NHL DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Stacks Today: Monday Playbook
Published: Jan 20, 2025
We have a full day of NHL action that gets started at 1 pm EST, but we'll focus on the five-game main slate which starts at 7:30 pm.
A five-game slate gives us enough top-tier options along with some value plays to balance out our lineups.
NHL DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, January 20th
We are at a critical time in the NHL season when teams are trying to make a push toward the playoffs or see themselves fall behind in the race.
This could lead to many teams trading away their top options, which can open up value throughout their lineup.
NHL DFS Pick'em Picks On Underdog With Promo Code ALARM
- Bo Horvat Higher Than 2.5 Shots on Goal
- Sebastian Aho Higher Than 2.5 Shots on Goal
- Kevin Fiala Higher Than 3.5 Shots on Goal
Bo Horvat and the New York Islanders are fighting for every point they can get in the playoff race and an offensive-first mentality should be the approach. Horvat comes in with more than 2.5 shots on goal in eight of his last 10 games, as we should expect from a top-line center. He's up against the Blue Jackets who have allowed 62.24 Total Shot Attempts per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations since the start of January, which is the seventh-worst in the league.
Sebastian Aho and the Carolina Hurricanes are looking to be the chalk of the slate against the lowly Chicago Blackhawks. In the nine games since the start of January, Aho has at least 2 shots on goal eight times and has gone over this mark five times. The Canes lead the league with 75.51 Total Shot Attempts Created per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations since the turn of the calendar year, making this a clear spot to target.
Kevin Fiala and the Los Angeles Kings have an awesome matchup tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are a mess on defense right now. Fiala has a team-high 37 shots on goal in his last 10 games while seeing time on the third forward line and the first power-play unit.
Monday Salary Cap DFS Picks
Goalie Of The Day: Darcy Kuemper - LAK
Darcy Kuemper and the Kings have been awesome on defense recently and the Pittsburgh Penguins don't offer much of a threat on offense. Since the start of January, the Kings have only allowed 0.89 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the absolute best in the NHL.
They have been downright amazing and that should continue tonight against a Penguins offense that can't really get going. Over that same time and in the same situations, the Penguins have only scored 1.81 Goals, which is the eighth-lowest in the league. Kuemper should be able to keep them in check tonight and come away with a cleaner win.
Play Of The Day: Nikita Kucherov - TBL
We have an awesome matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs, a rivalry we've seen in the playoffs a few times over the last set of seasons.
The top tier tonight features Nikita Kucherov and Auston Matthews, where I'm siding with Kucherov. Over the last 10 games, Kucherov has 14 total points and 34 shots on goal, compared to Matthews who has 12 points and 22 shots on goal in his last 8 games.
It's a minor difference overall but the consistency plus upside that Kucherov brings is just a bit better compared to Matthews. Also, the Maple Leafs defense is due for a bit of regression, as they are allowing just 2.27 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, while their Expected Goals allowed are up at 2.71 Goals.
Value Play Of The Day: Quinton Byfield - LAK
The Los Angeles Kings have a solid 3.2 implied goal total tonight against the Penguins and it's a great spot to look for some DFS options. Their top line or top power-play unit is worth stacking tonight but I want to turn to Quinton Byfield for a bit of value.
He comes in with 6 points, 20 shots on goal, and 4 blocked shots in his last 10 games while seeing time on the second forward line and the first power-play unit. He's under $4K on DraftKings and can be dropped into any lineup tonight.
Stack Of The Day: CAR PP1 (Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov)
The Carolina Hurricanes come in with a slate-high 3.6 implied goal and really should be super popular across the board. Since the start of January, the Blackhawks have allowed 3.06 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the second-worst in the league.
On the other side, the Hurricanes have scored 2.33 Goals in the same situations, but their Expected Goals are up at 2.77. So, what we have here is a terrible defense on the Blackhawks' side of things with a strong offense from the Hurricanes, who should actually be scoring more than they currently are.
The top power-play unit for the Hurricanes would be the spot to target but you can mix and match the top two lines depending on how much salary you have available. I would also consider Martin Necas, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Brent Burns.
Today's NHL DFS Cheat Sheet & Stacks
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Auston Matthews  $8,800 |  Nikita Kucherov $9,100 |  Zach Werenski $7,900 |  Darcy Kuemper $8,300 |
 Sebastian Aho $7,500 |  Kyle Connor $8,700 | Victor Hedman $6,900 | Connor Hellebuyck $8,400 | |
| Brayden Point $8,400 | Brandon Hagel $8,100 | Josh Morrissey $6,700 | ||
| Medium | Anthony Cirelli $7,000 | Jake Guentzel $7,700 | Shayne Gostisbehere $5,900 |  Ilya Sorokin $7,500 |
| Anze Kopitar $6,200 | Seth Jarvis $7,400 | Brandt Clarke $5,400 | ||
| Nikolaj Ehlers $7,300 |  Kris Letang $5,200 | |||
| Adrian Kempe $7,200 | ||||
 Martin Necas $7,100 | ||||
| Low | Quinton Byfield $5,300 | Warren Foegele $5,100 | Jaccob Slavin $4,900 | |
| Adam Fantilli $5,800 | Jack Roslovic $5,400 | Vladislav Gavrikov $4,800 | ||
| Cole Perfetti $5,000 | Sean Walker $4,500 | |||
| Trevor Moore $5,000 |
Stacks
| Hurricanes | Sebastian Aho | Seth Jarvis | Andrei Svechnikov |
 DraftKings | 7100 | 6400 | 5700 |
| Fanduel | 7500 | 7400 | 6500 |
| Kings | Brandt Clarke | Anze Kopitar | Adrian Kempe | Kevin Fiala |
| DraftKings | 4800 | 5500 | 6600 | 6100 |
| Fanduel | 5400 | 6200 | 7200 | 6000 |
| Hurricanes | Sebastian Aho | Seth Jarvis | Andrei Svechnikov |
| DraftKings | 7100 | 6400 | 5700 |
| Fanduel | 7500 | 7400 | 6500 |
| Kings | Brandt Clarke | Anze Kopitar | Adrian Kempe | Kevin Fiala |
| DraftKings | 4800 | 5500 | 6600 | 6100 |
| Fanduel | 5400 | 6200 | 7200 | 6000 |
| Hurricanes | Sebastian Aho | Seth Jarvis | Andrei Svechnikov |
| DraftKings | 7100 | 6400 | 5700 |
| Fanduel | 7500 | 7400 | 6500 |
| Kings | Brandt Clarke | Anze Kopitar | Adrian Kempe | Kevin Fiala |
| DraftKings | 4800 | 5500 | 6600 | 6100 |
| Fanduel | 5400 | 6200 | 7200 | 6000 |
| Hurricanes | Sebastian Aho | Seth Jarvis | Andrei Svechnikov |
| DraftKings | 7100 | 6400 | 5700 |
| Fanduel | 7500 | 7400 | 6500 |
| Kings | Brandt Clarke | Anze Kopitar | Adrian Kempe | Kevin Fiala |
| DraftKings | 4800 | 5500 | 6600 | 6100 |
| Fanduel | 5400 | 6200 | 7200 | 6000 |
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.