NHL DFS Playbook December 22: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
Published: Dec 22, 2023
Friday's 4-game NHL slate is loaded with top-tier scorers featuring a great matchup as Artemi Panarin and the New York Rangers face Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. 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 22nd
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
With there being just four games today we have some interesting matchups. Namely the Edmonton Oilers in New York to face the Rangers, and the Montreal Canadiens in Chicago to face the Blackhawks. We all know about Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. They will have a solid matchup today as the Rangers goalies have played far worse at home than they have on the road. This isn't to say that you should avoid the Rangers. They are a capable scoring team. Artemi Panarin continues to have a stellar season, and Mika Zibanejad has finally started to find his goal-scoring touch as well. I draw attention to Chicago and Montreal, as both teams are in the bottom third of the league in goals against on the season, and they have some capable scorers. In particular, I would look at Nick Suzuki of the Canadiens and Connor Bedard of the Blackhawks.
Recommended DFS Starting Goalies,
Top Options for Saves
Jonathan Quick vs Edmonton Oilers
Petr Mrazek vs Montreal Canadiens
Stuart Skinner vs New York Rangers
Best Odds for a Win
Jonathan Quick vs Edmonton Oilers
James Reimer vs Montreal Canadiens
Jeremy Swayman vs Winnipeg Jets
Favorite Goalies to Use for DFS Lineups
Carter Hart, G, Philidelphia Flyers
The Flyers continue to surprise this season, and they have been a really good road team so far. Hart has a 0.921 save percentage on the road and I wouldn't be surprised if they went into Detroit today and got the win.
Connor Hellebuyck, G, Winnipeg Jets
Hellebuyck hasn't lost in regulation in any of his last five games. The Bruins are not an easy matchup, but Hellebuyck has played well all season, and he likely won't see a lot of ownership in this matchup.
Jonathan Quick G, New York Rangers
It is hard to deny that Quck has the most upside today playing at home. He is likely to face a lot of shots as the Oilers put more shots on goal than any other team in the league. I don't like that DK has him as the most expensive goalie as there is a lot of risk, but it will keep his ownership numbers low.
Recommended DFS Skaters
Highest Expected Goal Totals
New York Rangers vs Stuart Skinner (3.6)
Detroit Red Wings vs Carter Hart (3.3)
Chicago Blackhawks vs Cayden Primeau (3.1)
Favorite Skaters to Use for DFS Lineups
Connor Bedard, C, Chicago Blackhawks
Bedard has established himself as a volume shooter early in his career. He has five shots or more in two straight games and three of his last five. He has also proven he can score goals and rack up points as well. This is a great matchup for him against Montreal so look for him to have a big game today.
Nick Suzuki, C, Montreal Canadiens
Coming into today, Suzuki has points in four straight games, and he is coming off a magical two-point, six shot and three-blocked shot night which is also known as DFS gold.
Artemi Panarin, W, New York Rangers
So far Panarin has enjoyed a career year and his increased number of shots is a big part of it. In 30 games this season, he already has more than 50 percent of the shots he took all of last season in a full 82 games. I would look for him to continue to play well at home against an Oilers team that is well-known for having issues in their own end.
Mattias Ekholm D, Edmonton Oilers
it seems that something in the New York water system seems to have compelled Ekholm to shoot the puck more. He has 9 shots in his last two games and three points. If he continues to shoot the puck he should be able to exceed his value today, especially if he blocks some shots as well.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Connor McDavid  $9,900 |  Artemi Panarin $10,100 | Evan Bouchard $8,300 |  Connor Hellebuyck $8,400 |
| Medium |  Connor Bedard $7,200 | Mattias Ekholm $4,800 | Jonathan Quick $8,100 | |
 Nick Suzuki $6,700 | ||||
| Low |  Morgan Frost $4,500 | Juraj Slafkovsky $3,600 | Kevin Korchinski $3,900 |  Carter Hart $7,800 |
Stacks
| Rangers | Artemi Panarin | Vincent Trocheck | Jacob Trouba |
 DraftKings | 8100 | 5700 | 5600 |
| Fanduel | 10100 | 7000 | 6100 |
| Blackhawks | Kevin Korchinski | Lukas Reichel | Connor Bedard |
| DraftKings | 3000 | 3000 | 6200 |
| Fanduel | 3900 | 3600 | 7200 |
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.