NHL DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Stacks Today: Thursday Playbook
Published: Apr 10, 2025
Welcome to another batch of NHL DFS picks today with the Thursday Playbook! We have a massive 10-game slate and so many injuries.
This means that there is value to find, we just have to look for it. Let’s not waste any time, we’re diving right into the action.
NHL DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, April 10th
Before we get into our NHL DFS picks today, 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
- Zach Werenski O/3.5 SOG
- Quinton Byfield O/0.5 P
- David Pastrnak O/3.5 SOG
We missed out on Zach Werenski’s shot total by one on Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean we don’t try again. He’s been a beast at home all year long and he has a fantastic matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. Look for him to play a lot and generate scoring chances
The Anaheim Ducks are playing the tail end of a back-to-back and they have to deal with the Los Angeles Kings, who don’t lose on home ice. Quinton Byfield is a very good player and like most of them, he has better numbers on home ice. All we want here is a point, which he could get before the first period even ends.
The Boston Bruins will not be going to the playoffs and as a Habs fan, I’m not crying. David Pastrnak has put together another elite season and most of us don’t even talk about it. He has a date with the Blackhawks-- who are a mess on the road-- and there’s no question he’s going to get so many quality chances.
Thursday Salary Cap NHL DFS Picks
Goalie Of The Day: Darcy Kuemper - LAK
There is no goalie I’d rather have in cash games tonight than Darcy Kuemper. He is near perfect on home ice, and he has a fantastic matchup on paper against Anaheim. We know he’s not going to see a lot of shots and his price tag is elevated, but the Ducks may not score a singular goal tonight.
Honorable Mention: Jeremy Swayman - BOS
If Jeremy Swayman can’t pick up a win against the Chicago Blackhawks on home ice, then I don’t know when he will ever win again. He’s had a difficult season, but his numbers at home are good and it should be enough to come away with the win and hit value. All he has to do is not be terrible.
Player Of The Day: David Pastrnak - BOS
David Pastrnak hit the 100-point mark last game, has racked up 17 points in the last ten games and has scored 24 goals on home ice. The man is elite and it’s all for nothing because the Bruins are #NotGood. With so many key players out, if you’re looking for consistency and a safe play, it’s Pastrnak.
Honorable Mention: Cale Makar - COL
With Nathan MacKinnon not playing tonight, everyone is going to need to find another gear. Cale Makar has scored 30 goals this season and could very well add a couple more tonight. He’s going to play a lot and be counted on to provide offence. He’s a great option as a single bullet in all formats
Value Play Of The Day: Charlie Coyle - COL
As I mentioned at the start of the Playbook, there is no shortage of value plays on this slate. The first one is Charlie Coyle, who is going to skate on the second line and top power play unit tonight. His price tag is $3600 on DraftKings, which makes him even more appealing. He’s going to see a bump in ice time, which can only help his value. If you need a cheap center, he’s one route to consider.
Honorable Mention: Tomas Hertl - VGK
There is a chance that Tomas Hertl returns to the lineup tonight. Jack Eichel is out of the lineup, so if Hertl could return, that would be fantastic. He would immediately move to the top line and see a healthy dose of minutes. If he can’t go, then you have the option to pivot to someone like Brett Howden, who is expected to center one of the top two lines.
Stack Of The Day - FLA PP1 (Aleksander Barkov - Sam Reinhart - Seth Jones)
Nothing complicated tonight with Florida’s top power play unit. The Detroit Red Wings are bad on the penalty kill, so if they get caught taking bad penalties, it’s over for them. The Panthers are also a very good five-on-five team, and Barkov/Reinhart are a big reason for that.
Today's NHL DFS Cheat Sheet & Stacks
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | D | W | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Aleksander Barkov  $7,200 |  Cale Makar $8,300 |  David Pastrnak $8,800 |  Darcy Kuemper $8,500 |
 Bo Horvat $6,400 |  Zach Werenski $8,100 | Mackenzie Blackwood $8,400 | ||
 Adin Hill $8,300 | ||||
| Medium | Pavel Zacha $5,200 |  Mikhail Sergachev $5,800 | Adrian Kempe $6,600 | Karel Vejmelka $7,900 |
| Logan Cooley $5,700 | Seth Jones $5,600 | Martin Necas $6,500 |  Jake Oettinger $7,900 | |
| Sam Reinhart $7,100 | ||||
| Low | Brett Howden $3,400 | Mason Lohrei $4,200 | Brad Marchand $5,300 |  Cam Talbot $7,200 |
 Marcus Pettersson $3,600 | Mark Stone $5,700 | Kevin Lankinen $7,000 | ||
| Miles Wood $2,800 | ||||
| Artturi Lehkonen $5,400 | ||||
| Mackie Samoskevich $4,700 |
Stacks
| Bruins | David Pastrnak | Morgan Geekie | Mason Lohrei |
| DraftKings | 8800 | 6100 | 4200 |
 Fanduel | 8600 | 6200 | 4700 |
| Kings | Quinton Byfield | Adrian Kempe | Kevin Fiala |
| DraftKings | 6000 | 6600 | 6500 |
| Fanduel | 5800 | 7200 | 6900 |
| Blue Jackets | Sean Monahan | Kirill Marchenko | Zach Werenski |
| DraftKings | 5600 | 6200 | 8100 |
| Fanduel | 7000 | 7100 | 6500 |
| Hockey Club | Clayton Keller | Mikhail Sergachev | Dylan Guenther |
| DraftKings | 6800 | 5800 | 6600 |
| Fanduel | 7300 | 6000 | 7100 |
| Bruins | David Pastrnak | Morgan Geekie | Mason Lohrei |
| DraftKings | 8800 | 6100 | 4200 |
| Fanduel | 8600 | 6200 | 4700 |
| Kings | Quinton Byfield | Adrian Kempe | Kevin Fiala |
| DraftKings | 6000 | 6600 | 6500 |
| Fanduel | 5800 | 7200 | 6900 |
| Blue Jackets | Sean Monahan | Kirill Marchenko | Zach Werenski |
| DraftKings | 5600 | 6200 | 8100 |
| Fanduel | 7000 | 7100 | 6500 |
| Hockey Club | Clayton Keller | Mikhail Sergachev | Dylan Guenther |
| DraftKings | 6800 | 5800 | 6600 |
| Fanduel | 7300 | 6000 | 7100 |
Player News
Wyatt Langford (oblique) will begin a minor league rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco on Thursday.
The 23-year-old budding superstar will serve as the designated hitter on Thursday night before easing his way back into the outfield. Langford wanted to skip the rehab assignment altogether, so as long as he shows that he’s ready to go, there’s a chance that the Rangers could bring him back at some point during their weekend series against the Dodgers.
Beat reporter Scott Bair reports that Bears DC Dennis Allen asked slot CB Kyler Gordon to learn a second position, either on the perimeter or at safety.
The Bears’ previous coaching staff spent two seasons trying this experiment before allowing Gordon to blossom in a full-time slot- and box-coverage role last season. Perhaps, Allen can succeed where others have failed. His intent is to “find some more playing time” for Gordon, which is understandable given Gordon’s significant on-field impact last year.
Kyle Schwarber went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs on Thursday afternoon, propelling the Phillies to a 6-4 victory over the visiting Giants.
Schwarber got the Phillies on the board with a go-ahead two-run single off of Jordan Hicks and then scored on a wild pitch as part of a five-run opening inning. He also reached on an infield single in the fifth inning but was left stranded there. The 32-year-old slugger is off to a strong start to the 2025 campaign, slashing .284/.435/.597 with six homers, 14 RBI and a stolen base in his first 85 plate appearances.
José Alvarado notched his fourth save of the season on Thursday, protecting a two-run advantage in the ninth inning against the Giants.
The 29-year-old left-hander came on with a three-run lead to protect, but things got a bit closer as he served up a one-out solo homer to Tyler Fitzgerald. After getting Wilmer Flores on a ground ball to shortstop, Alvarado walked Jung Hoo Lee to bring the tying run to the plate before retiring Christian Koss on a fielder’s choice to end it. He appears to be locked in as the preferred ninth inning option for manager Rob Thomson and should continue to provide plenty of fantasy value for as long as he remains healthy and stationed there.
Cristopher Sanchez picked up his second victory of the season on Thursday, racking up a season-high 12 strikeouts over seven innings against the Giants.
The 28-year-old southpaw allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and one walk. The Giants scratched out a run against him in the first inning on a two-out RBI single by Matt Chapman. Sanchez then served up a two-run homer to Chapman in the sixth after Heliot Ramos had reached on an error. He got a whopping 24 swings and misses on 97 pitches in the ballgame — 22 of those on his changeup alone — while posting an elite CSW of 40 percent. Now 2-0 on the season, Sanchez will carry a 2.96 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 31/6 K/BB ratio (24 1/3 innings) into Tuesday’s showdown against the Mets in New York.
Matt Chapman went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI on Thursday, accounting for most of the Giants’ offense in a losing effort against the Phillies.
Chapman got the Giants on the board first with an RBI single off of Cristopher Sanchez in the opening inning. He then tagged him for a 372-foot (100.6 mph EV) two-run shot in the sixth inning that pulled the Giants to within two runs at 5-3. That would be as close as they would get. With his two-hit attack, the 31-year-old third baseman is now hitting .239/.386/.418 with three homers, 12 RBI and two stolen bases through his first 19 games.