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, 20, 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 4/20/24
We have finally made it!! Tonight commences the race for Lord Stanley, with names etched into history.
Tonight we have a two-game slate and no teams playing on a back-to-back. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are, Carolina with 3.4, Boston with 2.9 and Toronto with 2.7. I will do my best to guide you through this two-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
DISCLOSURE: Make sure to monitor the NHL news feeds for the latest player status and injury news.
Playoff Series To-Date:
New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes: 0-0
Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins: 0-0
DraftKings and FanDuel Goalies - NHL DFS Picks
Goalies
Frederik Andersen - DK $8.1K || FD $8.2K
Opponent - New York Islanders
Neither series is going to be easy to predict, however, on paper, Carolina should dominate the New York Islanders and sweep them in four games. Both the Islanders and the Hurricanes offer value over their last ten regular season games in raw Shots Per Goal Per 60. However, New York’s defense is still subpar at best. This directs us to Carolina’s goalie in hopes of getting a win on top of the 25 or more projected saves he is expected to make. Andersen did not make either appearance against the Islanders during the regular season, however, in three seasons with Carolina, against the Islanders, he has a 3-2 record, a 0.261 Goals Against Average and a 0.905 Save Percentage.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Ullmark (DK $7.9K || FD $8K)
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— 🇺🇦Shockmain (@Shockmain) January 6, 2023
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
Sebastian Aho - DK $7.4K || FD $8.1K
Opponent - New York Islanders
Lining up at center on what is supposed to be the most dangerous line in the Carolina versus New York Islanders series is Sebastian Aho. Aho managed to play in both regular-season games against the Islanders this year, registering two goals and five shots. Furthermore, over his last five regular-season games, he had three goals, one assist, 12 shots and two blocked shots. The center has certainly thrived since winger, Jake Guentzel arrived from Pittsburgh and going against a weak Islanders defense could prove very beneficial.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Tavares (DK $5.8K || FD $7.5K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Jake Guentzel - DK $7.8K || FD $9K
Opponent - New York Islanders
All of the so-called ‘Touts’ hammered Jake Guentzel for being nothing but a product of Pittsburgh center, Sidney Crosby. Despite all of the noise, Guentzel had a solid record of producing with and without Sidney Crosby during both the regular season and the playoffs. He has proven just that with eight goals, 17 assists, 53 shots and seven blocked shots in 17 games since joining Carolina at the Trade Deadline. Where Guentzel shines the most is in the playoffs with big-time plays and series-clinching goals and assists. Over six seasons in the playoffs with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jake Guentzel has 34 goals, 24 assists and 174 shots in 58 appearances, courtesy of StatMuse.com. As mentioned, the Islanders’ defense continues to be suspect, leading to high expectations for the winger in his first post-season, post-Pittsburgh.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Palmieri (DK $4.8K || FD $6.3K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Brady Skjei - DK $4.3K || FD $5.3K
Opponent - New York Islanders
The final player highlight happens to also be the final piece to the Hurricane trifecta, defenseman, Brady Skjei. Skjei is in his most absolute form right now with five assists, 16 shots and six blocked shots in his last five games. As a second pairing defenseman and the quarterback of the second power-play unit for the Hurricanes, $4.3K is a very ‘affordable’ salary on DraftKings. Considering his strong two-way game, Skjei is expected to produce two shots, two blocked shots and one point tonight.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Mike Reilly (DK $3.2K || FD $4.1K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- CAR1
- TOR1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- TOR: Knies-Tavares-Nylander
Chalk Stack
- CAR: Guentzel-Aho-Jarvis
Sneaky Stack
- BOS: Marchand-Coyle-DeBrusk
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis