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Welcome, RotoBallers! My name is Brandon, and I'll be writing both The First-Serve and The Kick-Off for tennis and soccer. 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 Monday, January 6, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. EST. Be sure also to check out RotoBaller's 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 X @df_solutions or in our premium Slack chat. Best of luck, and also, Happy New Year!
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NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 1/6/25
Tonight, we have a twelve-game slate and no teams playing on a back-to-back. Tonight’s slate offers value across the board, offering creativity when building lineups.
The currently live top three highest implied team totals are New Jersey with 3.6, Washington with 3.6, and Colorado with 3.5. I will do my best to guide you through this four-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:00 p.m. EST.
DISCLOSURE: Make sure to monitor the NHL news feeds for the latest player status and injury news.
DraftKings and FanDuel Goalies - NHL DFS Picks
Sam Montembeault - DK $7.2K || FD $6.9K
Opponent - Vancouver Canucks
Sam Montembeault has a true fight in the net ahead of him with the sudden rise of fifth-rounder Jakub Dobes. In his first two NHL starts, the latter is now 2-0 against both Florida and Colorado while posting a 0.48 Goals Against Average and a 0.982 Save Percentage.
Meanwhile, Montembeault has a 3-2 record in his last five starts with a 2.86 Goals Against Average and a 0.893 Save Percentage. Furthermore, in his last 10 home appearances, he has a 2.41 Goals Against Average, a 0.911 Save Percentage, and a 0.44 Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60.
There is one primary concern regarding Vancouver, though. In their last ten games without splits, in Per 60 metrics, they are bottom-ten in Goals but also bottom-ten in Shots. This will emphasize Montembeault’s ability to make saves to maintain value.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Blackwood (DK $8K || FD $8K)
- Thompson (DK $7.8K || FD $7.8K)
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— 🇺🇦Shockmain (@Shockmain) January 6, 2023
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
Dylan Strome - DK $6.1K || FD $6.5K
Opponent - Buffalo Sabres
Dylan Strome may see less ownership than he should, thanks to Florida, Colorado, and New Jersey all being on the slate tonight. The top-line center has one goal, five assists, 12 shots, and six blocked shots throughout his last five games. His strong shooting volume may come as a surprise despite centering teammate and winger Alex Ovechkin, who is mentioned below.
The Buffalo Sabres are a bottom-ten team in all meaningful metrics over their last 10 games from a Per 60 point of view. Furthermore, they are also a bottom-10 team when analyzing their last 10 home games. Expected starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (DK $7.6K || FD $7.1K) has not performed well over his last ten home games either.
In that stretch, the netminder has a 3.27 Goals Against Average, a 0.888 Save Percentage, and a -0.82 Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60. Expect Strome and company to produce two points at a minimum tonight.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- MacKinnon (DK $10.2K || FD $9.1K)
- Hischier (DK $6.7K || FD $7K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Alex Ovechkin - DK $8K || FD $8.7K
Opponent - Buffalo Sabres
Alex Ovechkin missed sixteen games due to a leg injury, but he CAN STILL DO IT!! The star winger of the Washington Capitals is hunting down a goal record that some may have thought could never be caught. A goal total of 894 by Wayne Gretzky, otherwise known as the ‘Great One.’
The former needs 23 more goals to surpass the all-time legend and has roughly 38 games left to achieve the accomplishment. This leads us to why he is considered a ‘LOCK’ in most matchups moving forward. Washington is full go on setting Ovechkin up for anything and everything.
As mentioned above, Buffalo is a bottom-10 team in every Per 60 metric right now over their last 10 games without splits and with splits. Plus, their goalie is in poor form. This leads the goal-hungry veteran to a potential ceiling performance in an optimal matchup tonight.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Verhaeghe (DK $6.8K || FD $6.7K)
- Lehkonen (DK $5.7K || FD $6.8K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Uvis Balinskis - DK $2.5K || FD $3.9K
Opponent - Colorado Avalanche
Uvis Balinskis will not turn heads with his jaw-dropping production. However, he does produce enough peripherals to make him worth the dart throw. Over the defenseman’s most recent five outings, he has two assists, six shots, and seven blocked shots.
The Colorado Avalanche will be peppering the net all night with shots, and in a high-paced matchup, Balinskis will have the opportunity to make value just from blocked shots. Add in that teammate and fellow defender Aaron Ekblad is expected to be out, setting up Balinskis for a big night.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Chychrun (DK $5.5K || FD $6.5K)
- Dunn (DK $4.9K || FD $6.6K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- NJ1
- WAS1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- NJ: Hughes-Hischier-Noesen
Chalk Stack
- WAS: Ovechkin-Strome-Raddysh
Sneaky Stack
- MTL: Anderson-Dvorak-Gallagher
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
