Thursday includes a nine-game NHL slate, which begins at 7 p.m. ET on DraftKings. In this article you will find DFS tips for DraftKings queues, plus a few DraftKings Sportsbook bets to target.
Define your DraftKings fantasy hockey rosters here: Save $30,000 in the NHL [$10K to 1st]
Minnesota Wild -125 vs. Calgary Flames
It’s a huge game for the Wild. They are level with the Blues at the moment on points but have a game in hand. Whoever finishes higher in the standings will gain home ice advantage in their playoff game. The Wild have also been a great 5-on-5 team this year and are one of the few who can back Calgary in that regard. They are 28-8-2 at home this year and have a lot to play for considering how much of an advantage home ice would be against the Blues. Calgary is just playing the rope and could even start a save in front of the net. The Wild looks like a good value at -125.
Avalanche -1.5 puck line
The Predators will be without Juuse Saros for this game, who is battling injury for the Predators at exactly the wrong time. The Predators secured the playoffs with a loss to Calgary, and now face the depressing news that their star goaltender is injured. For Colorado, this is likely their first-round opponent, and they’ll want to show their superiority today. That line is surprisingly large considering Saros’ injury and the fact that Colorado has won four of its last five home games by two or more goals.
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Top stack
Boston Bruins vs. Buffalo Sabers
Patrice Bergeron ($6,400) – Brad Marchand ($7,400) – Jake DeBrusk ($5,000)
The Bruins can still move up the playoff standings, and we should see them face their starters until the bitter end of the regular season, given that some of them missed out a bit later. A healthy Boston just beat the best team in the Eastern Conference in its last game, and now gets a Sabers team that allows more than 35 shots per game and is ninth-worst shorthanded in the league. year.
Jake DeBrusk getting a promotion to play alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand has made this whole line more affordable for stacking purposes in everyday fantasy hockey. DeBrusk has shown multiple upside goals on more than one occasion while playing in this role and is averaging just under 3.0 shots on net per game, with six points in his last 10 games. DeBrusk could be used as a one-off, but going with the entire Bruins top line seems like a good way to spend money on a roster that has plenty of teams with questionable motivation tonight.
Bergeron and Marchand played over 18 minutes against Florida and racked up double-digit points. Boston would love another confidence-building game given how they struggled on points after midseason. With the playoffs on the horizon, their best unit could easily explode there for a massive game and, with their still-moderate salaries, rank among the best for today.
Superstar to target
Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets ($7,600)
With the way the Lightning’s best unit is playing right now, Stamkos could drop in two against Columbus, even if they have a slow night. Stamkos comes into this game having posted 102 points on the year, a career high for the veteran. He has now landed fantasy hockey daily rosters 24.0 DKFP or higher in five consecutive games and has scored an astonishing six goals in his last four outings.
The Blue Jackets remain one of the poorest defensive teams in the league, ranking in the bottom five in shots allowed and scoring chances allowed this year. Tampa can avoid facing Carolina or Florida in the first round with a win today, which they would almost certainly like to do. Feel free to build around Stamkos (which remains ridiculously undervalued given its recent run) for one more slate.
Attack Value
Tim Stutzle, Ottawa Senators vs. Florida Panthers ($4,400)
The Senators are the underdogs at home, but face a Panthers team that has struggled to focus in recent games. Stutzle has averaged 17.8 DKFP in his last 10 games and is playing 20 minutes a night right now. Ottawa’s young core is playing with confidence right now. Even against a tougher opponent there is no reason to get rid of a player like Stutzle. He hasn’t seen his salary increase at all in the short term, despite the more consistent fantasy efforts he’s been producing lately. As a point play, he’s probably the best Senators forward to target. Stacking Ottawa’s power play isn’t a bad idea, as another Ottawa win would likely come with success in that area.
Goalie
Darcy Kuemper ($8,000) / Paval Francouz ($7,800), Colorado Avalanche vs. Nashville Predators
Colorado obviously has the number one seed locked up and will face a Predators team that looks destined to be its first-round opponent today. The Avalanche are among the -265 favorites on the DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of writing and that number seems a little big given the circumstances (Juuse Saros is out for Nashville). Darcy Kuemper struggled a bit in the streak but still posted a .921 save percentage in 30 starts at home this year, and he was solid against a tough Blues team in his last outing.
Going with Paval Francouz here is good too. Francouz is a potential starter today as both goalies look likely to part ways in the last two games. Francouz is 9-1-1 at home this year and has a .921 save percentage at home. The Avalanche goaltenders look ridiculously cheap for this spot against what could easily be a very deflated Nashville team.
Value on defense
Mikhail Sergachev, Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets ($4,300)
The Lightning take on Columbus, whom they beat 4-1 in their last outing, and have a 4.2 implied goal total. With the Lightning’s offense and power play in such good shape, turning to Sergachev in those spots as a valuable target on defense can often be very fruitful. The Russian has averaged 0.5 points per game this season and nearly 4.0 blocked shots + shots on goal.
We know Sergachev will play close to 20 minutes or more against a poor Columbus defense, and he’s the type of player who can fill out the stat sheet for us by grabbing a blocked shot bonus (he’s done it twice in the last five games) while catching a few shots on goal and an assist. Sergachev remains one of the best values on the board today and an easy way to increase your exposure in Tampa.
Power play defenders
Thomas Chabot, Ottawa Senators vs. Florida Panthers ($5,600)
If you want to roll the dice a bit with your stacks, targeting the best Senators players could be a great way to get a contrarian build for your daily fantasy hockey rosters. Ottawa has won four straight games and scored 11 times in its last two games. Thomas Chabot was a big part of that push and played over 24 minutes in his last game while scoring a power play goal and six shots on goal.
Chabot isn’t as prolific a scorer as some of the other top defensemen on this list, but he’s a big minute eater and has averaged 5.3 blocked shots + shots on goal in his last 10 games. The Senators offense is in the doldrums right now, which only increases the likelihood that Chabot will give us a point or more today, and Florida (which has nothing to play here) now has allowed 12 goals in his last two games. The discount on Chabot makes it a good target today.
Define your DraftKings fantasy hockey rosters here: Save $30,000 in the NHL [$10K to 1st]
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