NHL DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Predictions Today: Saturday Playbook

Welcome to another NHL DFS Playbook! Now that the 4 Nations tournament is over and Canada (as always) sits atop the hockey podium, we return to regular hockey. Maybe the excitement and intensity won’t be there, but we get to build DFS lineups and that’s always fun!

We have a nice 10-game slate to break down with a ton of regulars who are expected to be out of the lineup due to injury or rest. That means we can find some pretty good value, but we have to dig deep and look. Let’s dive right in and see which players we need to keep an eye on.

NHL Pick 'Em At Sleeper Today

Before we get into DFS, let’s make some pick’em picks for the night over on Sleeper There are lots of ways we try to fill your wallet over here at Fantasy Alarm and this is just another option. 

Sleeper NHL Picks, Saturday, February 22nd:

• Kyle Connor O/2.5 SOG
• Carter Verhaeghe O/0.5 A
• Marcus Pettersson O/1.5 BKS

The disrespect around Kyle Connor needs to end. He was benched from the Canada/USA final for Chris Kreider and now his shot total is just 2.5 against St. Louis? This seems like such a great spot for him to do some damage and I’m expecting him to come out with some fire to his game. He might hit the over before the second period is even done.

The Florida Panthers may decide to rest some players for this game, giving Carter Verhaeghe a chance to play an even bigger role. Matthew Tkachuk is already confirmed out and we are still waiting on news for Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett. Even if they do play, this is a good spot for Verhaeghe to pick up an assist.

Quinn Hughes is out of the lineup, so Marcus Pettersson is going to be asked to play some significant minutes. Elias Pettersson may also be out of the lineup, leaving the Canucks with very little skill up front. Vegas is an elite hockey team on home ice and they may have over 55 shot attempts before it’s all said and done. Pettersson is a good candidate to block some shots, so let’s hope he can cash the over for us.
 

SALARY CAP DFS

Goalie Of The Day: Jeremy Swayman - BOS

Anytime you can target a goalie against the Anaheim Ducks, you have to do it. Boston is at home and Jeremy Swayman is expected to start in goal. He didn’t see any action in the 4 Nations, and while he may come out a bit rusty, he should have very little difficulty making saves. The upside isn’t there because Anaheim doesn’t shoot the puck, so he’s a cash game only option.

Honourable Mention: Adin Hill - VGK

Speaking of goalies who didn’t see any action in a major tournament, Adin Hill is likely to get the start for Vegas and he’s in a great spot. As mentioned above, the Canucks could be without some key players tonight, so while they are a very good road team, they may not be able to compete with an elite Vegas team on home ice. Hill is reasonably priced and can be used in all formats.

Player Of The Day: David Pastrnak - BOS

David Pastrnak had 17 points in 10 games before entering the break and will want to keep his hot streak going. He loves to shoot the puck and generate scoring chances, something that shouldn’t be hard to do against Anaheim. He’s an expensive option, but if you’re paying up for a superstar, it’s him.

Honorable Mention: Zach Werenski - CBJ

Let’s assume that Zach Werenski is going to play tonight and pray that he does. Columbus has a fantastic matchup on home ice against the Chicago Blackhawks. We know how dominant the Jackets are at home, including Werenski. He led the USA in points, so let’s hope that momentum can continue into this game.

Value Play Of The Day: Emil Heineman - MTL

Emil Heineman has been activated from IR and is expected to be in the lineup for Montreal. He’s going to skate on the 4th line-- which might not seem great-- but that line prior to his injury was cooking. The rookie has 10 goals on the season, six of which have come on the road. At $2500 on DraftKings, he’s worth a spot in a GPP as a single bullet.

Honorable Mention: Mason Lohrei - BOS

Charlie McAvoy suffered a shoulder injury and will be out a couple of weeks, so someone has to step up and claim the spot that is open on the top power play unit. Mason Lohrei is going to get the first look, but I’m not convinced that he will succeed. He has just two points in the last ten games, but this is a really good spot for him. I don’t love his $4200 price tag on DK either, but if you want to add him as part of a Boston stack, you can.

Stack Of The Day - VGK PP1 (Jack Eichel - Mark Stone - Alex Pietrangelo)

For the moment, Jack Eichel and Mark Stone are expected to play tonight. If that remains true, we can use them as part of a stack. Any combination of players from the top unit works in case either one sits out, but this is the best value. 

Player Pool

• FanDuel
• DraftKings

$ Tier	C	W	D	G
High	Nathan MacKinnon $8,500	Filip Forsberg $7,700	Cale Makar $7,900	Elvis Merzlikins $8,300
	Jack Eichel $7,800	Carter Verhaeghe $7,400	Zach Werenski $7,600	Adin Hill $8,000
Medium	Pavel Zacha $5,800	Adrian Kempe $6,900	Thomas Harley $6,300	Jake Oettinger $7,800
	Nick Suzuki $5,200	Mikko Rantanen $7,100	Seth Jones $5,900	Anthony Stolarz $7,600
	Tomas Hertl $5,600	Cole Caufield $6,100
Low	Ridly Greig $4,300	Morgan Geekie $5,300	Neal Pionk $4,700	Sam Montembeault $7,200
		Mark Stone $5,500	Alex Pietrangelo $5,600
		Drake Batherson $5,800	Filip Hronek $4,300

Stacks

Canadiens	Patrik Laine	Lane Hutson	Cole Caufield	Nick Suzuki
DraftKings	4900	4300	6100	5200
Fanduel	6000	5900	7300	7700

Bruins	David Pastrnak	Morgan Geekie	Mason Lohrei
DraftKings	8700	5300	4200
Fanduel	8500	5600	4400

Blue Jackets	Kent Johnson	Zach Werenski	Dmitri Voronkov
DraftKings	5800	7600	6800
Fanduel	6500	7300	6800

Canadiens	Patrik Laine	Lane Hutson	Cole Caufield	Nick Suzuki
DraftKings	4900	4300	6100	5200
Fanduel	6000	5900	7300	7700

Bruins	David Pastrnak	Morgan Geekie	Mason Lohrei
DraftKings	8700	5300	4200
Fanduel	8500	5600	4400

Blue Jackets	Kent Johnson	Zach Werenski	Dmitri Voronkov
DraftKings	5800	7600	6800
Fanduel	6500	7300	6800