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, March 14, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. 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 3/14/24
The 2023-2024 season is now in the final stretch as teams battle for home ice heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs!!! With multiple big trades this season and teams going all-in, the race for Lord Stanley is on!
Tonight, we have a 12-game slate and one team playing on a back-to-back, the Washington Capitals. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are: Anaheim with 4.1, Pittsburgh with 3.9, and Boston with 3.7. I will do my best to guide you through this 12-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:00 p.m. 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
Igor Shesterkin - DK $7.6K || FD $8.4K
Opponent - Tampa Bay Lightning
There are a few 'opportunities' at the goalie position tonight; however, none of them are glaring options. Although, Igor Shesterkin does have a relatively 'okay' matchup at Tampa Bay. In Shesterkin’s last five games, he has a 3-1-1 record with a 1.39 Goals Against Per 60 and a 0.953 Save Percentage.
In his last 10 games, he is the third-best goalie in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60. The Tampa Bay Lightning will not be an easy team; however, they should pump enough shots at the net for Shesterkin to have a moderate shots saved floor. Finally, the Lightning have seen a surge in goal production; however, it was against lesser opponents.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Luukkonen (DK $7.6K || FD $7.3K)
- Chrona (DK $6.8K || FD $6.6K)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
Sidney Crosby - DK $8.5K || FD $8.5K
Opponent - San Jose Sharks
The Pittsburgh Penguins are ushering in the 2023-2024 offseason quicker than any other team after an embarrassing season this year. Despite the overwhelming failures of the organization from top to bottom, their captain continues to thrive. Over Crosby’s last five outings, he has one assist and 15 shots.
Fortunately for Crosby and the Penguins, the San Jose Sharks are the perfect opponent for him to have a big bounceback game against. Unfortunately for Daily Fantasy Sports players, Crosby’s salary has inflated due to his opponent. Nevertheless, the Sharks are the fifth worst in Scoring Chances Against Per 60, the fourth worst in Shots Against Per 60, and the worst in Goals Against Per 60. The Penguins captain is expected to register two points and two shots at a minimum.
Marco Rossi - DK $4.2K || FD $5.2K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
After consistently underperforming in the first half of the season, Marco Rossi was replaced by Joel Eriksson Ek. Since then, the top line has thrived. However, Eriksson Ek will now miss the next few games at a minimum, leaving Rossi and teammates Ryan Hartman and Frederick Gaudreau to fill the void.
There is also a strong possibility that recent arrival and rookie Marat Khusnutdinov may get some time on the top line and power play unit, too. Either way, this is one of the top matchups on the slate tonight, especially after Chicago wiped the Ducks off the ice on Tuesday in a 7-2 win. In that win, Chicago’s top line dominated the game, combining for three goals and 10 assists. A similar performance is expected from the Minnesota Wild tonight.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Zacha (DK $4.8K || FD $5.7K)
- Bjugstad (DK $4.5K || FD $5.6K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Matt Boldy - DK $6.9K || FD $7.7K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
Keeping it in Minnesota, we have top line right winger, Matt Boldy. Throughout his last five appearances, he has one goal, four assists, 11 shots, and three blocked shots. As mentioned, linemate Joel Eriksson Ek will be out for a few games at a minimum. Depending from the viewpoint, this either adds pressure on Boldy and winger Kirill Kaprizov to produce or it opens up more opportunities for them as the main producers on the line.
Either way, Boldy’s shot volume has dropped recently and tonight is the ideal matchup for him to pick it back up. In Per 60 stats in their last 10 games, excluding splits, the Anaheim Ducks are in the bottom five in Shots Against, Scoring Chances Against, and High Danger Chances Against, while being in the bottom 10 in Goals Against. As mentioned on Tuesday, crack open Gibson early and it will be a goal fest, let him dial in and he could post two goals against or less.
Michael Bunting - DK $4.3K || FD $4.8K
Opponent - San Jose Sharks
At this point, Bunting is impossible to overlook. It only took him three games playing with Sidney Crosby to score his first goal since being acquired. Was the goal a dazzling beauty? Certainly not. However, he showed determination and grit, two characteristics that Pittsburgh loved in him prior to the trade.
Fast forward to tonight and he could have his first big performance for the reeling Pittsburgh fan base. As mentioned above, San Jose remains a bottom-three team in the league and Crosby and the Penguins are desperate for any signs of life. Expect a big game from Bunting, who sees top line minutes and top power play minutes, registering at a minimum two points and two shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Marchessault (DK $6.6K || FD $8.1K)
- Heinen (DK $3.4K || FD $3.7K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Brock Faber - DK $5.1K || FD $5.5K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
To cap things off in Minnesota, we have young defenseman, Brock Faber. After a very dry stretch of performances, Faber is starting to generate peripherals in bulk again and he has made a big return to the points column. Within his last five games, he has two goals, two assists, nine shots, and 12 blocked shots.
In the five games prior, he had one assist, zero shots, and five blocked shots. A dramatic uptick in production on all fronts. Include his opponent tonight and it is a match made in heaven. It is not out of the realm of possibilities that Faber rips at least three shots and produces one point.
Bowen Byram - DK $3.9K || FD $5K
Opponent - New York Islanders
Is Byram going to score two goals on four shots again tonight? Most likely not. However, the Islanders present the new Buffalo Sabre another good matchup. The two-way defenseman, as mentioned on Tuesday, is loving life in Buffalo with three goals, one assist, 11 shots, and one blocked shot in his first three games.
Playing in Colorado, Byram was used more for his defensive abilities, always having to cover for his teammates’ mistakes and saw the last seconds of a power play.
In Buffalo, Byram is playing with highly skilled players a majority of the night and he is on the top pairing and top power play unit. These are very obvious reasons why he is all of a sudden producing, but will he be able to make a dent in the surging Islanders is the question at hand.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- York (DK $4.6K || FD $4.4K)
- Miromanov (DK $3.1K || FD $3.8K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- MIN1
- PIT1
- VGK1
- BUF1
- BOS1
- ARI1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- MIN: Kaprizov-Rossi-Boldy
Chalk Stack
- PIT: Bunting-Crosby-Rust
Sneaky Stack
- ARI: Crouse-Cooley-Guenther
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis