NHL DFS Core Plays January 1: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
Published: Jan 01, 2023
Welcome to the NHL DFS core plays for the first full daily fantasy hockey slate of the season! You will see three tiered options for Yahoo! DFS, DraftKings, and FanDuel every night that there are three or more games. Otherwise, you are still getting the same great top plays and the Discord chat is still open for all of your questions. Don't forget to check out our NHL daily projections, the NHL DFS lineup generator, today's NHL betting odds, and NHL starting lines. Have fun and let's make some money together tonight!
Notes:
- Florida and Ottawa have the highest implied team total at 3.5. ( Chicago has the lowest at 2.9).
- Tage Thompson has 12 goals and 43 shots on goal in the last ten games.
- Jonathan Toews is expected to skate on the top line with Max Domi and Patrick Kane.
- Casey Cizikas is expected to skate on the Islander top line for the third game in a row.
- Rasmus Dahlin has blocked four or more shots in three of the last five games.
- Adam Larsson has points in his last five games.
- Ilya Sorokin has given up three total goals in his last three starts.
- Igor Shesterkin is the top cash-game goalie on the slate, and Sergei Bobrovsky for GPP.
- Goalies are voodoo.
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DK | Position | Top Tier | Mid-Tier | Value-Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Tage Thompson | Mathew Barzal | Jonathan Toews |
| W | Timo Meier | Alexander Barabanov | Kaapo Kakko |
| D | Rasmus Dahlin | Jacob Trouba | Travis Hamonic |
| G | Igor Shesterkin | Ilya Sorokin | Sergei Bobrovsky |
FD | Position | Top Tier | Mid-Tier | Value-Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Tage Thompson | Tim Stutzle | Casey Cizikas |
| W | Timo Meier | Patrick Kane | Jack Quinn |
| D | Rasmus Dahlin | Jacob Trouba | K'Andre Miller |
| G | Igor Shesterkin | Ilya Sorokin | James Reimer |
Y! Daily | Position | Top Tier | Mid-Tier | Value-Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Tage Thompson | Mathew Barzal | Jonathan Toews |
| W | Timo Meier | Alex DeBrincat | Tim Stutzle |
| D | Rasmus Dahlin | Adam Larsson | Matt Benning |
| G | Ilya Sorokin | Anton Forsberg | James Reimer |
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.