NHL DFS Slate Summary: Thursday, December 21st
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, December 21st
Today’s Games
Slate Overview
I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something about this slate that isn’t quite as intriguing as Tuesday’s edition. There’s plenty of star power and some great real-life matchups, but I just don’t get the same butterflies as I did Tuesday. Yes, I’m strange, but we carry on nonetheless. The Panthers are the only team at -200 or greater, a slight surprise given the 12 games. The VGK/TB and EDM/NJ games headline the best real-world matchups, although there is plenty of fantasy goodness sprinkled in there too. The Panthers and Avalanche check in as the highest implied team totals, followed closely by the Maple Leafs and Coyotes. Then there’s a logjam of four other teams above 3.5 implied goals. I expect the Avalanche to be the chalkiest team of the night, then Minnesota, Florida, and Arizona for the value they provide.
For injuries, it appears that the Cale Makar situation is going to be something we’ll need to monitor nightly. Once again, he’s questionable. The Avs have been going 11/7 when he’s out, and honestly, I don’t think him being out creates nearly as much value as people are projecting it to be, especially for Devon Toews (see my Discord rants over the last few weeks about it). There isn’t a whole lot of other injury news to monitor as of this morning. As always, join the RG NHL Discord for any news on player availability, line rushes before games, and any other useful tips or information.
Top Skaters
Auston Matthews
DraftKings $9,900
On Tuesday, I had either Auston Matthews or David Pastrnak in my lineup for the majority of the day. Then as lock approached, I was a coward and was afraid of fading Nathan MacKinnon. This decision ended up costing me the $432 DK live final seat and a Top 3 finish in the $400. Ouch.
Well, MacKinnon should be extremely popular again tonight and for good reason. But if ownership shakes out in a similar way with him being much more heavily owned, then I love the pivot to Matthews.
Matthews is playing on another level right now. Here are his collective numbers and per-game averages over his last 5 games: 9 goals (1.8), 12 points (2.4), and 32 shots (6.4). He’ll face a Sabres team who just gave up NINE goals to the Blue Jackets. Compared to MacKinnon, I expect less ownership too. He can also be played as a one-off piece rather than stacking, which gives you some nice lineup flexibility if you need it.