January 25, 2018

Tom Vecchio's top NHL DFS lineup picks on FanDuel, DraftKings for 1/25/18. Expert daily fantasy hockey advice, sleepers & player recommendations.

We have a MASSIVE 15 game slate tonight, and there are good options on the board. Stacking will be big tonight, so look for some value where you can, and then load up on the star skaters where you can afford them.

Vegas lines are big when it comes to picking games to target, and that's a good place to start for goalies. When it comes to skaters, goal totals is another main place to start. Usually 5.5 goals is average, so targets games at six, and can look for goalies in games with a total at five.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/25/18. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @DFS_Tom. Let's get to it, shall we?

DFS Forwards to Consider

David Pastrnak - W, BOS @ OTT (DK - $6,900, FD - $7,400)

With the Bruins winger Brad Marchand being suspended for five games, a bit more of the offense should fall to Pastrnak. He is one of their top goal scorers, and has the potential to see a few more chances at the net. He has 45 points in 46 games this season, and is seeing time on the top forward line and the top power-play unit. Pastrnak and the Bruins are up against the Senators who are simply not good this season, and are giving up over three goals per game. Anytime the Senators are on the slate, you should feel confident rostering against them.

Jason Spezza - C, DAL vs TOR (DK - $4,100, FD -$4,900)

Spezza is on the third forward line and the second power-play unit, and brings a bit of salary relief to your lineup. He has three points in his last two games, and is taking about two shots per game. Spezza and the Stars are up against the Maple Leafs, who are on the second night of a back to back, and giving up about three goals per game. Doing a full line stack for the Dallas second power-play unit could be a nice GPP play tonight, since they should be lower owned.

DFS Defenders to Consider 

Oliver Ekman-Larsson  - D, ARI vs CLS (DK - $4,500, FD - $5,100)

Ekman-Larsson is up against the Blue Jackets who are struggling right now, so you can roster against them. Ekman-Larsson is on the first defensive pairing and the first power-play unit, so plenty of ice time for him to rack up points. He is taking over two shots per game, and is blocking about one shot per game, so he can add DFS value in multiple ways. He has four points in his last five games, so a bit of a hot hand right now.

Ryan Pulock - D, NYI @ VGK (DK - $3,700, FD - $4,000)

Pulock is on the third defensive pairing but the second power-play unit for the Islanders, who are one of the best scoring team in the league. He is a GPP play only since he isn't consistent, but has upside due to the offense. We have a full slate of games, so there is no real need to worry about ownership percentages tonight. He is cheap, so using him as a bit of a punt play isn't a bad call tonight. Those savings will allow you to get up to the bigger named skaters.

DFS Goalies to Consider

Casey DeSmith - G, PIT vs MIN (DK - $7,400, FD - $7,400)

DeSmith is likely to get the start again for the Penguins and has been playing well over his last stretch of games. He has two wins in his last three starts, and has only allowed four goals over that same span. He is one of the cheaper options on the slate, so with all the skaters on the slate to pay up for, every bit of savings can help. He is up against the Minnesota Wild, who are good but not great offensively, so rostering against them shouldn't be too much of an issue. There are so many options on the slate tonight, you could make a case for nearly any goalie, but one who is likely to come away with the win is the most important.