NHL Showdown Playbook May 15: Top DraftKings & FanDuel NHL DFS Picks
We have one game today for NHL DFS action and it features two teams with a ton of value. We find ourselves in a Game 7, where just about anything can happen with the craziness of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Dallas Stars are heavy favorites to win, but Seattle could cause *another* upset. Will this be the year the two most recent expansion teams face off in the Conference Finals? You can build daily fantasy hockey lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo Fantasy for Monday, May 15th, 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
Dallas Stars vs Philipp Grubauer (3.6)
Seattle Kraken vs Jake Oettinger (2.5)
Dallas Stars Vs. Seattle Kraken
Players to target: Joe Pavelski, Max Domi, Jason Robertson, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Miro Heiskanen, Ryan Suter, Tye Kartye, Yanni Gourde, Jared McCann, Eeli Tolvanen, Adam Larsson
If you played the Saturday Showdown slate, then the Playbook may look very similar to that one and it’s for a good reason. We aren’t going to reinvent the wheel tonight in a Game 7. We know what team is *expected* to win, but there is more than enough value on both sides to go around.
The one main change we are making from Saturday is we aren’t playing a goalie in the CPT spot. This series have been filled with goals and I am done with getting burned by Jake Oettinger. The Seattle Kraken have an elite offense and we need to respect that. I’ll have either Joe Pavelski or Yanni Gourde in that spot because I think both players are likely to have a big night.
As for the rest of my lineup, It would be wise to target a superstar. Jason Robertson is the guy you’ll want to own, even if he’s struggled to find the back of the net in the playoffs. I’ll also look to lean on veteran guys who have been here before. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are two more names that you should consider when building your lineup. If you want to be different, Miro Heiskanen is someone to really consider. He may be a defenseman, but he can contribute offensive and block a couple of shots.
On the Seattle side, Jared McCann and Tye Kartye are my two favorite options. Both come in at different price points, so you can easily fit them into your lineup. It’s hard to know where the offensive is going to come from, but both players have done a good job of generating score chances and we know that the Kraken can really shoot the puck. I don’t know how much more exposure I’ll want to the visiting team, but I could get behind someone like Eeli Tolvanen, who is $5400 on DraftKings and is skating on a very good third line. He’s not Morgan Geekie cheap, but he still has a better chance of finding the scoresheet.
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.