NHL DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Stacks Today: Tuesday Playbook
Published: Jan 28, 2025
Welcome to another NHL DFS Playbook! We have a nice eight game slate for NHL DFS picks with a couple of expensive superstars to choose from.
Value tonight will be key, so we need to make sure we find as much of it as possible. Let’s dive into the numbers and see which players and NHL DF projections we need to keep an eye on.
NHL DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, January 28th
Before we get into 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
- Martin Necas O/0.5 A
- Jake Guentzel O/2.5 SOG
- Connor Hellebuyck U/24.5 SV
We know that the Colorado Avalanche aren’t as good on the road, but let’s not pretend like the Islanders are a good hockey team. They are without Noah Dobson and have the worst penalty kill in the league. Martin Necas finished with two assists last game and has seen a significant bump in his ice time. As long as he’s on the ice, good things will happen.
It’s always a good idea to take advantage of the Chicago Blackhawks on the road. They are horrendous defensively, so Tampa Bay is going to get a lot of chances to fire the puck on goal. Jake Guentzel isn’t a high-volume player, but he did have five shots on goal the last time these two teams met. His current number is too low considering how many scoring chances the Lightning are going to generate.
The Montreal Canadiens have reverted to their old ways and are getting eaten alive five-on-five. The Jets come into tonight as the best team in the NHL and they are elite defensively. Montreal doesn’t generate a ton of shots and Connor Hellebuyck may not even see 24 shots tonight. I like the under here and you should too.
Tuesday Salary Cap DFS Picks
Goalie Of The Day: Andrei Vasilevskiy - TBL
I know he’s the most expensive goalie on the slate and he’s going to be chalk, but Andrei Vasilevskiy has an elite matchup on paper, and we can’t ignore him for cash game. The Blackhawks may not even score a goal tonight! Vasilevskiy doesn’t have a ton of upside because he won’t see many shots, but I do think he can hit value if Tampa Bay comes away with the win.
Honorable Mention: Ilya Sorokin - NYI
I don’t love Ilya Sorokin tonight, but I do think his price tag on DraftKings makes him playable in GPPs. As mentioned above, Colorado isn’t as dominant on the road, but the Islanders are so bad in so many areas, it's hard to trust Sorokin. If you’re feeling extra bold tonight, this is one route to consider.
Player Of The Day: David Pastrnak - BOS
David Pastrnak has been COOKING of late, and I am very excited to see what he does tonight. He has 19 points in the last ten games and has a fantastic matchup against the Sabres. I don’t love many Boston players tonight, but he is by far the best forward on the slate.
Honorable Mention: Nikita Kucherov - TBL
It’s hard to think of Nikita Kucherov as just an honorable mention, but digging into the numbers, he isn’t as dominant at home as he is on the road. Is that something to be concerned about? Not really, but if you’re paying up for one superstar, I’m going with Pastrnak. If you aren’t, then Kucherov is the next-best option.
Value Play Of The Day: Mason McTavish - ANA
Mason McTavish has five goals in the last three games and is showing no signs of slowing down. Seattle is playing their second game in as many nights, so we should get Philipp Grubauer in goal, which only makes things even better. The Ducks are a terrible offensive team, but McTavish has made himself relevant and he’s still way too cheap.
Honorable Mention: Darren Raddysh - TBL
I don’t know how much I believe this, but Daily Faceoff has Darren Raddysh skating on the top power play unit. He has been very good over the last five games, but he’s not a player known for his offence. Even if he doesn’t see top unit duties, the matchup against Chicago is good enough for us to consider him.
Stack Of The Day - COL PP1 (Nathan MacKinnon - Martin Necas - Cale Makar)
I don’t care that the Avalanche aren’t as good on the road, the Islanders have a terrible defence and their penalty kill is the WOAT. Colorado’s power play is going to get some looks and they can move the puck around without breaking a sweat. You can stack all three or go with just two if salary is an issue.
Today's NHL DFS Cheat Sheet & Stacks
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Brayden Point  $8,300 |  Kyle Connor $8,200 |  Cale Makar $8,000 | Andrei Vasilevskiy $8,500 |
| Jake Guentzel $7,800 | Connor Hellebuyck $8,400 | |||
| Medium |  Bo Horvat $6,600 |  Andrei Svechnikov $6,100 | Josh Morrissey $6,300 |  Jeremy Swayman $7,900 |
 Vincent Trocheck $5,700 | Gabriel Vilardi $6,000 |  Brandon Montour $6,000 |  Adin Hill $7,800 | |
| Low | Pavel Zacha $4,900 | Morgan Geekie $5,000 |  Seth Jones $4,500 | Igor Shesterkin $7,400 |
| Chandler Stephenson $3,700 | Jonathan Drouin $5,000 | Alexander Romanov $4,100 |  Dustin Wolf $7,100 |
Stacks
| Ducks | Jackson LaCombe | Mason McTavish | Troy Terry |
| DraftKings | 4400 | 4300 | 5500 |
 Fanduel | 5700 | 5300 | 6400 |
| Bruins | David Pastrnak | Morgan Geekie | Pavel Zacha |
| DraftKings | 8800 | 5000 | 4900 |
| Fanduel | 8400 | 5500 | 5600 |
| Lightning | Jake Guentzel | Brayden Point | Nikita Kucherov |
| DraftKings | 7800 | 8300 | 9000 |
| Fanduel | 8100 | 8100 | 9000 |
| Ducks | Jackson LaCombe | Mason McTavish | Troy Terry |
| DraftKings | 4400 | 4300 | 5500 |
| Fanduel | 5700 | 5300 | 6400 |
| Bruins | David Pastrnak | Morgan Geekie | Pavel Zacha |
| DraftKings | 8800 | 5000 | 4900 |
| Fanduel | 8400 | 5500 | 5600 |
| Lightning | Jake Guentzel | Brayden Point | Nikita Kucherov |
| DraftKings | 7800 | 8300 | 9000 |
| Fanduel | 8100 | 8100 | 9000 |
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.