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 Thursday, January 9, 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 1/9/25
Tonight, we have a ten-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 Edmonton with 3.9, New Jersey with 3.8, and Vegas with 3.8. I will do my best to guide you through this ten-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
Joseph Woll - DK $7.4K || FD $7.3K
Opponent - Carolina Hurricanes
Joseph Woll is playing phenomenal hockey in the net for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the metrics show. Over his last five games, the netminder has a perfect 5-0 record, posting a 2.00 Goals Against Average and a 0.934 Save Percentage. Dive deeper into his last ten away metrics, and he has a 2.07 Goals Against Average, a 0.921 Save Percentage, and a 0.36 Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60.
The Carolina Hurricanes are the fifth-best team when analyzing value in Shots Per Goal Per 60 on the slate, with 13 shots per goal. Furthermore, they are the second-best in Shots Per 60 and they barely sit in the bottom of the league in Goals Per 60. As long as Woll can get going early, he has an opportunity to be the ‘Goalie of the Slate’.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Blackwood (DK $8.1K || FD $7.5K)
- Vasilevskiy (DK $7.9K || FD $7.6K)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NHL DFS Picks
Matt Duchene - DK $5.2K || FD $6.7K
Opponent - Philadelphia Flyers
The duo of Matt Duchene and linemate Jamie Benn–mentioned in ‘Others To Consider’ are playing lights out since they were mentioned in this article two weeks ago. Within his last five games, he has three goals, five assists, 16 shots, and one blocked shot. He and the second line of the Dallas Stars now get a friendly matchup in Philadelphia against expected starter Aleksei Kolosov.
The Flyers’ netminder is a bottom-three goaltender in the last ten games in Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 for all goalies who have played a minimum of 80 minutes. Expect Duchene to produce three shots and one point.
Adam Fantilli - DK $3.2K || FD $5K
Opponent - Seattle Kraken
Sean Monahan is expected to be out for a minimum of two weeks after his injury on Tuesday, leaving Adam Fantilli to take over all respective duties, including the top line center and the top power-play unit. At only $3.2K on DraftKings, any sort of production from Fantilli grants him immediate value. The young center has produced two goals, two assists, eight shots, and seven blocked shots over his last five outings.
The Seattle Kraken are not playing abysmal hockey, but they are not playing great, either. In their last ten away games, in Per 60 metrics against, they are in the bottom of the league in Expected Goals and High Danger Chances. They are also the worst in Goals. This calls in Seattle’s expected netminder Philipp Grubauer, who in his last ten away games has a 5.26 Goals Against Average, a 0.837 Save Percentage, and a -2.48 Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60. Fantilli will be expected to be the ‘Value Player of the Night’, and he will also push for one of the best overall players on the slate.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- McDavid (DK $9.8K || FD $8.7K)
- Point (DK $8.6K || FD $8.3K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Wings - NHL DFS Picks
Jordan Kyrou - DK $6.1K || FD $6.8K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
Jordan Kyrou is coming into this optimal matchup versus Anaheim with a two-goal game streak. The winger has produced three goals, two assists, 20 shots, and five blocked shots throughout his last five appearances. That is an average of four shots per game. He is also the focal point of offense for the second line of the Blues, setting him up for high shooting potential each night.
In Anaheim’s last ten away games, in Per 60 metrics, they are the fifth-worst in Shots, the second-worst in Scoring Chances, and the worst in both High Danger Chances and Expected Goals. How is Anaheim still competing, one may ask? Plain and simple, their goalies are playing on their heads each night and if not for them, the Ducks would be the worst team in the league. Even if Kyrou doesn’t record a point tonight, the expected sheer shot volume will be enough for his salary.
Dmitri Voronkov - DK $5.6K || FD $6.6K
Opponent - Seattle Kraken
Dmitri Voronkov’s linemate and fellow winger Kirill Marchenko (DK $6.7K || FD $7.7K) is over $1K more than him on DraftKings but producing half of Voronkov’s output. This leads the article to the former. Voronkov has five goals, one assist, 16 shots, and five blocked shots over his last five outings. Considering Sean Monahan is out and took his fair share of shots, Voronkov may be relied upon moving forward to carry more of the offense.
As mentioned, Seattle is just below average in defense, and their expected goalie is one of the worst over the last ten games. It is expected that Voronkov will maintain and surpass value tonight.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Bratt (DK $6.8K || FD $7.4K)
- Benn (DK $4.7K || FD $6.3K)
DraftKings and FanDuel Defensemen - NHL DFS Picks
Dougie Hamilton - DK $5.8K || FD $6.2K
Opponent - New York Rangers
The once-dominant Dougie Hamilton came and went much quicker than anyone could have predicted. A strong two-way defenseman who could match up against anyone. Hamilton may not be that same defender, but he is certainly raising his game. Hamilton has recorded three assists, 19 shots, and four blocked shots in his last five games. In all but one game in that window, he took at least four shots!
The New York Rangers are no slouch offensively, and he could benefit from a few blocked shots tonight. His bread and butter will remain in his shot volume and potential point production against New York’s weak defense. In their last ten home games, in Per 60 metrics against, New York is the fourth-worst in Shots, the third-worst in both Goals and Expected Goals, and the worst in High-Danger Chances.
Cam Fowler - DK $3.8K || FD $5K
Opponent - Anaheim Ducks
The narrative is in play tonight. Cam Fowler will play against his ex-Ducks for the first time since being traded. The same Ducks that he played 99 percent of his career with. He will also do that with a role on the top pairing and as the quarterback on the top power-play unit for the Blues. Fowler has recorded three goals, one assist, 11 shots, and nine blocked shots over his last five appearances.
The Anaheim Ducks, as mentioned above, remain stranded defensively. Unable to shut down their opponent despite having three ‘shutdown’ defensemen. Keep in mind that Fowler just recorded his 100th career goal, too. The floodgates may finally be opening with the weight of that accomplishment gone.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Karlsson (DK $5.5K || FD $6.3K)
- Chisholm (DK $2.7K || FD $4K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- CBJ1
- STL1
- TB1
- EDM1
- NJ1
NHL DFS Stacks of the Day
Brandon's Stack
- CBJ: Voronkov-Fantilli-Marchenko
Chalk Stack
- STL: Buchnevich-Thomas-Kyrou
Sneaky Stack
- NYR: Kaliyev-Brodzinski-Bedard
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis