NHL DFS Slate Summary: Thursday, December 7th
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 7th
Today’s Games
Slate Overview
In the words of the late (great) Chris Farley: “Holy Schnikes!” That was my exact thought when I saw this slate. There are 13 games, but somehow it feels like even more. Whereas normally we can scratch off at least half a dozen teams from consideration, I don’t feel that way so much tonight. On a slate this large, it can be difficult to project where the chalk will land, so we’ll look to Vegas for guidance. The Red Wings (-300), Bruins (-270), Kings (-230) and Islanders (-205) are the biggest favorites, although my guess is that none of these teams ownership will be too crazy. I expect players (e.g. Pastrnak) to get up there, but not necessarily full stacks.
UPDATE: Scratch what I said below about not having to monitor the news. Since I originally wrote it, both Sean Durzi and Rasmus Dahlin, who I expected to definitely be out, are questionable tonight. So unfortunately it appears there will be plenty to pay attention to both at lock and throughout the night.
Unlike Tuesday where there was significant news to monitor throughout the day, I don’t think that’ll be the case today. Yes, there has already been plenty of news this morning, but I don’t think we’ll have to wait for key information. The biggest news is that Patrick Kane will be making his season debut for the Red Wings. He should be on the second line and first power play and is reasonably priced at $5500. There’s a chance he’s on a bit of a “pitch count”, so I’d probably take a wait and see approach. In Colorado, it appears that Valeri Nichushkin will continue to be out, but Makar will be back in the lineup. MacKinnon missed the morning skate but should be fine to play.
As always, check in with the RG NHL Discord for any news.
Top Skaters
Jack Hughes
DraftKings $9,500
I’d like to thank whoever edited/posted this article on Tuesday for changing the featured image to Hughes from Panarin, making me look good. Panarin was good with 27, but Hughes exploded for 33.5. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that Jack Hughes is playing the best hockey in the NHL right now. I didn’t say “best player” because I think 32 out of 32 NHL head coaches would still take Connor McDavid over him, but Hughes has been the best player in the league this season. He isn’t the NHL points leader because he missed some time, but his points per game is first in the league.
Tonight, he’ll be on the road taking on a Seattle team who ranks in the bottom third of the league in the majority of defensive and goaltending categories. Their lines are a mess as they try to find the right combinations to overcome their current injuries. Hughes has been a shot maven since returning from injury and his SOG logs are as follows: 6, 6, 9, 9, 6, 8, 1, and 8. I’m going to assume the “1” game was an instance where he slept funny and had a crick in his neck or something. There are plenty of quality options at the top, but I’ll be prioritizing Hughes above them all tonight.