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 on Tuesday, May, 9th, 2023, 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], via Twitter @df_solutions, or in our premium Slack chat. Good luck, RotoBallers!
Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 10% off using code BALLER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!
NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 5/9/23
The National Hockey League playoffs have yet to disappoint this season – depending on who your team is – as it flaunts its competitive parity with multiple upsets in the first round, notably Presidents’ Trophy winner Boston Bruins and reigning champions Colorado Avalanche.
During the playoffs, it is much more common to find low-scoring and heavy-hitting games. Keep in mind that teams who showcase a high aptitude to score goals will play much tighter and be a bit pickier with their shots. Tonight we have a 2-game slate as we head to the middle of Round 2 of the NHL Playoffs. I will do my best to guide you through this two-game slate on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:00 p.m. EST.
DISCLOSURE: Make sure to monitor the news feed and play at your own risk.
Playoff Series Standings
Carolina Hurricanes 2 at New Jersey Devils 1
Dallas Stars 1 at Seattle Kraken 2
Goalies
Jake Oettinger - DK $7.8K || FD $8.4K
Opponent - Seattle Kraken
As the playoffs go deeper and deeper, it is a matter of finding trends before they happen, especially at goalie. After dropping Game 1 5-4 in overtime, Oettinger had a big Game 2 performance, winning 4-2 with a 0.926 Save Percentage. In Game 3 Oettinger and all of Dallas had their worst performance of the playoffs losing in dramatic fashion, 7-2. It is imperative that they win Game 4 before heading back to Dallas to take insurmountable amounts of pressure off them at home. The Kraken is in the middle of the pack in both Shots For Per 60 and Goals For Per 60 in the playoffs. Oettinger will need to be sharp and sharp early to not only gain confidence back but also to maintain any sort of value.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP): Schmid (DK $8K || FD $8.1K), Grubauer (DK $7.5K || FD $7.5K)
Centers
Jack Hughes - DK $8.2K || FD $9.5K
Opponent - Carolina Hurricanes
In unsurprising fashion, Jack Hughes announced himself to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the series, scoring 2 goals, assisting 2 goals and taking 4 shots. Although many may point to the difference of playing at home, the true reason for Hughes’s sudden uptick in production was because of the difference in his linemates’ skill. In Game 3, both Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer were moved to Hughes’s wings and he looked like a completely different player. The Devils will be running if not the same lineup in Game 4, a very similar lineup and it is expected that Hughes will be at the forefront of scoring once more. Through 10 games in the playoffs, he has 5 goals, 4 assists, 42 shots and 1 blocked shot.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Hintz (DK $7.5K || FD $8K), Beniers (DK $4.3K || FD $4.7K)
Wings
Jordan Eberle - DK $4.5K || FD $5.3K
Opponent - Dallas Stars
Eberle is looking like prime Eberle back during his days in Edmonton. The winger had his best season since 2013-2014 where he scored 24 goals and assisted 39 goals in 81 appearances, this year in 82 appearances, he has 20 goals and 43 assists. In the playoffs with at least 14 TOI, the Kartye-Beniers-Eberle line is the 9th-best line with an Expected Goals Percentage of 71.8 Percent. They have also done a very good job limiting the dangerous top line of the Stars too. If Seattle is to walk away from this series, Eberle and company are going to be a big reason why.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Seguin (DK $6K || FD $5.1K), Mercer (DK $4.6K || FD $4.1K)
Defense
Vince Dunn - DK $4.8K || FD $5K
Opponent - Dallas Stars
Dunn remains a hot commodity in about any position. The defenseman had an assist and 2 blocked shots in the 7-2 win against Dallas in Game 3 and he now has one assist in each game this series. Throughout the playoffs, in 10 games, he has 1 goal, 3 assists, 19 shots and 15 blocked shots. His peripherals and more so points are not nearly where they were in the regular season, however, he seems to be heating up. In a big Game 4 at home, it is the perfect spot for Dunn to rack up a plethora of shots and blocked shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Pesce (DK $4K || FD $3.9K), Suter (DK $3.3K || FD $4K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- NJ1
- DAL1
Brandon's Stack of the Day
- DAL: Marchment-Domi-Pavelski
Chalk Stack
- NJ: Meier-Hughes-Mercer
Sneaky Stack
- CAR: Dury-Staal-Necas