NHL DFS Picks & Playbook for Today’s Games: Tuesday, March 5th
Published: Mar 05, 2024
Welcome to Tuesday’s 12-game NHL Slate. We have a massive slate with lots of high-scoring matchups to focus on. There is no shortage of value to exploit and there are some great top-tier options to consider.
You can build daily fantasy hockey lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo Fantasy for Tuesday, March 5th, 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 look closer at the daily fantasy hockey top plays for tonight's NHL DFS Showdown slate.
NHL DFS Picks & Playbook Today, 3/5
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
We have a massive 9-game slate that includes some elite players in very good matchups. The Devils have a new bench boss, but will that actually make them a better team? Connor McDavid is facing the Bruins, is he worth the price tag? The Penguins have a great matchup against the Blue Jackets, but can we even trust them? So many questions, so little time. Let’s get right into it and look at which players we need to be targeting.
NHL DFS Goalie Picks
Best Options for Saves
Akira Schmid vs. Florida Panthers
Kaapo Kahkonen vs. Dallas Stars
Jake Allen vs. Nashville Predators
Best Odds for a Win
Jake Oettinger vs. San Jose Sharks
Connor Ingram vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Tristan Jarry vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
NHL DFS Lineups: Best Goalies to Use
Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas Stars
Jake Oettinger has an elite matchup on paper and his numbers on the road have been great. He’s in a great spot to perform if he gets the start. I can’t imagine the Sharks putting up any kind of serious fight.
Tristan Jarry, G, Pittsburgh Penguins
It hasn’t been an easy season for the Penguins or Tristan Jarry. He’s been good overall this season, but his team has provided him with no support. Columbus is playing their second game in as many nights, so one has to believe that Jarry can pick up the win and post some solid numbers, right? This does feel like a trap, but I’m willing to go down this path and so should you.
Connor Ingram, G, Arizona Coyotes
It’s been a rough stretch for the Coyotes and Connor Ingram. The Arizona goalie is 2-6-2 in his last ten games but has a really good matchup on paper against Chicago. The Blackhawks are playing their second game in as many nights, and they are a disaster on the road. I know it’s asking a lot to trust Ingram considering how bad he’s been, but I truly believe he can get back to winning against one of the worst teams in the league.
Akira Schmid, G, New Jersey Devils
The Devils decide to let Lindy Ruff go and usually, when that happens, the team responds with a strong first game. Akira Schmid is getting the call tonight and he’s going to get the first chance to show his new head coach that he can be the starter in New Jersey. I expect the Devils to come out with some fire and play a decent hockey game. Schmid is a great option for a GPP.
Thatcher Demko, G, Vancouver Canucks
The Los Angeles Kings have been playing much better of late but getting Thatcher Demko at $7,400 tonight is a steal. He’s been really good all season and even with his recent struggles, he’s still worth considering in a GPP. The Canucks are one of the best teams in the league and Demko is a big reason for that. I think he can provide us with some value at his current price tag.
DFS NHL Player Picks
Highest Expected Goal Totals
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Jet Greaves (4.0)
Dallas Stars vs. Kaapo Kahkonen (4.1)
Arizona Coyotes vs. Arvid Soderblom (3.7)
NHL DFS Lineups: Best Skaters to Use
Jack Hughes, C, New Jersey Devils
The Devils have a new bench boss and I expect him to let his best players go out and prove that they deserve their ice time. Jack Hughes has been electric this season and we know how much he loves to shoot the puck. The Matchup on paper isn’t the best, but that means we could get Hughes at low ownership. He’s always a treat to rack up points and hit the shot bonus.
Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins as a team are trash, but Sidney Crosby is having another excellent season and continues to remind the world that he is elite. Columbus is on a back-to-back and Crosby has shot the puck a lot more over the last ten games. I love his chances of hitting value before the end of the night.
David Pastrnak, W, Boston Bruins
I know the Bruins are playing their second game in as many nights, but that just means we should see even more David Pastrnak. The Oilers are a good team, but they’ve been mediocre over the last couple of weeks, and they just aren’t as dominant on the road.
Pastrnak is a shooting machine and if the Bruins fall behind, he’s going to see even more ice time. He had three assists and seven shots on goal last night and I could see him doing something similar tonight.
Filip Forsberg, W, Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators have won eight games in a row and have a date with a below-average Montreal Canadiens team. Filip Forsberg has been decent in his last ten games, but he’s a player who can score goals and really shoot the puck. Montreal allows a ton of shots on the road, so look for Forsberg to get more than enough chances to find the back of the net.
Roman Josi, D, Nashville Predators
Sticking with the Predators, Roman Josi is also an excellent option tonight. He’s an offensive defenseman that can do a lot of everything. He’s going to see a ton of ice time and take advantage of Montreal’s weak penalty kill. His price tag is very reasonable considering just how much upside he has tonight.
Jonas Siegenthaler, D, New Jersey Devils
The Devils may have a new head coach, but that doesn’t mean all their problems are going to be solved in one day. The Panthers are 1st in shots per game on the road and I don’t expect them to slow down tonight. Jonas Siegenthaler isn’t going to blow anyone away with his offence, but he can block shots and he’s only $3,100 tonight. That is some pretty good value. He can be a cheap option in all formats.
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Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D |
|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Jack Hughes  $9,600 |  David Pastrnak $9,700 |  Roman Josi $7,800 |
 Sidney Crosby $8,000 | Filip Forsberg $7,800 |  Noah Dobson $7,000 | |
| Medium | Ryan O'Reilly $5,500 |  Clayton Keller $6,600 |  Miro Heiskanen $5,800 |
| Evgeni Malkin $5,400 | Joe Pavelski $5,800 | Erik Karlsson $5,400 | |
| Low |  Sam Bennett $5,000 | Nick Schmaltz $5,100 |  Marcus Pettersson $3,900 |
 Logan Stankoven $4,000 |  Gustav Nyquist $4,600 |  Erik Gudbranson $3,400 |
Stacks
| Penguins | Erik Karlsson | Sidney Crosby | Evgeni Malkin |
| DraftKings | 5400 | 8000 | 5400 |
 Fanduel | 6400 | 8700 | 6200 |
| Stars | Joe Pavelski | Jason Robertson | Miro Heiskanen |
| DraftKings | 5800 | 6500 | 5800 |
| Fanduel | 6900 | 7400 | 6500 |
| Coyotes | Clayton Keller | Nick Schmaltz | Sean Durzi |
| DraftKings | 6600 | 5100 | 6100 |
| Fanduel | 7500 | 5900 | 6100 |
| Penguins | Erik Karlsson | Sidney Crosby | Evgeni Malkin |
| DraftKings | 5400 | 8000 | 5400 |
| Fanduel | 6400 | 8700 | 6200 |
| Stars | Joe Pavelski | Jason Robertson | Miro Heiskanen |
| DraftKings | 5800 | 6500 | 5800 |
| Fanduel | 6900 | 7400 | 6500 |
| Coyotes | Clayton Keller | Nick Schmaltz | Sean Durzi |
| DraftKings | 6600 | 5100 | 6100 |
| Fanduel | 7500 | 5900 | 6100 |
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Panthers released TE Jordan Matthews.
Matthews converted to tight end a few years ago and hasn’t made much noise at the position. The change has, however, likely kept him in the league for a few more seasons. He appeared in four games with the Panthers last year but didn’t record any stats on offense. The Panthers also released or waived WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, and TE Colin Granger.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.