NHL DFS Core Plays November 7th: Connor McDavid looks to keep scoring against the Washington Capitals

Published: Nov 07, 2022
We have three games today with some high-flying offensive teams. Boston and Edmonton are going to be popular, but can we find some value elsewhere? Will Connor McDavid destroy the slate? Can Jacob Markstrom get back to his elite ways? You can build daily fantasy hockey lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo Fantasy for Monday, November 7th, but before you build those NHL daily fantasy lineups, don’t forget to check out our NHL DFS projections, the NHL Value Finder, and the NHL DFS lineup generator. Let's now take a closer look at the daily fantasy hockey top plays for tonight's NHL DFS slate.
Calgary Flames Vs. New York Islanders
This section is going to be short and sweet because I hate everything about both teams. I’m not going to waste salary on two teams who aren’t going to score goals on such a short slate. If you want some action up front on this game, Jonathan Huberdeau is the way to go. He hasn’t been good to start the season, but he’s $4800 on DraftKings and has the upside needed to hit value.
The Calgary Flames are fourth in the league in shots per game, but I still don’t care about their forwards. MacKenzie Weegar and Noah Hanifin are dirt cheap and can shoot the puck while also blocking them. They can provide us with some salary relief on such a short slate.
Both goalies in this game are an option tonight. Ilya Sorokin is cheap because he’s going to face a ton of shots, but Calgary isn’t a deadly scoring team, so I like the upside here for the save bonus. Jacob Markstrom hasn’t been great this season, but the Islanders are a middle-of-the-pack offence, so maybe he can put together a good game and steal a victory for his team on the road.
Outside of that, there’s nothing else to really talk about.
St. Louis Blues Vs. Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are the best team in the NHL but are coming off a tough loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The St. Louis Blues started the season strong, but they have since fallen apart and look like the new Arizona Coyotes. There is a good amount of value to exploit on both sides.
For Boston, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand are two elite options, but if you need to save some salary, Jake DeBrusk and Taylor Hall are also in play. Any combination of the four works for me.
In goal, Linus Ullmark is confirmed to get the start. He’s been exceptional this season and I don’t see a reason why that would change tonight.
For St. Louis, Ivan Barbashev is listed as a centreman, but he’s skating on the wing on the top line and top power play unit. He’s $3200 and is seeing about 15-minutes of ice time per game. I don’t want to spend up for this game because there’s just not a ton to love, but I am willing to look at Barbashev.
On the blue line, Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko and Niko Mikkola are all options at different price points. Faulk has the best upside to find the score sheet, but can also shoot the puck. Parayko is a slight downgrade, but his price tag is almost half. Mikkola doesn’t have the offensive upside, but he could find a way to block three shots and hit value. Any combination of the three works for me.
Edmonton Oilers Vs. Washington Capitals
We have been saving all of our salary for this game. We have a ton of great players to target here, so let’s get right to it.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are easy choices on a short slate, but it’s Evander Kane and Zach Hyman that really interest me. Hyman has been on a tear of late and is averaging over five shots per game in the last four games. Kane is always a threat to score goals and could easily pop a few tonight. We can’t fit all four players into our lineup, but we can go with any combination of the four. I wouldn’t even rule out playing Hyman/Kane and leaving the two studs out.
On the back end, Darnell Nurse is an interesting character. He can shoot the puck and block shots, but he does neither consistently. Washington doesn’t shoot the puck a ton, but the Oilers are pretty bad defensively. I could see a reason to play him, but I won’t go out of my way to fit him into my lineup.
I think Stuart Skinner is the real thing. He’s been better than Jack Campbell this season and it wouldn’t shock me to see him take over the starting job down the road. As mentioned earlier, the Capitals don’t shoot the puck a ton, so that does limit his upside, but I do think he can win the game. He’s a safe-ish play on this short slate.
For Washington, Alex Ovechkin is the player to consider. He has four goals in the last five games and we know he’s going to do everything possible to find the back of the net. If you need some value, Sonny Milano is a name to think about. He’s skating on the second line and had three shots in his season debut. His $2600 price tag is also very appealing. If playing him means you can fit McDavid or Draisaitl into your lineup, then do it.
With John Carlson out of the lineup and Dmitry Orlov questionable to play, the Capitals could be in for a long night. From a DFS standpoint, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Martin Fehervary and Nick Jensen are all options to consider. We know that Edmonton is going to control the play for most of the night, so all three players have a real shot at hitting the blocked shots bonus before the end of the second period. I’ll gladly take the discount here and move on.
I can’t see a reason to play Charlie Lindgren tonight. He hasn’t been bad this season, but I don’t want my goalie going up against the greatest player in the world. That’s not a hill I’m willing to die on tonight.

Position | Top Tier | Mid-Tier | Value-Tier |
---|---|---|---|
C | Connor McDavid | Patrice Bergeron | Ivan Barbashev |
W | Alex Ovechkin | Jonathan Huberdeau | Sonny Milano |
D | Justin Faulk | MacKenzie Weegar | Trevor van Riemsdyk |
G | Linus Ullmark | Stuart Skinner | Ilya Sorokin |

Position | Top Tier | Mid-Tier | Value-Tier |
---|---|---|---|
C | Connor McDavid | Patrice Bergeron | Evgeny Kuznetsov |
W | David Pastrnak | Alex Ovechkin | Jonathan Huberdeau |
D | Justin Faulk | MacKenzie Weegar | Trevor van Riemsdyk |
G | Linus Ullmark | Ilya Sorokin | Stuart Skinner |
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.