NHL DFS Playbook November 24: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
Published: Nov 24, 2023
Friday's six-game NHL slate is loaded with top-tier scorers featuring a great matchup as Nikita Kucherov and the Tampa Bay Lightning face Sebastian Aho and the Carolina Hurricanes. 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 24th
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
It's a bit of an odd DFS day. The main slate only has six games, while there are nine games earlier in the day. The teams I will be paying the most attention to today is the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and the Ottawa Senators, as all three teams have good matchups today against teams that have been giving up goals at a high rate, especially the Avalanche who are facing a Minnesota Wild team that is in the bottom five of the league in goals allowed over the last two weeks.
Recommended DFS Starting Goalies
Top Options for Saves
Ilya Sorokin vs Ottawa Senators
Filip Gustavsson vs Colorado Avalanche
Jacob Markstrom vs Dallas Stars
Best Odds for a Win
Jake Oettinger vs Calgary Flames
Pyotr Kochetkov vs Tampa Bay Lightning
Sergei Bobrovsky vs Winnipeg Jets
Favorite Goalies to Use for DFS Lineups
Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas Stars
If you're going to pay up in goal today I think the Dallas situation makes the most sense. Oettinger hasn't played as well as Wedgewood has, but he is still a very viable option facing a Calgary team that hasn't scored a lot of goals this year.
Pyotr Kochetkov, G, Carolina Hurricanes
The odds say Kochetkov is a good play. Carolina is one of the better defensive teams in the league and Tampa is a team that will put shots on goal. There is some risk here, but Kochetkov is priced with that in mind, so he is someone I wouldn't mind using in a GPP.
Ilya Sorokin, G, New York Islanders
Sorokin is really a dice roll. He hasn't played well on the road, but he is still one of the best goalies in the league, and you're getting him at a discount. The hope here is that Ottawa puts a lot of shots on goal, and Sorokin gets his game together today and gives a big performance.
Recommended DFS Skaters
Highest Expected Goal Totals
Carolina Hurricanes vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (3.7)
Florida Panthers vs Connor Hellebuyck (3.6)
Colorado Avalanche vs Filip Gustavsson (3.5)
Favorite Skaters to Use for DFS Lineups
Anton Lundell, C, Florida Panthers
If Aleksander Barkov is out again for the Panthers, Lundell as well as Sam Bennett should see a boost in minutes which should lead to more opportunities. I use this spot for Lundell over Bennett as he comes at a much lower price.
Seth Jarvis, W, Carolina Hurricanes
Jarvis has five points in his last two games. With Tampa's goalie situation being a bit of a mystery today, I would look to use Jarvis who has been playing well and could either be facing a goalie in his first game back from injury (Vasilevskiy) or one that has struggled to maintain any long term success (Jonas Johansson).
Mikko Rantanen, W, Colorado Avalanche
With Nathan MacKinnon potentially out for this game that will add more weight to Rantanen, who has handled that weight in the past with ease. Look for Rantanen to have more shots today as he tries to be a bigger part of the Avs offence.
Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche
Makar now has multiple points in five straight games and is now in the top 5 in the NHL in scoring. This is another good matchup for Makar and the Avs as they are facing a Minnesota Wild club that has struggled all season.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  J.T. Miller  $9,500 |  Nikita Kucherov $10,000 |  Cale Makar $8,600 |  Jake Oettinger $8,100 |
| Mikko Rantanen $9,600 | ||||
| Medium |  Seth Jarvis $5,400 |  Josh Morrissey $6,500 | Pyotr Kochetkov $7,600 | |
 Jordan Eberle $5,200 | ||||
| Low |  Anton Lundell $3,900 | Aaron Ekblad $4,800 | ||
| Ryan Johansen $4,800 |
Stacks
| Avalanche | Cale Makar | Mikko Rantanen | Valeri Nichushkin |
 DraftKings | 7900 | 8600 | 5500 |
| Fanduel | 8600 | 9600 | 7000 |
| Hurricanes | Brent Burns | Sebastian Aho | Seth Jarvis |
| DraftKings | 4400 | 6500 | 5300 |
| Fanduel | 6000 | 6600 | 5400 |
| Kraken | Jordan Eberle | Jared McCann | Vince Dunn |
| DraftKings | 3800 | 4700 | 4300 |
| Fanduel | 5200 | 5800 | 6300 |
Player News
Devin Carter tallied 13 points (5-of-16 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), two rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and two three-pointers in Sunday’s loss to the Hornets.
Carter did not shoot the ball well in Sunday’s championship game, but his overall play throughout the summer league may have opened some eyes. Limited last season due to injury, the 2024 first-round pick was effective as a playmaker and defender against the Hornets. With Carter being mentioned in trade rumors earlier this month, he’s something to keep an eye on as the offseason progresses. Staying in Sacramento could make it difficult for him to impact fantasy basketball next season, especially with the Kings signing Dennis Schröder.
Nique Clifford amassed 10 points (4-of-15 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), eight rebounds, two assists and one three-pointer in Sunday’s loss to the Hornets.
Clifford was among the many Kings who struggled from the perimeter in Sunday’s title game defeat. Sacramento shot 7-of-34 from beyond the arc as a team, with Clifford making one of his four attempts. However, the first-round pick’s versatility was on display throughout the event, and that attribute may get Clifford early rotation minutes. Kings GM Scott Perry said earlier in the summer that they envision Clifford being able to play all three perimeter positions. If the rookie can handle those responsibilities, he’ll have value in deeper fantasy leagues.
Isaac Jones finished Sunday’s loss to the Hornets with 24 points (10-of-17 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), 11 rebounds, two assists, one block and one three-pointer.
Jones had an outstanding summer league, capping his run with a double-double in Sacramento’s five-point defeat. Over his last two games in Las Vegas, the second-year forward shot a combined 23-of-34 from the field, scoring 60 points. Due to Sacramento’s frontcourt rotation, getting the playing time needed to impact fantasy basketball next season will be challenging. However, Jones’ play in Las Vegas was encouraging, especially with the Kings trading Jonas Valančiūnas to the Nuggets earlier in July.
KJ Simpson tallied 11 points (4-of-15 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), seven rebounds, five assists, one block and one three-pointer in Sunday’s win over the Kings.
While Simpson didn’t have the best night shooting the basketball, his leadership throughout the summer league contributed to the Hornets’ winning the title. In Charlotte’s first five games, the second-year point guard averaged 5.8 assists and 2.6 turnovers per game. With Simpson again on a two-way contract and a healthy LaMelo Ball running the show, his ceiling will be limited next season. However, there may be moments when Simpson is worth streaming if Ball’s injury struggles continue.
Ryan Kalkbrenner accounted for 15 points (5-of-6 FGs, 4-of-5 FTs), nine rebounds, one steal, one block and one three-pointer in Sunday’s win over the Kings.
While he didn’t get much action as a scorer in Sunday’s NBA 2K26 Summer League championship game, Kalkbrenner took advantage of the few opportunities he received. The rebounds and defensive stats are more noteworthy for fantasy managers, as the 7-foot-1 center stands to be most impactful as a defender next season. Even if veteran Mason Plumlee begins next season as the starter, Kalkbrenner should play plenty and will be worth a look in the later rounds of standard league drafts.
Kon Knueppel finished Sunday’s win over the Kings with 21 points (8-of-21 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, two assists and four three-pointers.
While Knueppel started slowly in Las Vegas, the lottery pick’s play was a key reason why the Hornets won their first summer league title. He led the Hornets in scoring on Sunday and was also effective as a rebounder, a constant for Knueppel throughout the team’s five games. Once the regular season begins, he should fit well within an offense headlined by LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller. As a rookie, Knueppel will likely be a player who possesses a high floor in fantasy basketball, but his ceiling may be limited.