RADIO
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, April 4, 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 4/4/24
Hopefully, everyone had a wonderful Easter and is now ready for the big stretch run! 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 nine-game slate and two teams playing on a back-to-back: Tampa Bay and Los Angeles. The currently live top-three highest implied team totals are: Los Angeles with 4.0, Tampa Bay with 3.7, and Winnipeg with 3.6. I will do my best to guide you through this nine-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
Daniil Tarasov - DK $7.1K || FD $7.4K
Opponent - New York Islanders
After Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal managed to keep the Flames at bay, tonight is another low-salary play. Over the last 10 games respectively, Daniil Tarasov is the sixth-best in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60. Furthermore, in Per 60 stats, excluding splits in the last 10 games, the Islanders are in the top 10 in Shots For but they are in the bottom six in Goals For. This also backs up the fact that they are the top team in Shots Per Goal Per 60 value tonight. Even if Tarasov concedes one or two goals, his save volume alone is expected to maintain value.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Saros (DK $8.1K || FD $7.8K)
- Primeau (DK $7.2K || FD $7.2K)
Want more NHL DFS tools and content? Our NHL Premium package includes our daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Lineup Optimizer, and access to our VIP Discord Chatrooms. Doug Shain (@BanksterDFS) joins the NHL team in 2023 with his proven track record - join in on the winning!
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— 🇺🇦Shockmain (@Shockmain) January 6, 2023
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
Aleksander Barkov - DK $7.1K || FD $7.8K
Opponent - Ottawa Senators
Leading up to the eventual 5-3 loss at Montreal, the Panthers ruled out both Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk due to an injury and an illness respectively. That left Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and Vladimir Tarasenko as the top line and top producers. Barkov managed to generate one goal and four shots in the loss. Tonight it is unknown if Tkachuk will return or not. Whether he sits or returns, Barkov is in for a big night. Ottawa is in the bottom 10 in Goals Against Per 60 in their last 10 away games, excluding splits, and in their last 10 home games, they are being outscored 16 to 21. Expect Barkov to register two shots and one point at the very least.
Pierre-Luc Dubois - DK $3.3K || FD $4.3K
Opponent - San Jose Sharks
Dubois and the Kings are coming off a huge 5-2 win over Seattle last night. The highlight and focus of the win is all on the second line for Los Angeles. The trio of Trevor Moore, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Viktor Arvidsson dominated. This is a big performance and it remains to be seen if Dubois can replicate it or at the very least maintain form. However, tonight is the perfect matchup to do just that. In the last 10 home games, the Sharks are being outscored 16 to 33. Furthermore, in Per 90 stats, excluding splits in their last 10 games, the Sharks are the sixth-worst in both Scoring Changes Against and High Danger Chances Against, as well as being the worst in Goals Against. In Dubois’s last five outings, he has four assists, eight shots, and five blocked shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Crosby (DK $8.5K || FD $8.6K)
- Point (DK $7.9K || FD $9.2K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Viktor Arvidsson - DK $5.6K || FD $6K
Opponent - San Jose Sharks
Staying in San Jose, we have winger Viktor Arvidsson. As mentioned, last night he dominated Seattle, producing two assists and three shots. Tonight against San Jose, he is expected to produce a similar performance or better. In his most recent five games, he has one goal, three assists, 16 shots, and four blocked shots. Expect the winger to generate three shots and two points.
Vladimir Tarasenko - DK $4K || FD $5.8K
Opponent - Ottawa Senators
Tarasenko is potentially the biggest value play on the slate. The winger is filling in for teammate Carter Verhaeghe on the top line and top power-play unit. In his first game back in that role, he had one assist, three shots, and two blocked shots. In his five games prior in a bottom-six role, he had three goals, three assists, eight shots, and one blocked shot. If he can continue that form in his new role, he could soar next to Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. As mentioned above, Ottawa’s goalies continue to struggle. At a minimum, expect Tarasenko to generate two shots and one point. For $4K on DraftKings, this role and production are a ‘gift’.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Forsberg (DK $8.3K || FD $9.3K)
- Stamkos (DK $7.1K || FD $8.3K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Drew Doughty - DK $4.7K || FD $5.6K
Opponent - San Jose Sharks
Finishing up the Kings stack, we have Drew Doughty. The veteran defenseman is a shell of his former self and hopefully for Doughty fans or those that want a big night, he can return to his former glory. Throughout his last five appearances, he has two assists, three shots, and eight blocked shots. It's important to remember that the San Jose Sharks remain a bottom-two defense in the league and their goaltending is not any better. If Doughty can pull the trigger and produce shots, he could easily maintain value.
Kaiden Guhle - DK $4.3K || FD $4.4K
Opponent - Tampa Bay Lightning
To finish up, we have two-way defenseman Kaiden Guhle. Guhle is a man on a mission right now, producing one goal, five assists, seven shots, and eight blocked shots in his last five games. On the other end of the ice, we have Tampa Bay who is coming off a big 5-1 win at Toronto last night. It remains to be seen exactly who the starter is tonight, but with Andrei Vasilevskiy playing last night and Jonas Johansson out, it is safe to expect Matt Tomkins to entertain the net. Tomkins has not played a game since November 7, when Tampa Bay won 5-3 at Montreal. In his three appearances this season he is 1-2 with a 3.40 Goals Against Average and a 0.889 Save Percentage. If Guhle is not able to generate any points tonight, at the very least, expect him to produce two shots and two blocked shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Pulock (DK $4K || FD $4.7K)
- Walker (DK $3.5K || FD $4.7K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- LA2
- PIT1
- NYI1
- MTL1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- FLA: Tarasenko-Barkov-Reinhart
Chalk Stack
- LA: Moore-Dubois-Arvidsson
Sneaky Stack
- MTL: Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
