NHL DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Stacks Today: Monday Playbook
Published: Apr 14, 2025
Welcome to another Playbook filled with NHL DFS picks today! The season is slowly ending, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a few slates left to make some money.
Most teams have locked up playoff spots, but some still need to figure things out. We have a six-game slate with some good options to choose from, so let’s dive into the action and build that winning NHL DFS lineup.
NHL DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, April 14th
Before we get into our NHL DFS picks, 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.
NHL Pick 'Em Picks On Sleeper Fantasy Today
- Ivan Demidov O/0.5 P
- Adrian Kempe O/2.5 SOG
- Cam Talbot O/21.5 SV
Happy Ivan Demidov Day to all those who celebrate! The Habs rookie is expected to make his season debut tonight and I’m hoping for some big things from him. He’s a dynamic hockey player and will bring more offence to a team that desperately needs it. He will skate on the second line and second power play unit, so there will be chances for him to get on the scoresheet.
The Oilers are resting Connor McDavid AND Leon Draisaitl tonight against the Kings and they have so many players that will be out due to injury. The Kings aren’t very good on the road, but you have to give them a bump when the two best players in the world aren’t playing. Adrian Kempe is very good at his shot total being at 2.5 is too low, so we’ll take the Over and not look back.
Sleeper is giving us a discount on Cam Talbot, and we’ll gladly take it. For the moment, it doesn’t look like the Dallas Stars will be resting anyone, so they will have all their best players in the lineup. Detroit has nothing to play for, so they will just go out there and play hockey. Talbot has seen a ton of action in his last five starts and he should see a decent amount of them tonight. I like the Over here as long as he doesn’t get pulled early.
MONDAY SALARY CAP DFS
Goalie Of The Day: Darcy Kuemper - LAK
I know Darcy Kuemper isn’t as good on the road, but his matchup on paper and his price tag on DraftKings is too good to pass up. He has good numbers on the road, they just aren’t beyond elite like at home. His price tag was set with Draisaitl and McDavid being in the lineup and now that we know they aren’t, we are getting a ton of value.
Honorable Mention: Sam Montembeault - MTL
I don’t love the idea of Sam Montembeault being the most expensive goalie on DK, but I get why. He’s been very good at home all season and considering how important this game is for Montreal; I expect him to be on top of his game. The Blackhawks are a terrible offensive team, and I can’t see them scoring many goals tonight.
Player Of The Day: Nick Suzuki - MTL
There aren’t a ton of elite center options to choose from tonight, but even if we did, Nick Suzuki would still be in this spot. He has 50 points on home ice this season and has been on a tear since the 4Nations. When his team needs him, he steps up to the plate. He plays the entire two minutes on the power play and makes up for his low shot volume. I love Nick and I love his upside tonight.
Honorable Mention: Sam Reinhart - FLA
The Florida Panthers are going to play the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, but they still have a chance of securing home-ice advantage in that series. Many of Florida’s regulars will be in the lineup tonight and their matchup against the Rangers is above-average. Sam Reinhart is an elite goalscorer and I like his chances of finding the back of the net.
Value Play Of The Day: Ivan Demidov - MTL
You already know I’m gushing over Demidov and what he *could* do in the NHL, but his $2500 price tag on DK makes it impossible to fade him. Even if he does almost nothing, the salary savings alone is enough for me to consider him in a GPP. I’ll probably play him in cash games too because I do think he gets on the scoresheet, so play him wherever you feel comfortable.
Honorable Mention: Ty Mueller - VAN
Ty Mueller made his NHL debut a few nights ago and was decent. He played just ten minutes and had one shot on goal, but now he gets a matchup on home ice against a terrible San Jose team. I think we see him play just a bit more in this game and I do like that he blocked two shots against the Wild. He’s cheap and he’s playing in the top six, so he’s another cheap option to consider.
Stack Of The Day - UTA PP1 (Logan Cooley - Dylan Guenther - Clayton Keller)
I really like Utha tonight on the road. The Nashville Predators are just not a good hockey team, and I don’t think they will keep the puck out of their net. Utah has some elite hockey players on their team, so if you’re looking for a stack that may get forgotten tonight, their top power play unit is the way to go.
Today's NHL DFS Cheat Sheet & Stacks
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Nick Suzuki  $7,300 |  Filip Forsberg $7,600 |  Quinn Hughes $7,500 | Nikita Tolopilo $8,300 |
 Aleksander Barkov $7,200 |  Jason Robertson $7,000 |  Evan Bouchard $7,400 | Sam Montembeault $8,400 | |
| Jake Oettinger $8,000 | ||||
| Medium | Wyatt Johnston $6,400 |  Dylan Guenther $6,500 | Mikhail Sergachev $5,800 | Sergei Bobrovsky $7,900 |
 Connor Bedard $6,300 |  Adrian Kempe $6,400 | Seth Jones $5,500 | Darcy Kuemper $7,600 | |
| Quinton Byfield $5,900 | Lane Hutson $5,200 | |||
| Low | Frank Nazar $4,200 |  Will Smith $5,500 | Brandt Clarke $4,600 | Arvid Soderblom $7,000 |
| Alex Newhook $3,600 | Andrei Kuzmenko $5,700 | Artyom Levshunov $2,800 |  Cameron Talbot $7,400 | |
| Ryan Donato $5,000 | Marcus Pettersson $3,900 |
Stacks
| Canadiens | Ivan Demidov | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki |
| DraftKings | 2500 | 6700 | 7300 |
 Fanduel | 4500 | 6800 | 7600 |
| Stars | Wyatt Johnston | Jason Robertson | Mikko Rantanen |
| DraftKings | 6400 | 7000 | 6900 |
| Fanduel | 7300 | 7700 | 7100 |
| Kings | Quinton Byfield | Adrian Kempe | Kevin Fiala |
| DraftKings | 5900 | 6400 | 6300 |
| Fanduel | 6100 | 7400 | 6900 |
| Canucks | Jake DeBrusk | Brock Boeser | Quinn Hughes |
| DraftKings | 5600 | 6200 | 7500 |
| Fanduel | 5500 | 5600 | 6400 |
| Canadiens | Ivan Demidov | Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki |
| DraftKings | 2500 | 6700 | 7300 |
| Fanduel | 4500 | 6800 | 7600 |
| Stars | Wyatt Johnston | Jason Robertson | Mikko Rantanen |
| DraftKings | 6400 | 7000 | 6900 |
| Fanduel | 7300 | 7700 | 7100 |
| Kings | Quinton Byfield | Adrian Kempe | Kevin Fiala |
| DraftKings | 5900 | 6400 | 6300 |
| Fanduel | 6100 | 7400 | 6900 |
| Canucks | Jake DeBrusk | Brock Boeser | Quinn Hughes |
| DraftKings | 5600 | 6200 | 7500 |
| Fanduel | 5500 | 5600 | 6400 |
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.