NHL DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Predictions Today: Tuesday Playbook
Published: Jan 14, 2025
We have a massive 13-game NHL slate on tap tonight and there is a ton to go through! Our NHL DFS picks are in a great spot with so many games and players to pick through tonight, you can take your lineups in a number of different directions.
Could stay with the chalk, go stars and scrubs, fade the top options, and go against the grain. Everything is on the table tonight.
NHL DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, January 14th
We are approaching the final few weeks before the 4 Nations Tournament and things couldn't be better for the NHL.
Teams/players are at an elite level of production, and it has led to plenty of scoring across the league.
NHL DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Goalies
Top Options For Saves: Daniil Tarasov - CBJ
The Columbus Blue Jackets are looking good right now and are holding down the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They have a winnable matchup tonight versus the Philadelphia Flyers, but it may not be as easy as it seems.
Despite surging in the standings, the Blue Jackets are still allowing a ton of shot attempts, which lead to plenty of shots on goal. Since the start of the season, the Blue Jackets have allowed 61.08 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the sixth-most in the league.
This leads to their goalies racking up a ton of saves, which is what we've seen from Daniil Tarasov. He comes in with 24 saves or more in four straight starts, which should continue tonight, even if he gives up a goal or two along the way.
Best Odds For A Win: Logan Thompson - WAS
The Washington Capitals continue to roll along this season, and they have a very soft matchup against the Anaheim Ducks, who are simply terrible. Over the last two weeks, the Ducks are scoring 1.64 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the eighth-worst in the league.
Oddly enough, over that same time and in those same situations, the Capitals have allowed exactly 1.64 Goals, which is the sixth-best in the league. They've had a stout defense all season and it will put Logan Thompson in a spot to pick up a win tonight.
NHL DFS Lineups: Core NHL DFS Skaters
Play Of The Day: Sidney Crosby - PIT
Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are in the midst of a very up-and-down season but tonight is a chance for them to get back on track against a dreadful Seattle Kraken lineup.
Over the last two weeks, the Kraken have allowed 3.62 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the worst in the NHL. Crosby should be able to jump all over this struggling defense, as he continues to post great numbers 20-some-odd years into his career.
Over the last 10 games, Crosby comes in with 13 total points and 29 shots on goal, while seeing time on the first forward line and the first power-play unit.
Value Play Of The Day: Josh Doan - UTA
The Utah Hockey Club continues to deal with injuries this season and it has opened up an opportunity for Josh Doan to contribute on offense. He is nearly at the minimum salary on DraftKings, while seeing time on the second forward line and the first power-play unit.
It's honestly an insane role for a player at $2.6K, making him a clear value option tonight. He has just two games under his belt since being recalled, posting zero points and four shots on goal in those games. Are we expecting a 20-point performance from him? No, but a few shots and maybe an assist will make him well worth the roster spot tonight.
Stack Of The Day: CBJ L1/PP1 (Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, Dmitri Voronkov, Zach Werenski)
The Columbus Blue Jackets top line/power-play unit is buzzing right now, and they have a solid matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers to pile up the goals.
Over the last two weeks, the Blue Jackets have scored 3.00 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the third-best in the league. They are getting production from all over the place and with Sean Monahan on IR, Adam Fantilli has stepped into the top-line center role.
He has 7 points and 22 shots in the last 10 games. Voronko has 15 points and 30 shots on goal. Marchenko has 14 points and 35 shots on goal. Werenski has 16 points and a staggering 51 shots on goal. It's an elite stack with plenty of upside tonight.
Highest Expected Goal Totals
- Colorado Avalanche: 3.8
- Utah Hockey Club: 3.7
- Washington Capitals: 3.5
- Pittsburgh Penguins: 3.5
- Columbus Blue Jackets: 3.4
Today's NHL DFS Cheat Sheet & Stacks
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Nathan MacKinnon  $9,200 |  Alex Ovechkin $8,400 |  Zach Werenski $7,700 | Logan Thompson $8,600 |
 Jack Hughes $8,500 |  Kyle Connor $8,700 | Cale Makar $7,500 | ||
 Sidney Crosby $8,000 |  Mikko Rantanen $8,600 |  Quinn Hughes $7,000 | ||
| Medium | Dylan Strome $7,200 | Kirill Marchenko $7,800 | Erik Karlsson $6,500 |  Ilya Samsonov $7,900 |
 Macklin Celebrini $7,100 |  Cole Caufield $7,500 | Jakob Chychrun $6,200 | ||
| Nick Suzuki $6,900 | Bryan Rust $7,300 |  Mikhail Sergachev $6,000 | ||
| Low | Kent Johnson $6,500 |  Josh Doan $4,600 | Kaiden Guhle $4,800 |  Daniil Tarasov $7,300 |
| Adam Fantilli $5,500 | Cole Perfetti $5,000 | Kris Letang $5,200 | ||
| Reilly Smith $4,900 |
Stacks
| Blue Jackets | Adam Fantilli | Kirill Marchenko | Zach Werenski | Dmitri Voronkov |
 DraftKings | 4000 | 7100 | 9300 | 5800 |
| Fanduel | 5500 | 7800 | 7700 | 6900 |
| Penguins | Rickard Rakell | Sidney Crosby | Bryan Rust |
| DraftKings | 7000 | 7700 | 6900 |
| Fanduel | 7100 | 8000 | 7300 |
| Blue Jackets | Adam Fantilli | Kirill Marchenko | Zach Werenski | Dmitri Voronkov |
| DraftKings | 4000 | 7100 | 9300 | 5800 |
| Fanduel | 5500 | 7800 | 7700 | 6900 |
| Penguins | Rickard Rakell | Sidney Crosby | Bryan Rust |
| DraftKings | 7000 | 7700 | 6900 |
| Fanduel | 7100 | 8000 | 7300 |
| Blue Jackets | Adam Fantilli | Kirill Marchenko | Zach Werenski | Dmitri Voronkov |
| DraftKings | 4000 | 7100 | 9300 | 5800 |
| Fanduel | 5500 | 7800 | 7700 | 6900 |
| Penguins | Rickard Rakell | Sidney Crosby | Bryan Rust |
| DraftKings | 7000 | 7700 | 6900 |
| Fanduel | 7100 | 8000 | 7300 |
| Blue Jackets | Adam Fantilli | Kirill Marchenko | Zach Werenski | Dmitri Voronkov |
| DraftKings | 4000 | 7100 | 9300 | 5800 |
| Fanduel | 5500 | 7800 | 7700 | 6900 |
| Penguins | Rickard Rakell | Sidney Crosby | Bryan Rust |
| DraftKings | 7000 | 7700 | 6900 |
| Fanduel | 7100 | 8000 | 7300 |
| Blue Jackets | Adam Fantilli | Kirill Marchenko | Zach Werenski | Dmitri Voronkov |
| DraftKings | 4000 | 7100 | 9300 | 5800 |
| Fanduel | 5500 | 7800 | 7700 | 6900 |
| Penguins | Rickard Rakell | Sidney Crosby | Bryan Rust |
| DraftKings | 7000 | 7700 | 6900 |
| Fanduel | 7100 | 8000 | 7300 |
Player News
Ryan McMahon is at third base and batting eighth on Saturday in his Yankees debut.
The McMahon era officially begins in the Bronx on Saturday with an interleague clash against the Phillies. The 30-year-old has been a fringe mixed-league option this season, slashing .217/.314/.403 with 16 homers and two steals over 100 games for Colorado. The transition to Yankee Stadium should boost his power output thanks to the short porch in right, but his fantasy appeal still skews toward deeper formats.
Jared Goff described Aidan Hutchinson’s offseason as “Monster.”
Hutchinson has been “flying,” according to the Lions’ veteran quarterback. The 24-year-old EDGE defender beat Penei Sewell for a sack with his patented spin move in a viral practice clip sent out by the team Friday, seemingly confirming Goff’s assessment. Hutchinson looks ready to start the season, the only question will be if he and the Lions agree on a massive new contract before the offseason is over.
Yankees activated RHP Yerry De los Santos from the 15-day injured list.
De los Santos rejoins New York’s relief corps prior to Saturday afternoon’s showdown against the Phillies. The 27-year-old reliever compiled a strong 1.80 ERA across 20 innings (14 appearances) before hitting the injured list back on June 19 with right elbow discomfort. He’ll operate in middle relief and can be safely ignored for fantasy purposes.
Yankees optioned INF Jorbit Vivas to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
There simply isn’t a spot for Vivas within New York’s infield mix following the acquisition of veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Rockies. The 24-year-old rookie has batted .161 (9-for-56) with one homer and five RBI in 29 games this season at the big-league level.
Yankees optioned RHP Scott Effross to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Effross was shipped back to the minors following Friday’s blowout loss to the Phillies where he was crushed for four runs in his lone inning of work. The 31-year-old righty should return at some point during the final two months of the season.
Alex Anzalone (hamstring) practiced for the first time in training camp on Saturday.
Anzalone sat out early offseason workouts and OTAs as he made it clear that he wants a new contract. The 30-year-old linebacker reported to training camp on time, but missed the first few days of practice after suffering a hamstring injury during his conditioning test. One day after Dan Campbell told reporters there’s no animosity between Anzalone and the front office and that both sides are still talking, Anzalone returned to the practice field. It remains to be seen if they’ve made any progress on a new contract, though.