NHL Showdown Playbook May 1: New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils Game 7
We have one game today that features two teams with a ton of elite talent. The Rangers are looking to book their ticket to the next round, while the Devils are hoping to spoil the party and punch their ticket to the next round. There are some good options on both sides, but where is all the value?
You can build daily fantasy hockey lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo Fantasy for Monday, May 1st, but 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.
Highest Expected Goal Totals
New Jersey Devils: 2.9
New York Rangers: 2.7
New York Rangers Vs. New Jersey Devils
Players to target: Igor Shesterkin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil, Jack Hughes, Akira Schmid, Ondrej Palat
The hockey Gods have gifted us with seven games between these two teams and it’s a shame that it must come to an end tonight. Both teams have made their moments in this series, but now, it all comes down to one game. As much as I love the Devils and how they play, my money is on the Rangers to advance to the next round.
I’ve been playing Igor Shesterkin in the captain spot every time the Rangers are in action, and so far, it’s worked out pretty nicely. It’s always a risk to pay a crazy premium for a goalie, but when that goalie is sporting a 1.79 GAA and a .939 SV%, he’s worth the price. The total for this game is set a 5.5, so Vegas doesn’t think many goals will be scored. That’s usually a good indicator to use a goalie in the most important spot.
As for the rest of my lineup, there are two players that I must have in my lineup: Chris Kreider and Adam Fox. Kreider has been able to score at will in this series thanks to his strong play in front of the net on the power play. He doesn’t take a ton of shots on goal, but he’s always in the right place. Fox is a player who just loves moments like this. We know what he can do offensively with the puck, but his defensive play is also really good. He’s blocked 16 shots in this series and has hit the bonus three times. He’s also racked up eight assists, so there’s no reason to not have a piece of him tonight.
As for the rest of my lineup, I’ll try really hard to get Jack Hughes in there as my one Devils forward. Out of all the players you could choose, Hughes is the one player with the most offensive upside. If the Devils are going to advance to the next round, he’s going to be part of the scoring. The points haven’t been there this series, but he has 30 shots on goal and has hit the shot bonus in five of the six games. His floor is exceptionally high. If you’re looking for some value players to round out your lineup, Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere Jacob Trouba and Ondrej Palat are all names to keep in mind.
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.