NHL DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Stacks Today: Saturday Playbook
Published: Nov 16, 2024
We have a loaded 10-game slate with some great games on tap and plenty to sort through. There are some of the worst defenses on tonight's slate, along with several elite offenses, which should put things in a spot for plenty of scoring.
NHL DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, November 16th
With so many of the league's top players all on one slate, we'll look for plenty of value options to help round out our lineups.
Today’s NHL DFS Slate Overview
NHL DFS Pick'em Picks on Sleeper Fantasy
- Cole Caufield Over 0.5 Points
- Alex Tuch Over 2.5 Shots on Goal
- Sidney Crosby Over 1.5 Points
Cole Caufield and the Montreal Canadiens might not be the best offense overall, but they have a good matchup tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets. This season, the Blue Jackets have allowed 2.99 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the fifth-highest in the league. Caufield is scoring at a strong clip to start the season with 12 goals in 17 games, which he can certainly continue tonight.
Alex Tuch and the Buffalo Sabres have a solid matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. With Tage Thompson out with an injury, someone else on the Sabres needs to step up and provide that missing offense. Tuch is already averaging 2.5 shots on goal per game, and with him still seeing time on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, he should be the primary shot-taker now.
Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins aren't off to the start they would like but they have a strong matchup against the San Jose Sharks tonight. The Sharks allowed 2.93 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the eighth-worst in the league, putting Crosby and the Penguins in a good spot. He comes in with 18 points in 19 games and needs to step up the offense to start picking up wins.
Saturday Salary Cap DFS Picks
Goalie Of The Day: Jake Oettinger - DAL
I really like Jake Oettinger's salary on both FanDuel and DraftKings, which really helps with lineup construction tonight. While Oettinger personally has been a bit up and down this season, the Stars are still the best defensive team in the league with only 35 goals allowed in 15 games.
It's also important to note that the Minnesota Wild will be without Mats Zuccarello or Joel Eriksson Ek tonight. Missing two of their top six forwards is a clear downgrade to their offense, which should make things just a bit easier for Oettinger tonight.
Play Of The Day: Jack Hughes - NJD
Jack Hughes has been unbelievable lately and he's worth every bit of his salary tonight. Over his last 10 games, Hughes has 13 total points and 33 shots on goal, while seeing time on the second forward line and the first power-play unit for the New Jersey Devils.
Their offense is firing on all cylinders right now with 72 goals this season, the second-most in the league, and a power-play hitting at 30.5%, which is the fourth-highest. It's all offense right now and it allows Hughes to reach for multiple points on a nightly basis. I like the matchup versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, which has plenty of scoring potential tonight.
Value Play Of The Day: Jonathan Lekkerimaki - VAN
Jonathan Lekkerimaki made his NHL debut the other night and then picked up his first NHL goal in his second game. While we shouldn't be expecting a goal every night, his role on the first forward line and the the first power-play unit are too good to pass up.
He has a great salary on both FanDuel and DraftKings, along with a solid matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, who are allowing over three goals per game.
Stack Of The Day: CAR PP1 (Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Martin Necas, Shayne Gostisbehere)
As usual, the Carolina Hurricanes are one of the best offenses in the league in goals scored (60) and Total Shot Attempts Created per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the best in the league. Sprinkle in a top 10 power-play at 21.6% and we have all the makings of an offense that can pour in the goals.
There are a number of different ways to approach this stack but the primary options should be Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, since they are also on the first forward line together. Ideally, you would then add Martin Necas, who is on the second forward line and off to a blazing start this season. However, Necas is far more expensive compared to Shayne Gostisbehere, who is the defender on the power-play unit.
Today's NHL DFS Cheat Sheet & Stacks
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Jack Hughes  $8,400 |  Nikita Kucherov $8,800 |  Quinn Hughes $7,000 | Kevin Lankinen $8,600 |
 Connor McDavid $8,900 |  Kirill Kaprizov $9,000 | Dougie Hamilton $6,700 |  Spencer Martin $8,400 | |
| Leon Draisaitl $8,000 |  Martin Necas $8,600 | Victor Hedman $6,800 | ||
 Kyle Connor $8,400 | Josh Morrissey $6,600 | |||
| Medium | Nico Hischier $7,300 | Jesper Bratt $7,500 |  Brandt Clarke $6,400 | David Rittich $8,200 |
 Sidney Crosby $7,000 | Nikolaj Ehlers $7,400 | Evan Bouchard $6,400 |  Sam Montembeault $8,000 | |
 Matt Duchene $6,900 | Andrei Svechnikov $7,100 |  Zach Werenski $6,500 | ||
| Nick Suzuki $6,700 | Jake Guentzel $7,000 | Erik Karlsson $5,900 | ||
 Alex Tuch $6,600 | ||||
| Low | Elias Pettersson $6,100 | Stefan Noesen $5,900 | Jake Walman $5,700 | Devon Levi $7,400 |
| Anthony Cirelli $5,800 | Conor Garland $5,500 | Kaiden Guhle $5,400 | Jake Oettinger $7,400 | |
| Adam Fantilli $5,500 | Jack Roslovic $5,500 | Shayne Gostisbehere $5,200 | ||
 Dylan Cozens $5,100 | Jonathan Lekkerimaki $4,200 |  Gustav Forsling $5,000 | ||
 Matthew Knies $5,500 | ||||
| Jordan Martinook $4,600 |
Stacks
| Hurricanes | Sebastian Aho | Andrei Svechnikov | Shayne Gostisbehere | Martin Necas |
 DraftKings | 7300 | 7400 | 4400 | 7600 |
| Fanduel | 6500 | 7100 | 5200 | 8600 |
| Devils | Jack Hughes | Dougie Hamilton | Stefan Noesen | Jesper Bratt |
| DraftKings | 8200 | 6300 | 4200 | 6900 |
| Fanduel | 8400 | 6700 | 5900 | 7500 |
| Penguins | Erik Karlsson | Sidney Crosby | Evgeni Malkin | Bryan Rust |
| DraftKings | 5500 | 7700 | 6800 | 6100 |
| Fanduel | 5900 | 7000 | 6600 | 5800 |
| Hurricanes | Sebastian Aho | Andrei Svechnikov | Shayne Gostisbehere | Martin Necas |
| DraftKings | 7300 | 7400 | 4400 | 7600 |
| Fanduel | 6500 | 7100 | 5200 | 8600 |
| Devils | Jack Hughes | Dougie Hamilton | Stefan Noesen | Jesper Bratt |
| DraftKings | 8200 | 6300 | 4200 | 6900 |
| Fanduel | 8400 | 6700 | 5900 | 7500 |
| Penguins | Erik Karlsson | Sidney Crosby | Evgeni Malkin | Bryan Rust |
| DraftKings | 5500 | 7700 | 6800 | 6100 |
| Fanduel | 5900 | 7000 | 6600 | 5800 |
| Hurricanes | Sebastian Aho | Andrei Svechnikov | Shayne Gostisbehere | Martin Necas |
| DraftKings | 7300 | 7400 | 4400 | 7600 |
| Fanduel | 6500 | 7100 | 5200 | 8600 |
| Devils | Jack Hughes | Dougie Hamilton | Stefan Noesen | Jesper Bratt |
| DraftKings | 8200 | 6300 | 4200 | 6900 |
| Fanduel | 8400 | 6700 | 5900 | 7500 |
| Penguins | Erik Karlsson | Sidney Crosby | Evgeni Malkin | Bryan Rust |
| DraftKings | 5500 | 7700 | 6800 | 6100 |
| Fanduel | 5900 | 7000 | 6600 | 5800 |
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.