NHL DFS Slate Summary: Thursday, April 4th
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 Thursday, April 4th
Slate Overview
I’m going to be honest: the last several days have made me question everything I know about NHL DFS. We’ve had the Avalanche get blown out by the Blue Jackets, the Penguins (with practically nothing to play for) have beaten the Rangers and Devils soundly, the Oilers have scored just 2 goals total in their 2 losses, and the Panthers got punked by the lowly Canadiens. I know there is always a ton of variance in a sport like hockey, but it feels like it’s been ramped up over the last week.
Tonight’s slate features a bunch of games with fairly tight spreads, so I guess the likelihood of truly shocking results is lower by default. The only team at a -210 or greater is the Kings, thanks to a visit to the Sharks, but even they aren’t perfect and will be on the second of a back-to-back. Six teams are log-jammed with implied team totals ranging from 3.5 to 3.7 goals.
There are a few spots to monitor as far as their status tonight. Matthew Tkachuk and Boone Jenner are the ones I have my eyes on, as both play prominent roles for their respective teams. It appears that Tkachuk will return as he was at the morning skate, while we don’t currently have news on Jenner.
Top Skaters
Nathan MacKinnon
DraftKings $10,200
When in doubt, Nathan MacKinnon. He’s coming off one of his worst performances of the year in an embarrassing loss to the Blue Jackets, where he was held off the scoresheet. I don’t expect him to make it two in a row. He still managed a salvageable fantasy day thanks to 9 shots on goal. Prior to getting blanked, he had 8 points in his previous 4 games while averaging 5 shots a night. That feels like a reasonable expectation for tonight. The only minor concerns are the fact that it’s on the road, and he hasn’t performed exceptionally well in the two prior meetings against Minnesota, but MacKinnon has proven fully capable of performing regardless of the circumstances.