DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks (4/13/24): Today's Top NHL DFS Lineups

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, April 13, 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!

NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 4/13/24

With roughly one week left until the end of the season, teams are in full scramble mode to secure a playoff birth. ENSUE CHAOS! 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 seven-game slate and zero teams playing on a back-to-back. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are Nashville with 4.2, Los Angeles with 4, and Minnesota with 3.8. I will do my best to guide you through this seven-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

Jesper Wallstedt - DK $6.5K || FD $7.7K

Opponent - San Jose Sharks

Wallstedt is the ‘easiest’ goalie option there has been for quite some time. Minnesota is the clear favorite in San Jose and despite this, Jesper Wallstedt’s salary on DraftKings is only $6.5K. In two starts this season, the goalie has a 1-1 record with a 3.52 Goals Against and a 0.879 Save Percentage. Minnesota is projected to concede one goal while making 24 saves in this matchup. If Wallstedt can play to this projection, he will undoubtedly make value.

Others To Consider (Cash/GPP): 

• Primeau (DK $7.6K || FD $7.4K)
• Greaves (DK $7.1K || FD $6.8K)

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DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks

Joel Eriksson Ek - DK $7.8K || FD $7.5K

Opponent - San Jose Sharks

After a short stint, centering the second line again, Joel Eriksson Ek was promoted right back to the first line for the Minnesota Wild. Throughout his most recent five appearances, he has one assist, 21 shots, and five blocked shots. The San Jose Sharks are a bottom five team in their last ten games, excluding splits and excluding Shots Against Per 60. The Wild must win the remaining games with a few other teams losing for them to make the playoffs. Fully expect JEK to come flying out of the gates.                                

John Tavares - DK $6.7K || FD $7.6K

Opponent - Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings just got taken to the shed by the Penguins in Pittsburgh, losing 6-5 on Tuesday, and ultimately getting knocked out of a playoff spot. The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to produce a similar result. Especially considering they have outscored opponents 29 to 22 in their last ten home games. Meanwhile, Detroit has been outscored 16 to 30 in their last ten away games. In Tavares’s last five outings, he has two goals, two assists, 19 shots, and one blocked shot. The veteran center is expected at the very least, three shots and two points.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• O’Reilly (DK $5.3K || FD $7K)
• Greig (DK $2.7K || FD $3.7K)

DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks

Matt Boldy - DK $7.1K || FD $7.6K

Opponent - San Jose Sharks

Swinging back over to San Jose, we have Minnesota winger, Matt Boldy. In Boldy's recent five outings, he has two goals, two assists, 16 shots, and two blocked shots. The aforementioned San Jose Sharks are a bottom-tier team at best and with the trio of Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Matt Boldy back together, expect the latter to do big things.                        

Juraj Slafkovsky - DK $4.4K || FD $5.6K

Opponent - Ottawa Senators

Slafkovsky continues to dominate and showcase his skill in Montreal. In his last five games, he has four goals, two assists, 17 shots, and four blocked shots. The Senators are currently being outscored 14 to 24 in their last ten home games and when assessing their last ten games in Per 60 stats, excluding splits, they are just outside the bottom ten in High Danger Chances Against and they are in the bottom five in Goals Against. Fully expect Slafkovsky to generate one point and two shots at a minimum.                                   

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Arvidsson (DK $5.8K || FD $6.3K)
• Nugent-Hopkins (DK $5.3K || FD $7.8K)

DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks

Ryan McDonagh - DK $4K || FD $4.8K

Opponent - Columbus Blue Jackets

Defense is a graveyard at best tonight with very little value options. However, McDonagh fits the bill. The veteran defenseman has one assist, eight shots, and nine blocked shots over his last five outings. He will also be coming into this match with a night off, after being rested yesterday. Columbus is being outscored 10 to 27 in their last ten away games. Despite McDonagh not being offensive-savvy, it only takes a bit of puck luck against the league’s worst defense over the last ten fixtures.     

Mark Giordano - DK $3.1K || FD $3.7K

Opponent - Detroit Red Wings

With the handful of injuries on the blueline for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mark Giordano has now taken the helm of the second pairing and second power-play unit. In his only game in his new role, he had one shot and one blocked shot. In his last five games, he has one goal, six shots, and five blocked shots. Giordano is without a doubt past his prime, however, given his role and the team he is on, in a premium matchup, this is hard to pass. Expect Giordano to produce one shot and two blocked shots.                              

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Matheson (DK $6.3K || FD $7K)
• Faber (DK $5.2K || FD $5.4K)

NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks

• MIN1
• TOR1
• NSH1

NHL DFS Stacks of the Day

Brandon's Stack

• TOR: McMann-Tavares-Marner

Chalk Stack

• MIN: Kaprizov-Eriksson-Ek

Sneaky Stack

• PIT: Bunting-Malkin-Rakell

NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis