When playing NHL DFS, most people will look at a slate and try to determine the winners of each matchup before building their lineups.
There is some merit to this, because there are two key situations where you should absolutely want to be able to pick winners in your lineups.
The first one is you need a winning goalie. This is integral to your team because picking up the bonus points at the end of the night can jump you past the cash line or to the next pay level.
The second situation is empty net goals. I want my DFS skaters to be shooting at the empty net at the end of the game so I have a shot at picking up additional points late.
But other than these two spots, I really don’t care who wins. And you shouldn’t either.
Here’s why:
When building NHL DFS lineups, you should be looking for goals above all else. They are worth the most points for position players, which means being able to spot a high-scoring game is your most important asset.
Once you’ve pegged a game as having a good chance for multiple goals, take a look at the rosters and use players skating on the same lines to fill in your lineups.
It sounds a lot easier than it actually is, but knowing the basic premise for picking winning lineups is half the battle.
I would say on a slate like tonight, 11 games, you should only try to pick a winner in 2 or 3 of them. Use the goalies from those 3 games that you’ve picked as the winners, and use the position players as plugs if needed so that you might catch end of game empty netters. (If you’re not already targeting them as the core in your lineup.)
For the rest of the games, just take a look at recent trends and what types of teams are playing. Some teams, like the Devils and Panthers, are defense-first clubs that won’t see as many goals scored as teams like the Oilers or Lightning.
It’s important to keep these factors in mind when building your lineups. Look for goals first, wins second. Then watch your lineups finish higher on a more consistent basis.
DFS ARMY VIP MEMBERSHIP
There’s never been a better time to get registered as a DFS Army VIP! We just launched the Domination Station and it’s already spitting out winning lineups for our members. Our best in breed NFL cheat sheet includes custom DFS Army projections, Values, DVP, Targets, Workloads, Trenches Breakdowns, too much to list. The idea is to give our members the tools they need to compete with the big boys. The last, and possibly best part of our membership, is our DFS Army Team Slack Forums. All of our pros are fixtures in there answering questions and talking strategy. We all help each other and root one another on during big sweats. We’ve built a great community and the method works. If you want to check out DFS Army VIP Membership FREE it’s simple. Register for one of the DFS Sites below with a new depositing account. I’ll hook you up with a free month of DFS Army VIP membership as well as the links to download our DFS Strategy eBooks.
FanDuel – They are running a special where you get five free entries to paid contests when you register a new depositing account via this link
DraftKings – You get a ticket ($20) to the Millionaire Maker contest when you register via our link
FantasyDraft – Get a deposit match of up to $600 when you register via our link
Fantasy Aces – Get their top new player bonus offer
Boom Fantasy – Boom has a completely new take on DFS. Instead of a salary cap, to build a team. They have contests where they throw questions at you during the games. Who will score the next TD? What team? Which QB will throw for the most yards? They issue different point totals based on which player or answer you chose. The game-play is definitely designed for casual players. In my case, as a Jets fan, it matched me up with an opponent based in Pittsburgh and asked questions based on the Jets/Steelers game. I tried it out and it was easy to play. We set up a deal with them where new users via our link, that deposit $20 or more, get a deposit match as well as $10 in Boom Cash which can be used immediately to enter paid contests.
Remember to email me at [email protected] to get your eBooks and free month of DFS Army VIP membership when you register a new depositing account via the links above!
7 p.m. New Jersey Devils at Boston Bruins
The Devils were the first team I mentioned as a defense first system because they have traditionally been only that.
This is the organization that invented the Neutral Zone Trap, and they’ve played some variation of a trap ever since.
This season is no different, as they’ve scored just 5 goals in 3 games. And they’ve only given up 6.
Those are low totals, which is why I wouldn’t look to this game as the best bet for goals tonight, even though Boston’s top line has started the season on a white hot pace.
If there’s any plays in this game it would be just higher risk GPP plays.
For the Devils it would be Taylor Hall, who finally broke free on Tuesday with both goals in New Jersey’s 2-1 win over Anaheim. He’s skating on a line with Travis Zajac and PA Parenteau, but a full like stack is probably a little much, even for GPP, as there will be higher scoring options on the night.
Also in New Jersey is goalie Cory Schneider should he get the start. Boston is one of the teams that fires the puck from everywhere, so Schneider will see a lot of rubber. But he’s one of those rare goalies that plays better with constant pressure, so he’s always on the GPP radar. He’s capable of 40 saves and a 2-1 on any given night.
And as we mentioned before, Boston’s top line is blazing hot and should get consideration in GPP, and if it weren’t for their opponent, they’d be a surefire cash play.
David Backes, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand have found instant chemistry together and have combined for 16 points in 3 games. Not bad at all.
I always knew Marchand was a pest to play against, but watching him a bit more closely this year I’m very impressed by his hands and his poise with the puck. He and his line mates will be DFS staples throughout the year.
7 p.m. Anaheim Ducks at Philadelphia Flyers
The Ducks are still looking for their first win of the year at 0-3-1, but they’re getting a team that they are traditionally strong against.
The Flyers haven’t beaten the Ducks since December 2nd, 2011. And they haven’t beaten the Ducks at home since February 2nd, 2008.
I still wouldn’t call them one of my guaranteed wins for the night, but whoever gets the start in goal should get some GPP consideration.
It’s hard to stack Anaheim’s PP1 unit, because after the most recent line shuffle, the 3 forwards on the unit play on 3 different lines.
Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, the Ducks best players for the last decade, are split up on the top two lines again. If i was picking one to have a better game, it would be Getzlaf. He’s off to a decent start with 4 points this year, and he’s playing on a line with Jakob Silverberg and Nick Ritchie.
For the defensemen, I love the way Sami Vatanen plays hockey. He’’s got great stick skills and jumps up in the play often. He’s recorded two points so far, and should find the net to the tune of 50+ points this year.
But the hottest defenseman in Anaheim has been Cam Fowler, who has 2 goals and 4 points to tie Getzlaf for the team lead. Fowler sees the PP1 minutes with Vatanen on the back end, and both are solid GPP options tonight.
The Flyers will welcome Brayden Schenn back after serving a 3 game suspension, and he will join Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds on the top line. This is a strong GPP play and borderline cash play, as the talent on this line, plus the power play minutes can lead to big time fantasy scoring.
If you’re looking for a cheap punt play to fill out a lineup, you can take a look at Philadelphia forward Matt Read. Some people had figured him to be the odd man out once Schenn returned, but Read picked up 3 goals in the first 3 games to keep his roster spot secure. He’s seeing third line minutes with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Dale Weise.
7 p.m. San Jose Sharks at Pittsburgh Penguins
We get our first Stanley Cup Final rematch tonight with the Sharks in town to face Pittsburgh.
It’s a shame the Pens don’t have a healthy Crosby, because it would have been fun to see these two high-powered offenses go at each other at full strength.
The Sharks have picked up right where they left off, with one of the best top lines in the league and solid secondary scoring. They also boast the best power play in the league, anchored by defenseman Brent Burns who just can’t stop scoring.
Burns has 8 points in 4 games this year, and he’s a matchup proof defenseman that should be in your lineup whenever you can afford him.
The top line of Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl has also performed well, and are a play in all formats.
The Penguins haven’t exactly been lighting the world on fire with their offense yet, but you know it’s just a matter of time until the goals start pouring in. If they get into a run-and-gun type of situation tonight, they have the ability to put up a big number.
Defenseman Kris Letang should be a play in all formats. He is expensive, but he sees a lot of ice time and creates a lot of offense.
A GPP play for the Penguins offense would be their 2nd line of Nick Bonino, Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin.
I also like Penguins center Matt Cullen as a punt play as he has 3 points in 4 games. He centers the third line but also sees PP2 minutes now.
7:30 p.m. Washington Capitals at Florida Panthers
I would never recommend fading Alex Ovechkin until the day he retires. He’s still a play in all formats tonight, even facing a tough opponent that specializes in shutting down opposing team’s offenses.
Ovechkin got going on Tuesday with a goal and an assist with 5 shots in a 3-0 win over Colorado. He also was double shifting on power plays to the point that he stayed on the ice for the full 2 minutes most of the time.
This has a huge fantasy impact because adding him to your lineup gives you a ton of exposure to high quality minutes with the best pure goal scorer in the league.
Ovechkin is playing even strength minutes with Evgeny Kuznetsov and TJ Oshie.
He sees the PP1 minutes with Oshie, Nick Backstrom, Marcus Johansson and defenseman John Carlson.
For the Panthers, i still like their top line as a GPP play. Alex Barkov, Jaromir Jagr and Jonathan Marchessault have clicked, combining for 8 points in the first 3 games.
7:30 p.m. Colorado Avalanche at Tampa Bay Lightning
There will be goals in this game.
Tampa has 13 goals in their first 3 games, while Colorado has scored 10 and given up 11.
This game gives a good opportunity to land on a line to have a big night.
We will start with Tampa. They’re top 6 is solid all the way through and you really can’t go wrong with either of them.
Jonathan Drouin has picked right back up from his strong performance in last year’s playoffs. He has 4 points in 3 games and he’s playing with Steven Stamkos and Ondrej Palat. Stamkos also has 4 points and Palat has 3. This line is a play in all formats tonight.
Palat and Stamkos also see PP1 minutes together.
TB2 is half a notch below the first line, but also a play in all formats. This line is comprised of Tyler Johnson, Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov. They’re capable of outscoring TB1 at any time, and the matchup warrants a look at both lines tonight.
Tampa defenseman Anton Stralman is still seeing the PP1 minutes, but it hasn’t yet translated into production. He’s scoreless on the year while defensive partner Victor Hedman has 3 assists.
Stralman is cheaper, so if you need a defenseman at that price point he’s a solid play anywhere, but if you’re able to pay up for Hedman then definitely do so.
The Avalanche also have a good chance for goals tonight, and if you want to go contrarion then this is your opportunity.
Nathan MacKinnon is leading the Avs in scoring with 4 points and playing on the top line with Gabriel Landeskog and Jerome Iginla.
McKinnon and Landeskog also see power play minutes together, but on the 2nd unit.
The Avs first power play unit is a Frankenstein combination from three of their offensive lines. Iginla, Blake Comeau, Matt Duchene and Carl Sorderberg combine with defenseman Tyson Barrie to make up the unit.
Barrie is a play in all formats.
Of this unit, only Duchene and Soderberg see even strength minutes together, second line with Mikhail Grigorenko. They’re a high-upside GPP play. Grigorenko is a solid cheap punt option if you’re in salary cap trouble.
7:30 p.m. Arizona Coyotes at Montreal Canadiens
The Habs are coming off an impressive 4-0 win over the Penguins on Tuesday and are 2-0-1 on the young season.
They’ve been lead by the play of the top line, Brendan Gallagher, Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty. Each of them has 3 points in 3 games and are a solid play in all formats tonight.
This line has some speed and skill and matchup well against Arizona who have the same type of skill set which could translate into multiple goals on the rush.
These three also see the PP1 minutes with defensemen Shea Weber and Andrei Markov. They are each also plays in all formats tonight.
A low owned play out of Montreal could be defenseman Jeff Petry, who somehow leads the team with 4 points in 3 games. He quarterbacks the 2nd power play unit featuring Andrew Shaw, David Desharnais and Alex Radulov. All of them are GPP options tonight.
The Coyotes have not disappointed their fans this year, carrying their freewheeling style back into the 16-17 season.
They’ve only play 2 games, but there have been 18 goals scored in them. Eight of them have been by the Yotes.
The scoring has been pretty balanced through the first three lines, so the only must-start tonight is AZ defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. He has 2 goals, 9 shots, and quarterbacks the PP1.
The Coyotes first line is still a high-upside GPP play with Martin Hanzel, Max Domi, and Radim Vrbata.
here’s also a solid GPP option on the third line with Jordan Martinook, Shane Doan, and Bard Richardson. This line provided timely scoring last season, and Martinook has 2 goals and 3 points in the early going.
8 p.m. Toronto Maple Leafs at Minnesota Wild
There’s goals in this game as well.
Minnesota’s offense came alive on Tuesday with 6 goals in a win. However, they also gave up 3 goals to the struggling Kings.
This is good news for Toronto, and also good news for DFS players.
The Leafs are playing the second half of a back-to-back, but their young legs can handle it this early into the season. Look for opportunities for goals on both sides of the puck.
Wild defenseman Ryan Suter is one of the more dependable players in the league, and he comes at a much cheaper cost than the other elite defenseman. He plays half the game and see the PP1 minutes, and remains a play in all formats tonight.
MIN1 right now is Zach Parise, Charlie Coyle and Eric Staal. They also see the PP1 minutes and are worth a look for GPP’s. I would say Parise and Coyle are borderline cash plays as well, but Staal has yet to get going with just one goal in 3 games.
MIN3 was a pretty solid low-owned option last year, and they get a good matchup tonight to surprise some people. Right now the line features Nino Neiderreiter, Erik Haula, and Jason Pominville.
Auston Matthews has added just one assist since his 4 goal outburst on the first night of the season. But he’s still getting his scoring chances, and had an opportunity to bury an overtime winner in Winnipeg last night but failed to convert.
He gets another good matchup tonight in Minnesota, and can be considered a play in all formats tonight. You can stack with him William Nylander and Zach Hymen as Coach Babcock is yet to shuffle his lines this year.
I’d also look at TOR2 of Tyler Bozak, James vanRiemsdyk and Mitch Marner. They’ve played well and have their fair share of opportunities. Marner has 11 shots in 3 games. They will eventually start to drop and this line will pop a big game sooner rather than later.
8:30 p.m. Los Angeles Kings at Dallas Stars
Dallas all day here.
I feel a little guilty picking against the Kings so often this year, but it has worked so far so there’s no real reason to stop. They’re 0-3 and I just don’t view them as a contender anymore.
Tyler Seguin. Jamie Benn. These two might be the chalk play of the night, so fielding their supporting cast might be just as important as getting them into your lineup. They each have 3 points in 3 games and should have plenty of room to work the puck against a LA team that’s given up 12 goals in their 3 games.
Patrick Eaves is still the other winger on this line, and he’s got 3 assists in 3 games and can be stacked with Benn and Seguin or used as a standalone punt if needed.
On the back end, John Klingberg still QB’s the PP1 and Jason Spezza also sees PP1 minutes, so keep an eye on them both for GPP consideration.
The only thing I hate about Dallas is the goaltending situation. I’m still not sure if Antti Niemi or Kari Lehtonen is the starter. I do like the Stars to get the win tonight, so neither of them are a bad play, but they will most likely give up a couple of goals enroute to the win.
9 p.m. Carolina Hurricanes at Calgary Flames
The Flame took a huge step forward on Tuesday with a 4-3 win over Buffalo.
The problem is that star forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan are still not finding the scoresheet regularly.
If they don’t get it going tonight against Carolina, then it might never happen.
Because of the matchup, and their track record at home, I like Monahan and Gaudreau as plays in all formats tonight.
As of this morning Kris Versteeg is still seeing time on CAL1 with Monahan and Gaudreau, so be sure to monitor that situation after the practice report, because if he skates with them tonight he becomes a cheap option for all formats as well.
A lower owned play for the home team would be CAL3 of Lance Bouma, Mikael Backlund and Machael Frolik. They’re currently leading the team as Backlund has 4 assists and Frolik has added 3 goals.
For Carolina, defenseman Justin Fualk is also a play in all formats with 4 points in 3 games and he pretty much plays the whole game.
Journeyman Lee Stempniak is currently leading the Canes in scoring with 5 points, and he’s playing on the top line with Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask. This line is a low-floor but high-ceiling GPP option tonight.
9 p.m. St. Louis Blues at Edmonton Oilers
Don’t look now, but the Edmonton Oilers are 3-1 and the highest scoring team in the league with 17 goals.
So, yes, Connor McDavid should still be in your DFS lineup tonight.
It’s no surprise how talented this kid is, even Wayne Gretzky is calling him the most talented 19-year old he’s ever seen play. He’s got 6 points in 4 games and, I know it’s early, but i like his chances at hitting 100 points this year.
He’s playing on a line with Jordan Eberle and Milan Lucic. They’re stats aren’t too shabby either. Eberle has 5 points and Lucic has added 3. This line is a play in all formats.
Also for Edmonton is third line center Leon Draisaitl. He also sees PP1 minutes with EDM1 and defenseman Andrej Sekera. Draisaitl has 6 points in 4 games as well, and is an interesting player to fit into your lineup.
He works as a standalone, as a stack with the PP1, and also as a low owned stack with wingers Patrick Maroon and Anton Slepyshev. Maroon and Slepyshev aren’t as consistent as the others, so they can be treated as a risky but cheap GPP play with Draisaitl.
For St. Louis, they will also have several looks at the net tonight as Edmonton has given up almost as many as they’ve scored this year (15).
Edmonton likes to take chances and can still get caught deep if they don’t finish off the rush, and the Blues are a team that can make you pay for that as their top-6 is littered with goal scorers.
STL1 is currently Alex Steen playing the middle with Vlad Tarasenko and David Perron.
I like Steen better as a center, because he has a great shot and will see better opportunities from the middle of the ice. He already has 5 points this season, but only 1 goal on 8 shots. Tarasenko has added 4 goals and 6 points, and this line is a play in all formats tonight.
Blue defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Pietranglo see the PP1 minutes and are both solid options in all formats tonight.
Shattenkirk has slowed down since his 3-point game to start the season, but he is still good value at his price point below the other elite defensemen.
I’m also obligated to mention STL2 center Paul Stastny because he has 6 points in the first 4 games and sees PP1 minutes. He works as a standalone or as a lower owned stack with wingers Robby Fabbri and Ty Rattie.
If you want to sneak Stastny in as a couplet, i like him better with Fabbri over Rattie.
10 p.m. Buffalo Sabres at Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver has won all 3 games and have kept the scores relatively low, scoring 8 goals and only giving up 5.
I like them for a win tonight against Buffalo, and goalie Jacob Markstrom is a solid play in all formats. He will probably be on the cheaper side too.
If you look at Vancouver’s team leaders, you’ll see two familiar faces at the top. Daniel and Henrik Sedin each have 2 points in 3 games to tie for the team lead. They’re a high-end GPP play tonight because of their matchup. If they can get the cycle game going, they’re still dangerous, and they will have many multi-point games still to come this year. Tonight might be one of them.
On defense, Alex Edler hasn’t found the scoresheet yet, but he sees the PP1 minutes with the Sedin twins, and he has played over 24 minutes in every game so far this season, seeing as much as 26:23 against Calgary on opening night.
Edler is a pretty cheap option as well, so might work as a standalone in all formats or stacked with the Sedins.
Best of luck tonight and see you in the DFS Army SlackChat!