Below is a breakdown of Friday’s four-game NHL DFS slate followed by example lineups.
Teams to Target
Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Winnipeg are teams that make the most sense to target tonight. Carolina is currently projected to be the highest scorer tonight based on implied goals. Aho, Svechnikov, and Teraveinen are all over a point per game in the last week, as has Jake Gardiner, which offers some stacking combinations. If you're looking for a lower cost option you can check out Erik Haula, who has also been scoring recently. Looking at Pittsburgh you have a lot of variance in price. You have the expensive players like Crosby, Malkin, and Letang, who are all worth using tonight. If you want to stack Penguins you have options like Zucker, and Simon who are much cheaper, to pair with the bigger names. Lastly, Winnipeg should be a team that is targetting tonight as well. Their top line of Scheifele, Connor, and Laine, have all been hot. Connor, in particular, has 7 points in his last 3 games, and not to be outdone, Laine has 4 goals in this last 3.
Value Plays
Erik Haula(3800-FD, 4400 DK) - As a cheap option who gets some power-play time and some points upside Haula is a decent option. He is the kind of option who can get you some points and help you get other expensive options.
Jason Zucker(5300 FD, 4900 DK) - The most expensive of the 3, which you expect from a player playing with Crosby, is expected to get some PP time and is priced in a way that will let you stack him with Crosby tonight.
Jake Gardiner(3800-FD, 3000 DK) - Gardiner has points in 3 of his last 5 games and is going at a price that will allow you to stack up some of the bigger names on tonight's slate. Going against the Devils tonight and a high expected goal total, he could have a nice night and well out-earn his cost.
Goalies
It's a decent night for goalie's tonight. Despite their only being 4 games, there are still some solid options. Pittsburg doesn't lose much at home so either Murray or Jarry should be considered especially in cash games. If the Rangers start Shestyorkin, he is a good option with how well he has played so far. On the flip side of that, Elvis has been elite for the last month now, and the Blue Jackets are very good at home as well, so we should be in place in all formats as well. Lastly, I wouldn't forget about Hellebuyck either. He has been playing well lately, and the Sharks often struggle to score.
Player News
Jimmy Butler returned to the lineup on Monday and contributed 27 points (7-of-12 FGs, 12-of-12 FTs), five rebounds, six assists, one block and one three-pointer in a 109-106 win over the Rockets in Game 4 on Monday.
After missing Game 3, Butler was back in the lineup on Monday. He started off slow, but he scored 23 points after halftime to help Golden State take a 3-1 lead in the series. This was “Playoff Jimmy” on full display. Excluding his early exit in Game 2, Butler had scored at least 24 points in his last six completed games, dating back to April 9. If he’s playing this well, the Warriors will be tough to beat in a seven-game series. It’s worth noting that Jonathan Kuminga, who started in place of Butler in Game 3, was back to being out of the rotation in this game. Expect Butler to continue to dominate as Golden State attempts to clinch this series in Houston in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Shohei Ohtani walked three times, stole a base and scored a run in an extra-inning win Monday over the Marlins.
Ohtani’s steal was the seventh of the season. The three walks bring his season total to 18, and his on-base percentage is a strong .392 over the first 28 games of 2025. Ohtani has now reached at least three times in three consecutive games, but it’s worth noting he hasn’t gone deep since April 16.
Teoscar Hernández hit a two-run homer in a win over the Marlins on Monday in extra innings.
Dane Myers hit a pinch-hit grand slam to tie the game in the sixth inning against the Dodgers.
After Dustin May left the game, Myers came on to hit for Matt Mervis off southpaw Anthony Banda, and he slaughtered a ball over the center-field fence to turn a 5-1 deficit into a 5-5 game. He also singled, and he improved his slash to a strong — and totally unsustainable — .315/.327/.463. He does appear to see the ball pretty well against southpaws, however.
Tommy Edman hit a walk-off two-run single in the 10th inning to give the Dodgers a 7-6 win over the Marlins on Monday.
Buddy Hield started on Monday and finished with 15 points (6-of-15 FGs), four rebounds, three assists, two steals and three three-pointers against the Rockets in Game 4 on Monday.
Jimmy Butler’s return from a one-game absence also allowed Hield to enter the starting lineup after scoring 17 points in Game 3. He really struggled in Games 1 and 2, but he was able to build on his performance from Saturday in Monday’s win. Hield is a streaky shooter, but he has been on recently and hit eight triples across Golden State’s two home games. He’ll look to carry this shooting with him to Houston for Game 5 on Wednesday.