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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 for Thursday, March 28, 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 3/28/24
Happy Opening Day! Unfortunately, the National Hockey League thought it would be smart to schedule a full slate on the first day of Major League Baseball, but here we are! 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 14-game slate and one team playing on a back-to-back, the Ottawa Senators. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are: Minnesota with 4.1, Pittsburgh with 4.0, and Ottawa with 3.9. I will do my best to guide you through this 14-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
Jordan Binnington - DK $7.9K || FD $7.2K
Opponent - Calgary Flames
Binnington is set up for success and could be a top goalie on the slate depending how the matchup goes. The Calgary Flames were held to one goal in a 3-1 loss at Chicago and they remain on the road here in St. Louis. In Calgary's last 10 away games, they have been outscored 21 to 23 and in the last 10 home games, the Blues have held teams to 15 goals. Binnington’s form has dropped in his last 10 games; however, he still remains positive in Goals Saves Above Expected Per 60. Even if Binnington concedes a goal, his expected save volume will help him maintain value.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Jarry (DK $8.4K || FD $7.5K)
- Montembeault (DK $7.5K || FD $7K)
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— 🇺🇦Shockmain (@Shockmain) January 6, 2023
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
Sidney Crosby - DK $7.8K || FD $8.4K
Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets
Captain, oh Captain, Sidney Crosby has not aged at all. The top line center and captain for the Penguins continues to drag the deadweight forward with three goals, seven assists, 15 shots, and three blocked shots over his last five games. He also has back-to-back three-point performances in a 5-4 loss at Colorado and a dominant 4-1 win at home against Carolina for Jake Guentzel’s return to Pittsburgh.
No better time than now for Crosby and the Penguins to have a third straight three-or-more-point performance against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who in Per 60 stats, excluding splits in the last 10 games, are the second worst in High Danger Chances Against, the worst in both Shots Against and Scoring Chances Against, and the sixth worst in Goals Against. Expected starter Daniil Tarasov will need to stand on his head if the visitors have any shot of surviving this outing. Fully expect Crosby to produce two points, three shots, and one blocked shot at the very least.
Evgeny Kuznetsov - DK $3.7K || FD $5.2K
Opponent - Detroit Red Wings
Looks like the early expectations of Evgeny Kuznetsov are not quite paying off. The center has one assist, five shots, and two blocked shots in his last five games. In that time frame, he did see winger Jake Guentzel move to the top line, which could have something to do with it. Nevertheless, Kuznetsov still has Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas for wingers.
Tonight, the Hurricanes play host to the Detroit Red Wings, who in Per 60 stats, excluding splits in their last 10 games, are the third worst in Shots Against, Scoring Chances Against, and Goals Against. Furthermore, James Reimer is expected to start tonight after a week off. In his last five starts, he has a 3-1 record with a 2.98 Goals Against and a 0.911 Save Percentage. Reimer was one goal shy of averaging three goals against per start in that stretch. At this point, Kuznetsov is nothing more than a ‘punt’ with a relatively high ceiling. Against the Red Wings, if he cannot produce here, his production may have run completely dry.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- O’Reilly (DK $5.5K || FD $6.9K)
- Hartman (DK $5.5K || FD $5.8K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Drake Batherson - DK $5.5K || FD $6.1K
Opponent - Chicago Blackhawks
Batherson and the Senators are coming off a massive 6-1 win at Buffalo last night and in that victory, Batherson had one goal, one assist, and two shots. Dating it back to his last five appearances, and he has three goals, four assists, 15 shots, and one blocked shot. Tonight, the winger has a big chance to extend his point-streak to four games when the Chicago Blackhawks come into town. The visitors in Per 60 stats, excluding splits in the last 10 games, are the fifth worst in both Shots Against and Goals Agaisnst, and the 10th-worst in High Danger Chances Against.
Furthermore, out of 55 potential goalies in the last 10 respective team games, expected starter Petr Mrazek is in the bottom eight in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60. Lastly, in Chicago’s last 10 away games, they have been outscored six to 30. Batherson will be expected at the very least one point and three shots.
Drew O’Connor - DK $3.3K || FD $4.2K
Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets
Drew O’Connor is the ‘easiest’ ‘lock’ of the night tonight. The winger is not even $3.5K on DraftKings and he is playing top line minutes next to Sidney Crosby in arguably a top-two matchup on the slate. Replacing Jake Guentzel is never easy, but O’Connor’s speed and grit has certainly helped.
The winger has two goals, 15 shots, and six blocked shots in his last five games and since being promoted to the top line, in three games, he has one goal, eight shots, and four blocked shots. He is doing it all and eventually the points will start to fall for him. As mentioned, Columbus is not a sound defense by any means right now. Expect O’Connor to register one point and three shots at a minimum.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Forsberg (DK $8.3K || FD $9.5K)
- Zuccarello (DK $6.1K || FD $6.4K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Brady Skjei - DK $4.6K || FD $5.8K
Opponent - Detroit Red Wings
Back to the ‘Skjei Train’. The two-way defenseman did not showcase his abilities or his point production in an outlier of a bad performance during the 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh at home on Tuesday. Now, he gets the ultimate rebound opportunity at home against the Detroit Red Wings. As mentioned, they are not playing well defensively and James Reimer is making his first start in a week. If Skjei doesn’t produce at least one point, two shots, and two blocked shots, it will be a disappointing performance.
Declan Chisholm - DK $3.2K || FD $3.7K
Opponent - San Jose Sharks
Last player highlight and last ‘lock’ of the night. Declan Chisholm is projected to take over top power-play responsibilities from teammate Brock Faber and at just above $3K on DraftKings at home against the San Jose Sharks, this couldn’t be any better of a play. In the defenseman’s last five games, he has seven shots and six blocked shots.
His point production is hard to come by and the story hasn’t changed since leaving Winnipeg; however, Chisholm has mainly played with the third line in Minnesota, which in itself doesn’t produce much offense, if at all. Getting the opportunity on the top power play could unlock a much higher level of play for Chisholm, and as mentioned, the matchup is the best it will be for this given chance.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Karlsson (DK $5.5K || FD $6.1K)
- Liljegren (DK $4.3K || FD $4.9K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- PIT1
- CAR1
- MIN1
- OTT1
- NSH1
- TOR1
- FLA1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- MIN: Johansson-Hartman-Boldy
Chalk Stack
- PIT: O’Connor-Crosby-Rust
Sneaky Stack
- NSH: Zucker-Sissons-Beauvillier
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
