NHL DFS Slate Summary: Saturday, February 24th
Welcome to the RotoGrinders NHL DFS Slate Summary. In this article, we’ll concentrate on the key elements of DFS success while delivering analysis on the upcoming slate of NHL games for DraftKings and FanDuel. We’ll discuss today’s NHL DFS player projections, player correlations and NHL stacking, NHL starting lineups, differentiation tactics using NHL projected ownership, and recommendations on ways to create lineup diversity if entering multiple lineups using LineupHQ.
NHL DFS Picks: Slate Summary for Saturday, February 24th
Today’s Games
Slate Overview
The massive contests we experienced earlier in the week feel like ages ago and have been replaced with some of the saddest of the year. It’s understandable given all the other sports going on, but it is still a tough pill to swallow, especially if you’re like me and bricked on the big slates earlier in the week.
It’s a really unique slate for a few reasons. First, many of the best options (Matthews and MacKinnon) are facing off against each other in an even matchup. Next, the two biggest favorites aren’t exactly two of the games’ best in the Predators and Kings (especially the Predators), but the matchups have them as -220 or better. Both of these check in with two of the highest implied team totals, with the Oilers sandwiched in the middle. It’s a difficult night to project ownership in my opinion, so I’ll be looking for Moneyball’s numbers to help me make decisions as it gets closer to lock.
Unlike Thursday (and much of the week), we don’t have much news to monitor. The sickness bug that seemed to plague much of the league seems to have passed (for now), and I don’t see any impactful game-time decisions as of this morning. As always, check in with the RG Discord Channel for any last-minute news regarding player availability, lines, etc.
Top Skaters
Nathan MacKinnon
DraftKings $10,300
It’s extremely tough to differentiate among MacKinnon, Matthews, and McDavid at the top, as they are the top-3 assets in fantasy right now. All are in elite form too, so it’s not like one is struggling and the other is thriving. First, we’ll eliminate McDavid because he shockingly hasn’t been scoring goals, and while the assists are great, goals are the fastest way to huge scores. Second, he’ll be on the second half of a back-to-back. It’s not a dealbreaker, but is a slight negative.
So then it’s down to Matthews and MacKinnon.In the end, I side slightly with Nathan MacKinnon for a few reasons. First, he’ll be at home. This is even more advantageous than usual due to the altitude. For the year, MacKinnon is averaging 6 more DK points at home, and Matthews is averaging 3 fewer DK points on the road. Advantage MacKinnon.
Next is the shot volume. Matthews’ shot volume is really good. He’s averaging almost five shots per game across his last five games. MacKinnon’s volume is borderline absurd. Over his last five games? He’s averaging EIGHT shots per game, including three games of 9+ shots. The matchups against the other are fairly similar, as both rank around average in most defensive statistics.
You can’t go wrong with any of them, but when forced to choose, give me MacKinnon tonight.