NHL Best Bets & DFS Cheat Sheet, 4/27: Picks, Predictions & Player Props
Published: Apr 27, 2025
Welcome to the NHL Playoffs! Like we did throughout the regular season, the Fantasy Alarm will have you covered in the playoffs. You’ll find our daily NHL Best Bets along with which players you should be targeting in DFS. We’ve conveniently put it all in one article, just to make life simple. If you have more questions, make sure to hit up the Fantasy Alarm NHL Discord. Let’s dive into the action and build a winning lineup!
NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 4/27
I’ll give you one Money Line, one Total and one Player Prop to target for this slate. The postseason is a completely different animal, so let’s start off slow and work our way up. No need to go nuts right out of the gate.
Oilers vs. Kings Prediction: Sunday, April 27th
We’re just getting set for Game 4 of this series, and we’ve already seen TWO games with 11 total goals. The Oilers and Kings are committed to giving up scoring chances and goals, so we are going to continue to profit from it.
Darcy Kuemper has the worst Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx), which is not something anyone had on their bingo cards heading into the playoffs. The Oilers can’t get a save from any of their goalies, so who cares who starts for them? This series has been chaotic, so sit back and continue to enjoy the show.
- Over 6.5 (+100 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Capitals vs Canadiens Prediction: Sunday, April 27th
If you didn’t get a chance to watch Game 3 between the Canadiens and Capitals, you missed out. Tom Wilson and Josh Anderson decided to fight on the visitor's bench, and both starting goalies were knocked out of the game. The intensity in this series has been cranked up, and it will only continue to build.
As for the game, we are going to stick with the Canadiens. A lot of people thought they were getting bullied by the Capitals, but in Game 3, they flipped the script. Not only did they finish the game with more shot attempts than Washington, but they also finished with more hits. They came out and just had their way. Logan Thompson’s injury looked pretty bad, and it would shock me if he were able to return to this series. Charlie Lindgren will likely get the start, and he just isn’t as good. Jakob Dobes may be a rookie, but he has proven that the moment isn’t too big for him.
- Canadiens Money Line (-102 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Jets vs Blues Prediction: Sunday, April 27th
The St. Louis Blues came out in Game 3 and laid a beating on the Winnipeg Jets. We should expect a closer game this afternoon, but make no mistakes; goals will be scored.
If you had Cam Fowler leading the Blues in points at any point in the playoffs, congratulations--you are now a billionaire. The veteran blueliner has 7 points in this series and is giving his team an offensive boost from the back end. He’s not going to continue this torrid pace, but considering how poorly Connor Hellebuyck has been in this series, I’ll take my chances with Fowler to find the scoresheet. We also get it at plus money, so why not?
- Cam Fowler 1+ Points (+115 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
Today's NHL DFS Cheat Sheet & Stacks
Goalie Of The Day: Jacob Markstrom - NJD
The Devils may not be a dynamic offensive team, but they are in this series because Jacob Markstrom has come to play. When New Jersey traded for him, this was the kind of goaltending they were hoping for. He is second in the playoffs in GSAx (6.0) and gives his team a chance to win every night. His $7100 price tag on DraftKings is also very appealing. Even if the Devils don’t win, they aren’t going to get throttled. We may even see some overtime, which is always good for a goalie.
Player Of The Day: Adrian Kempe - LAK
I have no issue with anyone wanting to pay up for Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid, but if you’re looking for incredible value, it’s Adrian Kempe. He is FIRST in scoring and is having his way with whoever starts for Edmonton. His price tag is all the way up to $7000, but that’s still not high enough. He’s going to be a popular choice tonight, but sometimes, you just have to eat the chalk.
Value Play Of The Day: Jake Evans - MTL
My first choice would be Christian Dvorak because he has goals in back-to-back games, but if you really need to scrape the bottom of the barrel, Jake Evans is a name to consider. He is skating on a line with Alex Newhook and Ivan Demidov, two players who bring a combination of speed and skill. Evans will continue to take important faceoffs, but his cheap price tag is nice and playing with talent means he only needs a point and a shot on goal to hit value. He’s a value play that also allows you to pay up for another elite skater.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Connor McDavid  $0 | Leon Draisaitl $0 | Evan Bouchard $0 |  Frederik Andersen $0 |
 Alex Ovechkin $0 | ||||
| Medium |  Nico Hischier $0 |  Adrian Kempe $6,200 | Jakob Chychrun $2,500 |  Jordan Binnington $0 |
| Quinton Byfield $2,500 |  Cole Caufield $4,500 | Dougie Hamilton $0 | ||
| Jordan Kyrou $0 | ||||
| Low | Christian Dvorak $3,700 | Pavel Buchnevich $0 | Lane Hutson $0 | Jakub Dobes $0 |
| Ryan Nugent-Hopkins $0 | Jake Neighbours $0 | Cam Fowler $0 | Jacob Markstrom $0 | |
| Connor McMichael $0 | Rasmus Sandin $0 | |||
| Ivan Demidov $0 | Alexandre Carrier $0 |
Stacks
| Kings | Quinton Byfield | Adrian Kempe | Kevin Fiala |
| DraftKings | 2500 | 6200 | - |
 Fanduel | - | - | - |
| Oilers | Connor McDavid | Evan Bouchard | Leon Draisaitl |
| DraftKings | - | - | - |
| Fanduel | - | - | - |
| Canadiens | Lane Hutson | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki |
| DraftKings | - | 4500 | 5300 |
| Fanduel | - | - | - |
| Kings | Quinton Byfield | Adrian Kempe | Kevin Fiala |
| DraftKings | 2500 | 6200 | - |
| Fanduel | - | - | - |
| Oilers | Connor McDavid | Evan Bouchard | Leon Draisaitl |
| DraftKings | - | - | - |
| Fanduel | - | - | - |
| Canadiens | Lane Hutson | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki |
| DraftKings | - | 4500 | 5300 |
| Fanduel | - | - | - |
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.