NHL DFS Playbook January 18th: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
Published: Jan 18, 2024
Thursday's 11-game NHL slate is loaded with top-tier scorers featuring a great matchup as Cole Caufield and the Montreal Canadiens face Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators. 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 January 18th
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
The Bookie are not expecting a lot of high-scoring games today with only one team having an expected goal total of four or higher. I am not sure I agree, there are some really good matchups out there that could result in high-scoring games. Buffalo against Chicago could be a game where the Sabres score four or more goals. The game between Montreal and Ottawa could be a high-scoring affair, as Montreal hasn't played good defence for much of the year and Ottawa is giving up a league-high 4.83 goals per game over the last two weeks. I also like the Toronto vs Calgary game to be high-scoring, as well as Arizona against Vancouver. If we can pick on those games we should be able to build lineups that help us win in all game types.
Recommended DFS Starting Goalies,
Top Options for Saves
Jake Oettinger vs Philadelphia Flyers
Joey Daccord vs Edmonton Oilers
Logan Thompson vs New York Rangers
Best Odds for a Win
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen vs Chicago Blackhawks
Stuart Skinner vs Seattle Kraken
Thatcher Demko vs Arizona Coyotes
Favorite Goalies to Use for DFS Lineups
Jake Oettinger G, Dallas Stars
Oettinger is a goalie who has been great on the road this year, with a 0.925 save percentage in road games. He will face a Flyers team that shoots as much as any team in the league so there should be upside there.
Connor Ingram G, Arizona Coyotes
The sites are giving Ingram a massive amount of disrespect. He is near the minimum price, and he has produced solid save percentages all season. This is a game that the Coyotes can win, and if there is plenty of profit to be made.
Stuart Skinner G, Edmonton Oilers
Skinner has been great in his last five games. Winning all five games, and he didn't give up more than 2 goals in any of those games. The Oilers are the heaviest favourite today as well which makes Skinner a great cash play today.
Recommended DFS Skaters
Highest Expected Goal Totals
Edmonton Oilers vs Joey Daccord (4.0)
Buffalo Sabres vs Petr Mrazek (3.9)
Vancouver Canucks vs Connor Ingram (3.9)
Favorite Skaters to Use for DFS Lineups
Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks
Pettersson continues to roll. He has six goals in his last five games. With Vancouver having what is seen as a good matchup today against Arizona, he is a player I would look to get into GPP lineups.
Cole Caufield, W, Montreal Canadiens
This is a great place to use Caufield. Ottawa has been absolutely terrible defensively, while Caufield has been one of the hottest players in the league over the last couple of weeks, and he is also a player who will shoot the puck.
Yegor Sharangovich, W, Calgary Flames
Sharangovich has gotten hot recently. In his last four games, he has six goals and has been shooting the puck a lot more. He will face a Toronto team that has at times struggled defensively so I wouldn't be surprised to see Sharangovich have another big game today.
Michael Matheson D, Montreal Canadiens
Matheson has been a DFS beast all season. He is getting points (four in his last four games), taking shots (10 in his last four games), and blocking shots ( three or more in four of his last five games). All of this lines up especially well against Ottawa a team that doesn't play much defence and shoots the puck in volume.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | F | D | W | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Elias Pettersson  $9,800 | Quinn Hughes $8,100 |  David Pastrnak $10,300 |  Jake Oettinger $8,100 | |
| Medium |  Anze Kopitar $7,500 |  Mike Matheson $7,500 | Cole Caufield $6,700 |  Connor Ingram $7,700 | |
 Yegor Sharangovich $6,500 | |||||
| Low |  Ridly Greig $4,600 |  Egor Zamula $3,700 | Juraj Slafkovsky $3,800 |  Stuart Skinner $7,300 |
Stacks
| Canadiens | Juraj Slafkovsky | Cole Caufield | Mike Matheson |
 DraftKings | 3400 | 6200 | 6400 |
| Fanduel | 3800 | 6700 | 7500 |
| Canucks | Elias Pettersson | J.T. Miller | Quinn Hughes |
| DraftKings | 8300 | 7800 | 7300 |
| Fanduel | 9800 | 9500 | 8100 |
| Flames | MacKenzie Weegar | Elias Lindholm | Yegor Sharangovich |
| DraftKings | 6300 | 5300 | 5100 |
| Fanduel | 7300 | 6600 | 6500 |
Player News
Giants released OF Vaun Brown.
Brown, a 10th-round pick in 2021, had a fantastic debut that summer and in hitting .346/.437/.623 with 23 homers and 44 steals in A-ball in 2022, but he never has managed to conquer Double-A since. He was hitting .247/.347/.282 in 32 games there this season.
MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo suggests that Mets RHP Nolan McLean “could play a key role in the upcoming pennant race.”
DiComo didn’t mention what role McLean would play, but with Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea coming off the injured list last week, it’s more likely McLean would help the Mets out of the bullpen. The 23-year-old has a 2.52 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 65/26 K/BB ratio in 60 2/3 innings at Triple-A Syracuse since being promoted after just five starts at Double-A to begin the season.
The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports that free agent RHP David Robertson is throwing for interested teams “within the next week.”
Robertson pitched for the Rangers last season, posting a 3.00 ERA in 72 innings with a 99/27 K/BB ratio. From 2022-24, the 40-year-old averaged 63 appearances per season with a 2.82 ERA, so he has proven that he still can be a quality reliever at the big league level. While many teams were interested in Robertson earlier in the season, the veteran held firm to his contract demands and, as Sammon reports, “clubs failed to meet his asking price.” With the season nearing a close, Robertson’s salary demands are likely to be more acceptable to contenders, so it would not be a surprise to see him sign with a team by the end of the month.
Jonny DeLuca (shoulder) is starting a rehab assignment on Tuesday in the Florida Complex League.
The outfielder had his rehab assignment moved to Triple-A Durham back on May 24th and then experienced a setback a few days later. It seems that the 27-year-old feels healthy enough the get back into game action. It will likely take a few weeks for him to get his rhythm and timing back, but with Jake Mangum, Josh Lowe, and Chandler Simpson all playing well, and both Jose Caballero and Christopher Morel filling in the outfield as well, it’s unclear what kind of role DeLuca might return to.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports that the Jazz have no plans to trade Lauri Markkanen this offseason.
With the Jazz in the midst of a rebuild, there have been questions regarding Markkanen’s future with the franchise. However, while John Collins and Collin Sexton were traded this offseason and Jordan Clarkson’s contract was bought out, the team reportedly does not plan to move Markkanen. “It would be too much to describe Markkanen as untouchable, but the Jazz still project the All-Star forward as a key player in their future core,” MacMahon wrote. In addition to how he’s viewed within the franchise, Markkanen’s contract may deter some teams. Last August, he agreed to a five-year extension worth $238 million. Utah still needs some veterans to lead the way for their young roster, which is why Markkanen remains so valuable to the franchise.
The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain believes Bears WR Rome Odunze could “take off” in 2025.
The steady drumbeat for Odunze — a former top-10 pick — continues as the Bears ready for training camp. Head coach Ben Johson said in May that he was “extremely impressed” with Odunze following a disappointing rookie campaign that saw him catch 54 passes for 734 yards and three touchdowns. Thanks to erratic play from Caleb Williams, Odunze was among the least efficient wideouts in the game last season. He was 13th in air yards — leading all Chicago pass catchers — but 42nd in receiving yards. “If Odunze didn’t meet outside expectations, it’s not because he was dropping passes or running poor routes,” Fishbain writes. “With a better scheme and improved quarterback play, he should take off in Year 2.” Odunze will have to compete for targets with DJ Moore and incoming rookie Luther Burden.