NHL Showdown Playbook May 27: Top DraftKings & FanDuel NHL DFS Picks
The Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars go head-to-head in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Dallas was able to pull off a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory thanks to Joe Pavelski. It’s only one game, but it’s an important one to help this team build some confidence. With the series back in Vegas, let’s see if the Gloden Knights can close things out. You can build daily fantasy hockey lineups on DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo Fantasy for Saturday, May 27th, 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
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Jake Oettinger: (3.1)
Dallas Stars vs. Adin Hill: (2.6)
Dallas Stars Vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Players to target: Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen, Wyatt Johnston, Esa Lindell, Joel Hanley, Fredrik Olofsson, Adin Hill, Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Jonathan Marchessault, Zach Whitecloud, Alex Pietrangelo.
The total for Game 5 opened at 5.5 and that number should stay there as we approach puck drop. Both teams have good offences, but when the goaltending is elite, neither team is going to find the back of the net very often. With the total being where it is, both goalies are an option tonight. Jake Oettinger put together a really solid performance last game and he needs to be just as good tonight to keep his team alive. He was very good on the road during the regular season, but that success hasn’t translated over to the playoffs.
For the rest of our lineup, we are going to need to target some value. Sticking with the Stars, Fredrik Olofsson was brought into the lineup for Jamie Benn and finished the night with five shots on goal. He only played ten minutes, so that does limit his upside, but for $3000 on DraftKings, we’ll gladly take the risk. Playing Olofsson, allows us to spend up on Jason Robertson. We know that he hasn’t been amazing in the playoffs, but he scored two goals last game while also adding a ridiculous 11 shots on goal. I’m not expecting a repeat of that tonight, but I do think he can do enough to hit value.
On the back end, Miro Heiskanen is the player I absolutely want to have in my lineup. Dallas played him over 30 minutes last game and he’s going to see just as much ice time tonight. I know it’s asking a lot to fit him into your lineup, but there’s just too much upside to pass up on.
On the Vegas side, Jack Eichel is the player we want to target. He has seven shots on goal last game and you can just feel he’s going to score a goal soon. He’s going to see a healthy amount of ice time and a favorable matchup. If you don’t want to spend that much, Jonathan Marchessault is the next-best option.
If you don’t want to rock with a forward, Alex Pietrangelo and Zach Whitecloud are two players to consider at different price points. Pietrangelo played over 26 minutes last game and finished with five shots on goal and five blocked shots. He’s going to play a lot tonight, so like Heiskanen, I like his upside. For Whitecloud, he was the only other defenseman to finish with more than three blocked shots. His ice time was under 20 minutes, but Vegas only took two penalties and one of them was in overtime. I expect him to see enough ice time in this game to, at least, flirt with value.
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.