NHL DFS Playbook January 25th: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
Published: Jan 25, 2024
Thursday's 9-game NHL slate is loaded with top-tier scorers featuring a great matchup as David Pastrnak and the Boston Bruins 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 25th
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
Cash games today should be made with heavy doses of Edmonton and Dallas. Both have great matchups against a couple of the worst teams in the league (Anaheim and Chicago). In a GPP though I think Boston has a great matchup against Ottawa, who is known to give up plenty of goals (they are bottom top in goals against per game over the last two weeks), and Calgary and Nashville also get matchups against Columbus and Nashville respectively who are also teams that give up close to four goals per game. This could be a wild night with high scores if all of these teams get to five goals or more.
Recommended DFS Starting Goalies,
Top Options for Saves
Alex Lyon vs Philadelphia Flyers
Petr Mrazek vs Edmonton Oilers
Jeremy Swayman vs Ottawa Senators
Best Odds for a Win
Calvin Pickard vs Chicago Blackhawks
Jake Oettinger vs Anaheim Ducks
Andrei Vasilevskiy vs Arizona Coyotes
Favorite Goalies to Use for DFS Lineups
Jeremy Swayman G, Boston Bruins
This is a great matchup for DFS. Boston is a clear favorite in this game which gives you a good change to get the win, and Ottawa is also a team that shoots in volume (34.7 per game over the last two weeks). With this you have the floor and the upside…what more can you ask for?
John Gibson G, Anaheim Ducks
As a GPP play, Gibson is one that can work for you. He is inexpensive, and facing a team that could put 40 shots on him today. No risk, no reward…just remember the risk is definitely there though.
Sam Montembeault G, Montreal Canadiens
If we look past the shelling that Montembeault got at the hands of the Bruins, he has played well in his last five games. He will face an Islanders team that has scored just over two goals in recent weeks, which helps reduce his risk.
Recommended DFS Skaters
Highest Expected Goal Totals
Edmonton Oilers vs Petr Mrazek (4.7)
Dallas Stars vs John Gibson (4.3)
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Connor Ingram (4.0)
Favorite Skaters to Use for DFS Lineups
Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers
We haven't seen a big McDavid game in a while now, but tonight could be the night. He has five shots on goal in three of his last four games, and you would struggle to find a better matchup on the calendar.
David Pastrnak W, Boston Bruins
Pasta just keeps on rolling. He has five goals in his last five games and three shots or more in three of his last four games. This is a wonderful matchup against the Ottawa Senators who continue to struggle to keep the puck out of their own net.
Cam Atkinson, W, Philadelphia Flyers
There is a lot to like about Atkinson's value today. He has points in six straight games and goals in three of his last four games. Detroit is a solid matchup for him to keep his streak going, and he always has the upside of a player who will put more than five shots on goal.
Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild
With Connor Bedard hurt, Faber has placed himself firmly into the Calder trophy conversation. He has points in five straight games, and he is also a player who will block shots. His price is on the rise, but he could still be a value today.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Connor McDavid  $10,500 |  David Pastrnak $10,700 |  Roman Josi $8,100 | Jeremy Swayman $8,600 |
| Medium |  Matt Duchene $7,100 |  Cam Atkinson $5,800 |  Brock Faber $5,900 |  Sam Montembeault $7,500 |
| Low |  Shane Pinto $5,000 | Mason Marchment $5,400 |  Cam Fowler $4,500 |  John Gibson $6,900 |
Stacks
| Wild | Joel Eriksson Ek | Brock Faber | Kirill Kaprizov |
 DraftKings | 7300 | 5500 | 8200 |
| Fanduel | 8000 | 5900 | 9000 |
| Oilers | Connor McDavid | Evan Bouchard | Zach Hyman |
| DraftKings | 9800 | 7100 | 8500 |
| Fanduel | 10500 | 8000 | 9700 |
| Stars | Roope Hintz | Thomas Harley | Jason Robertson |
| DraftKings | 6400 | 4800 | 6900 |
| Fanduel | 7600 | 5900 | 8200 |
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.