NHL DFS Playbook October 11: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
Published: Oct 11, 2023
Wednesday’s six-game NHL DFS slate is loaded with top-tier scorers as the 2023-24 NHL season starts up. There are elite players to choose from like Connor McDavid, David Pastrnak and Auston Matthews, but we also can find some very good value. There are lots of different ways to build your perfect lineup, but remember that it’s early in the year, so don’t go all out. This is a marathon and not a sprint. We are in it for the long haul. Be sure to check in with our NHL DFS Tools, NHL daily projections, and our NHL DFS lineup generator when building those daily fantasy hockey lineups today to help you decide on which players you should be targeting! As you enjoy tonight's NHL slate, check out these NHL DFS top plays and NHL daily picks on DraftKings and FanDuel for Tuesday, October 11th. Also, if you're looking to make NHL betting picks or hockey best bets, check out our friends at Bettor Sports Network for some NHL predictions today.
NHL DFS Playbook October 11
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
There’s no question that some of the elite players are going to be chalk, which means we need to find value. There’s also the question of deciding which elite superstar to pay up for. It could be a smart strategy to fade the chalk in a GPP, but you’ll need some exposure to Boston, Edmonton and Toronto in cash games.
Recommended DFS Starting Goalies
Top Options for Saves
Alex Georgiev Vs. Los Angeles Kings
Frederik Andersen Vs. Ottawa Senators
Jacob Markstrom Vs. Winnipeg Jets
Joonas Korpisalo Vs. Carolina
Best Odds for a Win
Ilya Samsonov Vs. Montreal Canadiens
Linus Ullmark Vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Stuart Skinner Vs. Vancouver Canucks
Fredrik Andersen Vs. Ottawa Senators
Favorite Goalies to Use for DFS Lineups
Linus Ullmark, G, Boston Bruins
The Bruins won’t be as good as they were last season, but they have an elite matchup on paper. Linus Ullmark put up record numbers last year and he could have himself a really strong game tonight against a Chicago team that is playing on back-to-back nights. The shot volume might not be there, but he has the best chance of picking up the win.
Frederik Andersen, G, Carolina Hurricanes
We still don’t know what the Ottawa Senators are going to be like as a team this season, but we do know that the Carolina Hurricanes are going to be good. They are a great overall team, which gives Frederik Andersen a boost. The veteran netminder is in a good spot to see a healthy amount of shots but still win the game.
Ilya Samsonov, G, Montreal Canadiens
I don’t know how much Ilya Samsonov I’ll have tonight, but we should expect the Leafs to win this game on home ice. Montreal has some elite forwards in their lineup, but their goaltending is just not good and they could get exploited tonight. Samsonov needs to play well enough to get the win.
Alexandar Georgiev, G, Colorado Avalanche
This might feel like a tough spot for Alexandar Georgiev, but the upside is TO THE MOON! Los Angeles is capable of firing the puck at a high level, but will that translate to goals? Colorado is also a pretty decent defensive team, so if anything, this game ends up being a low-scoring affair. His $7800 price on DraftKings is also very reasonable.
Recommended DFS Skaters
Highest Expected Goal Totals
Boston Bruins vs Arvid Soderblom (4.3)
Edmonton Oilers vs. Thatcher Demko (4.0)
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Jake Allen (4.2)
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Joonas Korpisalo (3.9)
Favorite Skaters to Use for DFS Lineups
Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers
There has been a lot of hype around Connor Bedard, but don’t let that distract form the fact that Connor McDavid is still the best hockey player on the planet. Edmonton is expected to score goals tonight and you know McDvaid is going to be part of the action. Fade if you dare.
David Pastrnak, W, Boston Bruins
The NHL schedule makers really hate the Chicago Blackhawks. There’s no reason to open their season with back-to-back games, but here we are. The Bruins may struggle to score goals, but David Pastrnak will not. He’s going to see more than enough scoring chances to flirt with value.
Cole Caufield, W, Montreal Canadiens
The disrespect here is just too much for me. Cole Caufield is an elite goalscorer who is $4200 tonight on DK. Did I miss something? I get that the Habs might not win the game, but no one is going to be shooting the puck more than Cole tonight. One assist and 5 shots on goal is more than enough for him to hit value.
Zach Hyman, W, Edmonton Oilers
Can’t afford to pay up for McDavid? That’s fine, Zach Hyman is on the top line and top power play unit and he’s a cool $5800. What a gift that is! Don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be.
Seth Jones, D, Chicago Blackhawks
I don’t love paying $5200 for Seth Jones tonight, but I do like that he can hit value without having to register a point. He’s going to shoot the puck, but he’s also going to be on the ice a ton and that could lead to him hitting the blocked shots bonus. It’s a fair price for a player who also has offensive upside.
David Savard, D, Montreal Canadiens
We are chasing the blocked shots bonus with David Savard tonight. He’s $3100 and is going to be tasked with trying to slow down Matthews and company. He has very little offensive upside, which in this case, works out well for us. Montreal also might get into some penalty trouble, so that just gives Savard more quality minutes for him to block shots. He could hit the bonus before the second period is even over.
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Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | D | W |
|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Connor McDavid  $10,300 |  Cale Makar $7,400 |  David Pastrnak $9,800 |
 Auston Matthews $9,800 |  Mikko Rantanen $9,500 | ||
 Elias Pettersson $8,100 | |||
| Medium | John Tavares $7,200 | Devon Toews $5,800 | William Nylander $7,500 |
 Connor Bedard $7,000 |  Seth Jones $5,700 | Zach Hyman $7,000 | |
| Pavel Zacha $5,900 | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins $7,100 | ||
| Low |  Nick Suzuki $5,100 |  Jake Sanderson $4,300 | Cole Caufield $4,900 |
| David Savard $4,200 | |||
| Evan Bouchard $5,500 |
Player News
Patriots placed WR Mack Hollins, TE Austin Hooper, OT Vederian Lowe, and LB Jahlani Tavai on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list.
More notable than the names placed on the PUP list to begin camp is a glaring name absent - Stefon Diggs. That suggests the veteran wide receiver is progressing well in his rehab from a torn ACL suffered in Week 8 of the 2024 season. Diggs was the subject of potential release rumors before reporting to OTAs at the beginning of June, now appearing to be a legitimate value at his current ADP in both best ball and redraft leagues through July. Diggs comes to New England amidst innumerable turnover as the franchise attempts to give quarterback Drake Maye all the tools to hasten his development at the NFL level.
Richard Fitts will start Tuesday’s game against the Phillies.
Fitts will get first crack at taking the rotation spot that was previously occupied by Hunter Dobbins, with Dobbins now out for the year due a torn ACL. Fitts has shown flashes of being a competent fantasy option, but fantasy managers can likely find a better option for that Tuesday outing.
Spencer Arrighetti is making a rehab start Saturday for Double-A Corpus Christi.
Arrighetti will throw 45-50 pitches in his first rehab start since fracturing his thumb in early April. He’ll likely need to make multiple rehab starts before being a candidate to rejoin the Astros’ rotation in the middle of August.
Brendan Rodgers suffered a nasal fracture and a concussion during a rehab game Saturday for Triple-A Sugar Land.
Rodgers is rehabbing from a left oblique strain, and this obviously counts as a setback. It occurred when ran headfirst into the knee of shortstop Edwin Diaz. The 28-year-old will assuredly be sitting until he passes the concussion protocol, and isn’t likely to be rejoining the Astros in the coming days.
Otto Lopez drove in all of the Marlins’ runs with a groundout and a double Saturday in a 3-1 victory over the Royals.
The double, a 108-mph liner to left that would have been a homer in 12 ballparks, broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth. Lopez has two homers and eight RBI in his last five games. There isn’t a whole lot of middle-infield help available, so Lopez should be in demand at the deadline. The Marlins, though, will see him as part of the 2026 plans and won’t give him away. After all, he won’t even be arbitration eligible until after next season.
Cal Quantrill shut out the Royals for six innings in a no-decision Saturday.
Quantrill, who hadn’t previously completed six innings this season, left with a 1-0 lead, but the Royals later tied it on a Salvador Perez homer before the Marlins ultimately won 3-1. Technically, this is Quantrill’s first quality start, since he’d never met the innings threshold previously. It’s the seventh time in 19 outings that he’s allowed two runs or fewer over five innings. He’s 3-8 with a 5.24 ERA, and he’ll get the Brewers next.