJ: Eklund-Hertl-Barabanov
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
