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 Thursday, February 22, 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!
NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 2/22/24
The 2023-2024 season is approaching the crucial stages with the NHL trade deadline in a week and a half. Who will be buyers and who will be sellers as the race to the Stanley Cup goes full throttle!
Tonight, we have a 10-game slate and three teams playing on a back-to-back: Montreal, Toronto, and Boston. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are: Pittsburgh with 4.0, Tampa Bay with 3.9, and Colorado with 3.6. I will do my best to guide you through this 10-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
Sergei Bobrovsky - DK $7.5K || FD $8.3K
Opponent - Carolina Hurricanes
Goalies have been almost impossible to navigate this year, unless you are stacking against them. Tonight is another slate where we have multiple options, yet we are unable to predict exactly what will happen. Sergei Bobrovsky does fit the bill, though. Over the last 10 games for all clubs, he is the fourth-best in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 with a 1.19 and in his last five starts, he has a perfect 5-0 record with a 1.59 Goals Against Average and a 0.944 Save Percentage.
Furthermore, Carolina offers the second-best value in Shots Per Goal Per 60 tonight, following up their top-10 placement in Shots For Per 60 and their bottom-10 placement in Goals For Per 60. In what is expected to be a close match, Bobrovsky will have every opportunity to maintain value.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Ullmark (DK $8K || FD $8.7K)
- Saros (DK $7.1K || FD $6.9K)
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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 $6.7K || FD $7.3K
Opponent - New Jersey Devils
Trocheck is in a finicky spot tonight. Winger and linemate Artemi Panarin may be sitting this contest out after not making practice yesterday due to a lower-body issue and that would have massive implications for the second line of the Rangers.
However, Trocheck could also see a big uptick in production. With Panarin out, Trocheck and linemate Alexis Lafreniere -- see below -- would see a rise in their shot volume in what was already going to be a slate-best matchup. The Devils in Per 60 stats, over the last 10 games excluding splits, are in the bottom 10 in Shots Against and Scoring Chances Against, as well as being the third-worst in Goals Against.
Whether Panarin plays or not, Trocheck is expected to maintain value at a minimum. Over his last five appearances, he has four goals, one assist, 23 shots, and eight blocked shots.
Matt Duchene - DK $5.4K || FD $6.8K
Opponent - Ottawa Senators
In a similar light, the Dallas Stars as a whole are in a good spot coming into Ottawa. Ottawa is playing better defensively; however, their goaltending continues to fail them, sliding in the bottom 10 in Goals Against Per 60 over their last 10 games. The Senators are also a league-worst in Goals Against over their last 10 home games with 29 Goals Against.
Their middle six are their worst defensive lines and that is exactly what Matt Duchene and the second line of the Dallas Stars should see. Throughout his most recent five outings, he has four goals, five assists, 11 shots, and two blocked shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Crosby (DK $7.8K || FD $8.9K)
- Cirelli (DK $4.4K || FD $5.1K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Rickard Rakell - DK $4.5K || FD $5K
Opponent - Montreal Canadiens
It has gotten to the point that Rakell will continue to feature in the article until he sees a massive salary hike. The winger now has three assists, nine shots, and three blocked shots since rejoining the top line for the Pittsburgh Penguins and now he has his second-best matchup since his promotion.
The Montreal Canadiens have the second-worst Goals Against in their last 10 away games with 28. In Per 60 stats, excluding splits in their last 10 games, Montreal is in the bottom five in Shots Against, Scoring Chances Against, and High Danger Chances Against and they are the second-worst in Goals Against.
Rakell and the top line of the Pittsburgh Penguins remain one of the best lines in hockey and in a solid matchup with their playoff hopes on the line, expect a big performance out of them tonight.
Alexis Lafreniere - DK $4.4K || FD $5.5K
Opponent - New Jersey Devils
As mentioned above, teammate Artemi Panarin could be out tonight and Alexis Lafreniere would instantly see a rise in production. In Lafreniere’s most recent five appearances, he has one goal, two assists, 14 shots, and one blocked shot, averaging just under three shots per game. In a slate-best line matchup, Lafreniere is expected to (at a minimum) register three shots and a point against the lackluster defense of the New Jersey Devils.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Seguin (DK $4.6K || FD $5.9K)
- McMann (DK $3K || FD $5K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Miro Heiskanen - DK $5K || FD $6.7K
Opponent - Ottawa Senators
There is zero rhyme or reason as to why Heiskanen is this ‘affordable’. In his last three games, he has produced double-digit fantasy points and over his last five games, he has two goals, one assist, 17 shots, and six blocked shots. As previously mentioned, Dallas is in a big spot tonight and Heiskanen is one of multiple players who are expected to take advantage. Expect him to see north of 15 percent ownership in most contests.
Marcus Pettersson - DK $3.6K || FD $4.4K
Opponent - Vegas Golden Knights
With the continued slide of the Pittsburgh Penguins came changes to the blue line in the last game that saw Marcus Pettersson and Erik Karlsson reunite. Pettersson instantly took advantage with one goal, four shots, and three blocked shots. To compare, in his five games prior to the pairing swaps, Pettersson had two assists, eight shots, and 12 blocked shots. Pittsburgh is in a big spot tonight playing at home against the Canadiens and Pettersson could be due for another solid all-around performance.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Fox (DK $5.6K || FD $6.6K)
- Clarke (DK $4.1K || FD $4.5K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- COL1
- DAL1
- PIT1
- TB1
- TOR1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- NYR: Kakko-Trocheck-Lafreniere
Chalk Stack
- PIT: Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Sneaky Stack
- BOS: van Riemsdyk-Geekie-Richard
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis