NHL DFS Showdown Playbook June 22: Colorado Avalanche vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Finals Game 4
Tonight's NHL DFS showdown lineups will center around Game 4 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals between the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning. It's a pivotal matchup with tons of ways to go in your daily fantasy hockey lineups. Tampa Bay was able to put together their best game of the series and come away with a 6-2 victory in Game 3. Colorado, meanwhile, will want to win tonight so they can return home with a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup. You can build NHL DFS lineups on FanDuel, DraftKings, and Yahoo Fantasy for Wednesday, June 22nd as the NHL playoffs roll on. 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. Plus, check out the NHL Vegas odds as you build those daily fantasy hockey lineups as well. Let's now take a closer look at the NHL DFS top picks for tonight's showdown slate between the Lightning and Avalanche.
2022 Stanley Cup Finals Game 4
Colorado Avalanche vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning were able to secure a victory on home ice in Game 3, but they still have a lot of work to do if they want to get back into this series. Game 4 is critical for both teams. Colorado doesn’t want to go back home tied at two, while Tampa doesn’t want to leave home down 3-1. Both teams have to be sharp tonight and I expect this game to be a close one.
There is no reason why Cale Makar shouldn’t be in your captain spot tonight. The kid is on a whole other level and he is just unstoppable. He finished Game 3 with two assists, five shots on goal, and four blocked shots. Makar is basically producing like a forward for DFS. Even if his ownership is elevated, I don’t want to be the one to not play him and watch him go off.
If you do decide to go another route for your captain, Steven Stamkos is the way to go. Nikita Kucherov is expected to play tonight, but he was in a visible amount of pain at the end of Game 3 and I don’t think he’s going to be 100% for tonight. Stamkos finished with two points and five shots on goal and will be counted on to be the engine that leads the way for the Lightning.
For the rest of our lineup, we’ll need to find some value. Ondrej Palat and Valeri Nichushkin continue to be excellent options at the $7K mark, and both continue to see top-line minutes. There is also some value in Gabriel Landeskog and Kucherov. Landeskog has been really good in this series and he’s finding a way to score goals. Nathan MacKinnon has yet to find the back of the net in this series, so I can’t see why I would pay up for the most expensive skater on the slate when I can get a ton of value with Colorado’s captain. As for Kucherov, we are hoping to get him at low ownership. The injury scare may help us in that aspect, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to work him into my lineup.
On the back end, there are a ton of good options to choose from. Erik Cernak, Ryan McDonagh, and Victor Hedman are all great options at different price points. Colorado is still a team that can generate a ton of shot attempts and Tampa Bay will need to continue to block shots and limit chances. I would have no problem playing all three players in the same lineup.
If you want some value on the Colorado side, Bowen Byram is the player to target. His ice time has been consistent in the playoffs, but the points just haven’t been there. He can fire the puck on goal, but he's not known for blocking shots, so his value is pretty limited. He’s a risky play, but I prefer him over someone like Devon Toews.
If Tampa Bay wants to win tonight’s game, they will need Andrei Vasilevskiy to be elite. He did his work in game three and could easily do it again tonight. He’s a much better goalie on home ice and he has a really great chance at hitting the save bonus. If you’re stacking the Lightning heavy tonight, you can probably go with Vasilevskiy in the captain spot. He’s a risky play, but one that could pay off.
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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.