Welcome to Wednesday’s two-game NHL Slate. We have made it to 2024 so let’s keep the winning going. It’s a short slate, but there are some pretty good options that we need to consider. Goalies will once again be important, so we need to make sure that we are picking the correct one. You can build daily fantasy hockey lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo Fantasy for Wednesday, January 3rd, but before you build those NHL daily fantasy lineups, don’t forget to check out our NHL DFS projections, the NHL Value Finder, and the NHL DFS lineup generator. Let's now take a closer look at the daily fantasy hockey top plays for tonight's NHL DFS slate.

 


Highest Expected Goal Totals 

New Jersey Devils Vs Hunter Shepard(3.7)

Washington Capitals Vs. Nico Daws (3.0)

Toronto Maple Leafs Vs. Lukas Dostal (3.9)

Anaheim Ducks Vs. Martin Jones (2.8)


NHL DFS Picks January 3rd

New Jersey Devils vs. Washington Capitals


Players to target: Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Tyler Toffoli, Eric Haula, Luke Hughes, Simon Nemac, Nico Daws, Dylan Strome, Alex Ovechkin, Anthony Mantha, Martin Fehervary, John Carlson.

This game has a total of 6.5 and some elite player options to choose from. For the Devils, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt lead the way, but you can also go with some cheaper options like Nico Hischier and Eric Haula. Luke Hughes has been very good of late, so he would complete any stack you go with. Nico Daws is expected to get the start and he has been pretty good in the AHL. The Capitals don’t score a ton of goals, so Daws should get more than enough goal support to win the game.

For the Capitals, Alex Ovechkin has been hot of late, but his $6400 price tag on DraftKings is more than I’d like to pay. He’s not the player he once was. His shot volume is down and has just three goals in the last ten games. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, Anthony Mantha is the way to go. He has seven points in the last ten games and is under $4K. On the back end, we need to focus on blocked shots. John Carlson has always been known for his offensive production, but he has 12 blocked shots in the last three games and is only $5900. If you have the salary to pay up for him, do so. If you can’t go that high, Martin Fehervary is the next-best option. His offensive production is limited, but we know he’s going to be out there blocking a ton of shots. If you’re really lucky, you can use both in the same lineup.


Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Anaheim Ducks


Players to target: Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies, Nicholas Robertson, Mason McTavish, Max Jones, Jamie Drysdale, Radko Gudas

The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing their second game in as many nights, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore them. Auston Matthews is $10,200 but worth every dollar. He’s going to get a ton of chances to shoot the puck and score goals, so he can still hit value despite his price tag. If you do decide to rock with him, Nick Roberson and Matthew Knies are two cheaper forwards to pair with him. Robertson is skating on the third line, but he’s seeing time on the second power play unit. He’s worth taking a chance on at $2900.

We don’t know who will be in goal tonight, but Dennis Hildeby could get his first career start. I don’t love his $7900 price tag, but we don’t have many goalie options to choose from. If you have the budget and want to take a risk, he’s the way to go.

For the Ducks, Mason McTavish is the only player I’d really consider. He’s been fantastic this season and should be able to attack a weak Toronto defence. If you want a cheap player with some upside, Max Jones is a name to remember. He’s $2500 but is skating on the second line. I’m not expecting much from him, but one assist would be enough for him to hit value.

On the back end, Jamie Drysdale and Radko Gudas are bound to see a healthy amount of ice time and they are both capable of blocking shots. Drysdale had six blocked shots in his last game against Edmonton, so he could replicate those numbers in this game. Gudas is slightly cheaper, so if you really need to pinch pennies, he can also be an option.