NHL DFS Showdown Playbook January 30: St.Louis Blues vs Winnipeg Jets
We have an NHL DFS showdown slate for Monday, January 30th. This should be a fun matchup with the St. Louis Blues (who have lost four straight but have been better on the road this season) head into Winnipeg to face the Jets (who have lost three straight but are 17-8 at home. 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 Showdown slate.
Captain
Recent goal-scoring trends tell us that Winnipeg’s forwards should be the obvious choice for your captain spot as the Blues have given up 3.67 goals per game on average and have had erratic goaltending all year. These are the high-upside players I think fit the bill today.
Kyle Connor - I would expect to see high ownership on Connor today which in a matchup like this would tend to make me want to fade him a bit. With that said though he is a player who can score goals in bunches and he could put 10 shots on goal and instantly put you out of things if he isn’t in your lineup.
Nikolaj Ehlers - When healthy, Ehlers is an explosive player who will get you points and put a lot of shots on goal. In many ways, I would think of Ehlers as a discount Kyle Connor for the purposes of this slate.
Pierre-Luc Dubois - PLD is really come into his own this season. He has scored in two of his last three games and has been an impact player for the Jets all season.
Connor Hellebuyck - The Blues have scored just over 2 goals per game over the last two weeks, and we have seen Hellebuyck play very well at home this season, so a shutout can’t be completely ruled out here.
Jordan Kyrou - With 15 shots in his last three games, Kyrou represents the highest upside play the Blues have, in my opinion. He is capable of getting you multiple points along with those shots, and I wouldn’t expect Blues players to be in high demand.
Flex/Util
Torey Krug - Krug leads all Blues players in points over the last week, and he gets the top powerplay time as well. His floor is pretty low, but he should be in a situation to get points.
Vladimir Tarasenko - I think of Tarasenko as a complete wild card. He could get you two goals on six shots, or he could give you nothing. He likely either helps you win or helps you lose.
Robert Thomas - The path for Thomas to be useful isn’t often a great one. While he is second on the Blues in scoring, he averages less than two shots per game, so you're either going to need a couple of assists or a goal from him to get to value.
Josh Morrissey - Morrissey has really cooled off over the last couple of weeks with just one point in his last five games. He could get you points tonight and get to value, but you should also keep in mind that the Blues are not giving up much on the powerplay right now either.
Mark Scheifele - Believe it or not but it’s Mark Scheifele who leads the Jets in goals this season. He doesn’t give you the same floor in shots as some of his teammates but he has definitely been scoring.
Cole Perfetti - As a value play, Perfetti can work. He doesn’t shoot a lot, so he likely won't score, but he has very talented linemates which can make it much easier for him to get you points.
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.