RADIO
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 Saturday, February 17, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. EST. 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 2/17/24
The 2023-2024 season is halfway complete and the NHL trade deadline is right around the corner. We are now entering the final stretch with many teams having an idea of where they stand for the rest of the season, making teams buyers or sellers as they enter the most crucial part of the season. The race to the Stanley Cup is heating up!
Tonight, we have a six-game slate and one team playing on a back-to-back, Carolina. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are Toronto with 4.3, Columbus with 3.5, and Vegas with 3.4. I will do my best to guide you through this six-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:00 p.m. EST.
DISCLOSURE: Make sure to monitor the NHL news feeds for the latest player status and injury news.
DraftKings and FanDuel Goalies - NHL DFS Picks
Thatcher Demko - DK $7.8K || FD $8.6K
Opponent - Winnipeg Jets
This slate is ugly in more ways than one; however, there are a few viable matchups in net with Thatcher Demko standing out amongst the rest. The Jets are the best value team in Shots Per Goal Per 60 on the slate by a good margin and when looking at their last 10 games without splits, they are in the top 10 in Shots For Per 60 and the bottom three in Goals For Per 60. They are also in the bottom three in Scoring Chances For Per 60. Demko is in hot form right now with a 4-1 record in his last five starts, along with a 2.17 Goals Against Average and a 0.917 Save Percentage. Keep in mind that he is also the first goalie to reach 30 wins in the season.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Hill (DK $7.4K || FD $8.1K)
- Montembeault (DK $7.2K || FD $7.5K)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
John Tavares - DK $6.7K || FD $7.7K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
John Tavares and the second line of the Maple Leafs may have the best line matchup of the night, going up against Anaheim’s second line. Throughout Tavares’s last five appearances, he has three goals, three assists, 18 shots, and two blocked shots. As mentioned in a prior article, the veteran center has found his groove since returning from the All-Star break. Meanwhile, the Ducks are just outside the bottom 10 in both Scoring Chances Against Per 60 and Goals Against Per 60 and they are in the bottom 10 in both Shots Against Per 60 and High Danger Chances Per 60.
Furthermore, typical starter John Gibson left injured in the third period in the 5-1 win over Ottawa on Thursday after just returning from an injury. Backup Lukas Dostal will likely take the mantle and he is in the bottom 10 in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 in the last 10 games. All signs point to Tavares and the Leafs having a good game tonight.
Chandler Stephenson - DK $5K || FD $5K
Opponent - Carolina Hurricanes
The Golden Knights could very well go overlooked despite them playing on a smaller slate tonight. The Carolina Hurricanes are no slouch, weighing in as a top-five defensive team in the league over the last 10 games. However, they are playing on the road in the second half of a back-to-back and Spencer Martin is expected to start.
Out of 52 possible goalies in the last 10 games, Martin is the second-worst in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60, going off of historical numbers. This sets up the Knights for a potential blow-up game. In Stephenson’s last five outings, he has two goals, two assists, seven shots, and one blocked shot.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Suzuki (DK $6.1K || FD $7.2K)
- Voronkov (DK $4.2K || FD $4.8K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Alex Ovechkin - DK $6.4K || FD $6.6K
Opponent - Montreal Canadiens
Can the Capitals finally have a big game tonight, or will they continue to flounder on the back of their captain? Either way, Alex Ovechkin is expected to have a big performance. The top line of the Capitals is their only consistently productive line right now and it is thanks to the ‘Great Eight’. In his last five games, he has five goals, one assist, 19 shots, and three blocked shots.
Furthermore, he currently has a six-game goal streak. The hosts remain one of the worst defensive teams in the league. They sit as the worst in Shots Against, High Danger Chances Against, and Goals Against -- all Per 60 -- and the second-worst in Scoring Chances Against Per 60. If expected starter Sam Montembeault cannot find his groove early, this game could turn into a shootout quickly.
Juraj Slafkovsky - DK $4.5K || FD $4.9K
Opponent - Washington Capitals
On the other end of the ice is Juraj Slafkovsky, another winger looking to carve his name into the history books one day. Similar to Washington, Montreal’s top line is their only consistent line right now. However, their stats suggest they should see negative regression eventually. Although, tonight is not that night.
Slafkovsky has five goals, four assists, 13 shots, and one blocked shot in his last five performances. The stretch of opponents in that time were: Washington, Dallas, St. Louis, Anaheim, and New York Rangers.
Yes, Slafkovsky has recently played in Washington where he scored two goals on three shots and also blocked two shots. The goaltending for Washington continues to be suspect at best and as long as the young winger has a good matchup, he is always one shot away from scoring.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Nylander (DK $8.3K || FD $9.8K)
- Marchenko (DK $4.9K || FD $5.6K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Timothy Liljegren - DK $3.5K || FD $4.3K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
Did this article predict it spot on or what? As predicted, Timothy Liljegren has taken over the top power play duties with teammate Morgan Reilly suspended and teammate Jake McCabe unable to perform the most basic of functions on the ice. In Liljegren’s last five games, he has two assists, seven shots, and nine blocked shots, and wait for it….his only two points came in his most recent game where he was promoted to the top power play unit and no they were not power play points. The Ducks are in a world of hurt as mentioned above and Liljegren is in a prime spot to have a big performance.
Daniil Miromanov - DK $2.8K || FD $3.7K
Opponent - Carolina Hurricanes
After a drop in form, Bruce Cassidy decided to bring back Daniil Miromanov into the fold and insert him as the top power play unit quarterback. Nothing has changed since and he comes into a prime matchup tonight, sitting just above the minimum salary on DraftKings. In two appearances this season, he has four shots and four blocked shots. In what is expected to be a fast-paced meeting with the Hurricanes, Miromanov is expected to maintain value and more.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Werenski (DK $6.1K || FD $6.7K)
- Carlsson (DK $6K || FD $6.3K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- TOR1
- VGK1
- MTL1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- VGK: Barbashev-Roy-Marchessault
Chalk Stack
- TOR: Marner-Tavares-Nylander
Sneaky Stack
- CBJ: Texier-Kuraly-Danforth
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
