NHL DFS Playbook December 16: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks

Published: Dec 16, 2023
Saturday's 12-game NHL slate is loaded with top-tier scorers featuring a great matchup as Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers face Matthew Tkchuck and the Florida Panthers. We should expect lots of tight games with some great matchups out there, but expect some of the top scorers to shine through still. So, be sure to check in with our NHL DFS Tools, with the daily NHL projections, and our NHL lineup generator when building those lineups today to help you decide which players you should be targeting!
NHL DFS Playbook December 16th
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
With there being 12 games today, the strategy for cash games and GPP's could vary quite a bit. There is good reason to focus on the New Jersey Devils with their matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets, as you have one of the highest-scoring teams in the league facing one of the worst teams. In a cash game, I think this is a sensible strategy, and in a GPP you could even go with a full game stack, given Colombus just scored six times against Toronto earlier in the week, and New Jersey isn't a great defensive team. The Edmonton vs Florida game should be of interest as well as both of those teams have allergies to defence also. In a GPP, I would want to consider stacking Columbus as they will likely not see a lot of ownership and hope they score a bunch of goals again, and then try and get yourself a McDavid, Matthews or a group of top players in good matchups to push you over the top.
Recommended DFS Starting Goalies,
Top Options for Saves
Sergei Bobrovsky vs Edmonton Oilers
Tristan Jarry vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Joey Daccord vs Los Angeles Kings
Best Odds for a Win
Vitek Vanecek vs Columbus Blue Jackets
Semyon Varlamov vs Montreal Canadiens
Martin Jones vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Favorite Goalies to Use for DFS Lineups
Tristan Jarry, G, Pittsburgh Penguins
While the Penguins have struggled this season, it hasn't been because Jarry hasn't played well. He will face a Toronto team that has been averaging more than four goals per game over the last two weeks, but his risk is baked into the price, and he has upside with Toronto also averaging 36 shots per game on goal.
Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets
Hellebuyck has been great for the Jets. He has won four straight starts, and he hasn't given up more than two goals in five straight starts. Facing the Avalanche isn't an ideal matchup, but in a GPP he is well worth the risk, especially at his price.
Semyon Varlamov, G, New York Islanders
This is a great matchup for cash games. It looks like it will be Varlamov who gets the start, but either way it should be a solid play. Montréal has struggled as of late and this should be a game the Islanders win at home.
Recommended DFS Skaters
Highest Expected Goal Totals
New Jersey Devils vs Daniil Tarasov (4.0)
Edmonton Oilers vs Sergei Bobrovsky (3.8)
Dallas Stars vs Jordan Binnington (3.6)
Favorite Skaters to Use for DFS Lineups
Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers
After a slow start to the season, McDavid has come back to remind us that he is the best player in the league. He has multi-point games in eight of his last nine games, and at least a single point in eleven straight games. This is a great matchup against the Panthers tonight, so I wouldn't hesitate to use him in all lineup types.
Nazem Kadri, C, Calgary Flames
We have also seen Kadri's play really pick up. He has six points in his last five games, and he has three five-shot games in that stretch as well. He will be facing a Lightning team that has been in the bottom third of the league for most of the season in goals against so this could be a good spot to use Kadri.
Gabriel Vilardi, W, Winnipeg Jets
Vilardi is coming off a monster game against his former club, and it will be interesting to see if he can carry that momentum forward and you will get him at a value price.
Noah Dobson D, New York Islanders
Even after a game where he didn't put up points against the Bruins, I continue to see Dobson as a go-to choice especially facing Montreal. He has had seven points in his last five games, and he should be in a position to get more again today.
Player Pool
$ Tier | C | W | F | D | G |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
High | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
Medium | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
Low | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Stacks
Devils | Jack Hughes | Tyler Toffoli | Luke Hughes |
![]() | 9700 | 6100 | 4200 |
![]() | 10200 | 7000 | 4500 |
Blue Jackets | Adam Fantilli | Zach Werenski | Johnny Gaudreau |
![]() | 4100 | 5600 | 4100 |
![]() | 5100 | 6400 | 4900 |
Flames | Rasmus Andersson | Nazem Kadri | Yegor Sharangovich |
![]() | 5500 | 5400 | 4400 |
![]() | 6700 | 6500 | 4900 |
Player News
Kyle Filipowski accumulated 21 points (9-of-21 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), six rebounds, one assist, one block and one three-pointer in Sunday’s loss to the Warriors.
Two days removed from putting on a show with a 32-point effort against the Hornets, Filipowski was not as effective on Sunday. He still surpassed 20 points, but sometimes the Jazz forward/center was not as decisive as he needed to be offensively. Instead of making quick moves to take advantage of mismatches, Filipowski was too deliberate at times, thus eliminating whatever advantage he had. With Utah trading John Collins, there’s an opening in the starting lineup. While Filipowski may be a candidate, the same can be said for Brice Sensabaugh, who played so well in Salt Lake City that the Jazz shut him down before arriving in Las Vegas.
Cody Williams amassed 22 points (8-of-17 FGs, 5-of-6 FTs), eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and one three-pointer in Sunday’s loss to the Warriors.
Williams has surpassed 20 points in two straight games, a positive development for a player who struggled mightily as a rookie. However, the perimeter shot remains a work in progress. Williams was 1-of-6 from deep on Sunday, two nights after going 3-of-11 in the loss to the Hornets. He isn’t going to turn into a knockdown shooter overnight. Williams remains a player worth the risk in dynasty leagues, but managers in redraft leagues can afford to leave him on the board.
Will Richard tallied nine points (3-of-7 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), six rebounds, there steals, one block and one three-pointer in Sunday’s win over the Jazz.
Richard was not as productive offensively as he was in Friday’s blowout loss to the Trail Blazers, but he once again provided value in multiple areas. The second-round pick out of Florida is in a similar position to Alex Toohey, with both yet to sign contracts with the Warriors. Not only does Golden State have two available two-way slots, but it also has multiple open standard contract slots. Some notable free agents are still available on the market, including restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, so Richard may be in a holding pattern of sorts as the Warriors’ front office sorts things out.
Alex Toohey finished Sunday’s win over the Jazz with 15 points (4-of-11 FGs, 6-of-7 FTs), five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one three-pointer.
After getting blown out by Portland in their first game in Las Vegas, Toohey and the Warriors bounced back on Sunday. The second-round pick was solid, leading the Warriors’ starters in scoring and nearly filling the stat sheet. Toohey has yet to sign a contract, and with the Warriors still having work to do in free agency, he may have to wait a bit longer. Gabe Madsen was the true standout on Sunday, as he came off the bench to contribute 22 points and six three-pointers.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser finished Sunday’s win over the Bucks with two points (1-of-1 FGs), three rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot.
While Konan Niederhauser turned 22 in March, these early games in Las Vegas have reminded us that he’s still a bit of a project. The rookie notched his first made basket on Sunday, an alley-oop dunk, and he was also responsible for two steals. Konan Niederhauser will be more of an asset for dynasty leagues than redraft leagues, but he will have the opportunity to learn from Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez next season.
Cam Christie produced 21 points (6-of-14 FGs, 6-of-7 FTs), three rebounds, three assists, one steal and three three-pointers in Sunday’s win over the Bucks.
Christie is one of the few players on the Clippers’ summer roster whose contract is guaranteed for the 2025-26 season. The second-round pick could not earn rotation minutes as a rookie, and it will be challenging to change that next season due to the Clippers’ perimeter depth. Christie shot 3-of-6 from beyond the arc against the Bucks, and he’ll need to be a consistent shooter to have any chance of providing tangible fantasy value.