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 MLB 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 Tuesday, March 8th, 2022 at 7:00 PM, EST. 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] or via Twitter @df_solutions or in our premium slack chat. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 3/8/22
After a frenzy of goals last night we welcome a giant nine-game slate tonight starting at 7:00 p.m. EST.
We have a few teams playing on the second half of back-to-backs: Florida, Toronto, Colorado and Calgary. The Coyotes and their league's third-worst 3.55 GA will visit the Red Wings, while the Panthers and their league-best 4.07 GF will hope to prey on the Penguins.
DISCLOSURE: Things may not be the same at puck drop due to COVID-19 and injuries. Make sure to monitor the news feed and play at your own risk.
NHL DFS Goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy- DK $8.1K || FD $8.6K
Opponent - Winnipeg Jets
Andrei and the Tampa Bay defense have been subpar lately compared to their typical expectations. However, he at least has a good enough offense in front of him to stabilize the poor goaltending. The Winnipeg Jets are an inconsistent team in general and they will struggle to control Tampa Bay's dynamic scorers. If you do not feel comfortable enough spending down a little bit though, Ville Husso $8.6 on DraftKings is another option.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP): Husso(DK $8.5K || FD $8.4K), Kuemper(DK $8.3K || FD $8.3K), Lehner(DK $8.2K || FD $7.9K), Saros(DK $7.8K || FD $7.8K), Hart(DK $7.2K || FD $7.1K)
NHL DFS Centers
Dylan Larkin-DK $5.7K || FD $8.3K
Opponent - Arizona Coyotes
Larkin continues to carry the Red Wings offense game in and game out and now he finds himself in an ideal matchup. The top-line pivot will host the Coyotes and their league’s third-worst goals against (3.55). The most important piece to the puzzle though is Larkin’s shot volume. Even if he does not generate a point, his shooting alone should set a solid floor against the team that is giving up the second-most shots in the league (34.62). Through Larkin’s last five games, he has a 1-3-4 line with 16.0 shots and 2.0 blocked shots.
Niklas Backstrom- DK $3.4K || FD $5.4K
Opponent - Calgary Flames
Backstrom may not have the shot volume or really any peripherals to hold his own value, but he does have 3.0 assists in his last five games. Surprisingly, he also has 8.0 shots and 3.0 blocked shots. Now that the veteran pivot has a solid scoring line again with wingers T.J. Oshie and Anthony Mantha back in the fold, Backstrom’s production should start increasing sooner or later. At minimum salary, there is not much being asked, especially against Dan Vladar who has not played inspiring hockey lately.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Matthews(DK $9.2K || FD $10K), Kadri(DK $6.8K || FD $9.1K), Eichel(DK $6.6K || FD $6.2K), Thomas(DK $5K || FD $4.9K), Strome(DK $4.1K || FD $4.6K), Suter(DK $3.2K || FD $4.7K)
NHL DFS Wings
Jakub Vrana- DK $2.5K || FD $5.7K
Opponent - Arizona Coyotes
We will keep the gravy train running here with a forgotten face. Jakub Vrana is expected to make his season debut after fully recovering from a shoulder injury from last season. The winger was a part of the Anthony Mantha deal and was brought in to hopefully ignite a new flame for the Red Wings. He, unfortunately, has not gotten much time to make an impact, however, he will be set up for success from the start playing alongside Pius Suter on the second-line and playing one of the league’s worst defenses.
Mitchell Marner- DK $8K || FD $8.6K
Opponent - Seattle Kraken
Does anyone remember the critics from earlier this season saying Marner didn’t live up to his hype? Does anyone know where the critics are now? Marner and Matthews have been a force, carrying the Maple Leafs in every game. The winger has an incredible 5-7-12 line with 14.0 shots over his last five appearances. You combine that with a putrid defense and I believe that spells a recipe for success.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Kucherov(DK $8.8K || FD $9.9K), Tarasenko(DK $7.3K || FD $7.6K), Kane(DK $6.9K || FD $8.5K), Rantanen(DK $6.7K || FD $8.6K), Nylander(DK $5.7K || FD $7.1K), Raymond(DK $4.4K || FD $6K), Oshie(DK $3.6K || FD $5.2K)
NHL DFS Defensemen
Mortiz Seider- DK $6.4K || FD $6.6K
Opponent - Arizona Coyotes
I truly feel bad picking on the Coyotes for the third time in this article, but it is impossible to pass up highlighting Seider’s performance level right now. The defenseman is playing out of his mind and he has not posted under double-digit DraftKings points since the beginning of February. That is saying something for the rookie who at times has had to put the team on his back. He was also on a solid four-game point streak before the Florida game at the weekend. In those four games, he had a 0-6-6 line with 13.0 shots and 13.0 blocked shots. Whether he picks up a point or not, he offers one of the most steady and consistent floors at the moment.
Mikhail Sergachev- DK $4.8K || FD $5.6K
Opponent - Winnipeg Jets
Sergachev scored a goal and assist two others and he somehow sees a salary reduction. Does that make sense? No. However, we are going to say nothing and take full advantage. The defenseman as stated in a prior article is skating and handling the puck with confidence right now and it seems very little can get in the way to stop him. In his last five games, he has a 3-2-5 line with 15.0 shots and 9.0 blocked shots. Not only is Sergachev producing, but he is taking his fair share of shots, as well as, playing great defense.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Makar(DK $7.1K || FD $7.2K), Pietrangelo(DK $6.5K || FD $6.4K), Giordano(DK $5K || FD $5.2K), Drysdale(DK $4.1K || FD $4.4K), Ristolainen(DK $4K || FD $4.3K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- TOR1
- COL1
- STL1
- DET1
Brandon’s Stacks of the Day
- WAS: Ovechkin-Backstrom-Oshie
Chalk Stack
- TOR: Nylander-Matthews-Marner
Sneaky Stack
- DET: Bertuzzi-Suter-Vrana