NHL DFS Playbook November 11: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
Published: Nov 11, 2023
Saturday's ten-game NHL slate is loaded with top-tier scorers featuring a great matchup as Elias Pettersson and the Vancouver Canucks head into Toronto to face Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs. 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 November 11th
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
There are a handful of key games to build around tonight. Expect there to be a lot of play on the Los Angeles Kings today, with them facing a Flyers team that played last night and is just 3-6-1 in their last ten games while giving up nearly four goals per game in the last two weeks. Also, look for lots of ownership with the Penguins today as they are facing a Sabres team that also played last night. I would put much more confidence in the Kings however, as the Penguins have been inconsistent this season, and Buffalo has gotten strong goaltending in the last two weeks giving up just 2.67 goals per game. Other interesting plays today that could see less ownership are the Vancouver Canucks, and Carolina Hurricanes. The Canucks are in Toronto facing a Maple Leafs team that is giving up 4.3 goals per game over the last two weeks while Vancouver has scored 5.17! Carolina is facing a Tampa team that looks like it is starting to miss Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Lightning have given up the second most goals per game over the last two weeks at 4.33 (slightly worse than Toronto), and the Hurricanes are starting to get healthy, so they could score four goals or more tonight.
Recommended DFS Starting Goalies
Top Options for Saves
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Joonas Korpisalo vs Calgary Flames
Cal Petersen vs Los Angeles Kings
Best Odds for a Win
Cam Talbot vs Philadelphia Flyers
Alexandar Georgiev vs St. Louis Blues
Jeremy Swayman vs Montreal Canadiens
Favorite Goalies to Use for DFS Lineups
Cam Talbot, G, Los Angeles Kings
If you are looking to play in the top end of the goalie price market Talbot should be a solid choice. He has won four straight games, and he hasn't given up more than two goals in any of those games. Add to that, he will be facing a Flyers team that played last night and who has also had times where they have struggled to score goals. I would just want to keep his usage to cash games only as the Flyers may not put a lot of shots on goal.
Thatcher Demko, G, Vancouver Canucks
It seems like it is taking the DFS sites a bit to catch up on how good Demko has been this season. Through his first nine games, he has a save percentage of 0.948, a goals-against average of 1.61 and a goals-saved-above average of 12.1(which is the best in the league). With all of this, you are still getting him at a discount price. I wouldn't be scared away by him playing in Toronto today, and I would want to get him into a few lineups.
Joonas Korpisalo, G, Ottawa Senators
Korpisalo should get the start today in Ottawa. He will face a Flames team that lost in overtime yesterday in Toronto. Korpisalo has played well in his last four starts with a save percentage of 0.900 or better in all four of them while facing solid competition. He should see lots of shots against the Flames as well which can help make up for any goals he might give up.
Recommended DFS Skaters
Highest Expected Goal Totals
Los Angeles Kings vs Cal Petersen (4.1)
Colorado Avalanche vs Jordan Binnington (4.1)
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (4.0)
Favorite Skaters to Use for DFS Lineups
Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks
While I wouldn't have picked Pettersson to be the league leader in points this far into the season, he has absolutely earned it with his play. The crazy thing right now is that there isn't anything that says that his play isn't sustainable right now either. His shooting percentage is a bit high (21.2 percent), but it is far from being off the charts. I would look for the Canucks star to keep things going today against a Toronto team that played yesterday and has looked completely lost defensively lost in their last few games.
Nikita Kucherov W, Tampa Bay Lightning
Kucherov has stayed hot and he is a player I would keep putting into my lineups until he is cold. He has scored in four straight games, and he has 12 total points in those games. He has been the most consistent player in hockey this season. The only caution I would put up is that I would keep his usage to GPP's today. Carolina looks to have figured out their defensive issues, so I might look for a better matchup in cash games.
Quinton Byfield, W, Los Angeles Kings
Byfield has gotten hot early in the season. He has points in five straight games, and seven of his last eight games overall. His price is still low as he has just two goals on the season, but at his price tag, I would be willing to buy in on the point production in hopes that the game where he scores a couple of goals is coming (which it could be, as his shooting percentage is only 8.7).
Jamie Oleksiak, D, Seattle Kraken
I certainly wouldn't expect much in the way of point production from Oleksiak, but boy can he block some shots! He has blocked 10 shots in his last two games, and he will face an Edmonton team today that has struggled to score goals, but it's not because they don't shoot the puck. The Oilers have put a league-high 40.2 shots on goal over the last two weeks so I would expect Oleksiak to get lots of blocked shots in this game as well.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Elias Pettersson  $9,600 |  Nikita Kucherov $10,300 | Quinn Hughes $7,600 |  Cameron Talbot $8,800 |
 David Pastrnak $9,800 | ||||
| Medium |  Anze Kopitar $7,600 | Quinton Byfield $6,000 |  Jakob Chychrun $6,400 | Joonas Korpisalo $7,700 |
| Low |  Brayden Schenn $4,300 | Oliver Bjorkstrand $5,100 | J.J. Moser $3,900 | Thatcher Demko $7,000 |
Stacks
| Kraken | Oliver Bjorkstrand | Eeli Tolvanen | Vince Dunn |
 DraftKings | 4400 | 3600 | 4100 |
| Fanduel | 5100 | 4500 | 5200 |
| Canucks | Elias Pettersson | Andrei Kuzmenko | Quinn Hughes |
| DraftKings | 7900 | 4300 | 6800 |
| Fanduel | 9600 | 4900 | 7600 |
| Kings | Anze Kopitar | Drew Doughty | Quinton Byfield |
| DraftKings | 5800 | 4500 | 4000 |
| Fanduel | 7600 | 5000 | 6000 |
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.