NHL DFS Tournament Picks and Strategy | Snipes, Grinders, and Hard Passes Projections for Fanduel and Draftkings 1/26/22

DFS NHL is a volatile sport centering around correlation, stacking and game theory.  Learning how to win cash games and tournaments requires nailing those great upside plays/stacks, grabbing obvious value, and making the proper fades that sink everyone else’s ships.  Let’s look through today’s slate and identify those winning picks in “Snipes, Grinders, and Hard Passes!”

All of my plays make sense for the entire DFS industry; however, if there is an egregious discrepancy in player salary between sites, I will mention it in my briefing.

Snipe = Good Play
Grinder = Value Plays (Grinders are Valuable)
Hard-Pass = I’m fading in tournaments

DFS NHL Slate Overview:

5 game slate with 3 of the most popular stacks in all of fantasy hockey in play. I will be selecting my favorite stack of the group, as well as one that will go way under the radar on this given slate. No goalie is safe tonight.

Special shoutout to the Blackhawks Patrick Kane line of being my third favorite stack of the slate, but not earning a full write up. My reasoning; Patrick Kane is very good at hockey things.

Snipes and Hard Passes for Tonight

Correlated Snipe #1

Alex Ovechkin – Nicklas Backstrom – Connor Sheary

Alex Ovechkin is on pace for over 50 goals in his 2 millionth season, and now he gets to play a home game against the Sharks who love to give up piles of goals at a time with their spotty goaltending. Nicklas Backstrom is ole faithful for Alex Ovechkin, as he has been Ovechkin’s playmaking Robin to his Batman. Backstrom is a hall of famer or close to it, and should also be on the powerplay with Ovechkin in this one. Sheary is the other forward slotted on this line at the moment, but check this before locks. Sheary somehow has 10 goals this season, which is nothing to sneeze at. I really don’t have much to add to this matchup, with the Capitals just being the superior team, and a large percentage of their goals coming from Ovechkin and company.

Correlated Snipe #2

John Tavares – Mitch Marner – Morgan Reilly

Going a little off the board here by adding a defenseman to a 2 forward stack but here me out. Toronto is an interesting venue, where certain Leafs perform better at home, and Morgan Reilly, at a glance appears to be one of those guys. It is assumed that the Leafs are jumbling their forward lines to balance out the offense throughout their lineup, which makes the cheaper Tavares and Marner line more appealing to me. I get that connection both even strength and on the powerplay, where guess what, Reilly commands the point. Anaheim is a young and fast team that may get the yips in the Toronto market, and give this potent offense opportunities to capitalize on odd-man rushes and powerplays.

If you want to freshen up your 2021-22 cash and tourney strategy skills, read “How to Win DFS NHL in 2022.”

Hard Pass #1

The Bruins/Avalanche game

So much salary being spent on this game with ownerships being high as well, makes me want to just fade and pray. I would rather play Matthews and Ovechkin together in cash games, or have stacks of those games rather than hope one of these star studded teams can get there. Not a huge fan of the fade, but in my opinion it is GTO or game theory optimal.

Save research time with our easy-to-read NHL Cheatsheets! Core plays, tourney leverage, correlated stacks, and extreme goalie plays set up your night differently than your competition.

NHL Grinder Value Plays

Grinder#1

Dylan Strome/Brandon Hagel – Strome and Hagel have both been skating with Patrick Kane lately, and both have been on the top powerplay unit.

Grinder#2

Gustav Nyquist – Nyquist is putting together a very nice season for the lowly Blue Jackets, and sees time on the second powerplay unit and top penalty kill unit. Nyquist also has been skating with Patrik Laine and Boone Jenner on the Blue Jackets’ top line. Nyquist I believe is one of the league leaders in short-handed goals. Sneaky goose.

Good luck, I hope you all come in 2nd.  😉

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