NHL DFS Slate Summary: Wednesday, January 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 Wednesday, January 24th
Today’s Games
Slate Overview
Over the weekend, our neighbor introduced my daughter to the childhood classic concept of the “Opposite Day,” which she is thoroughly obsessed with at the moment. While not a complete match, this week fits slightly into the “Opposite Week” category with golf starting today and also a surprisingly balanced NHL slate this week. From Monday to Thursday, there have been and will be 6, 9, 7, and 9 games. What a novel concept from the NHL!
Yesterday’s Slate Summary was a solid bounce back from the atrocity that was Monday’s, with the Dallas stack callout the most successful. From a contest standpoint, things get a little bit weird again with a $16 entry point instead of the usual $15 or $20. Also, the $444 is back up to the size from Monday despite this slate being smaller than the one yesterday… I don’t play NBA, but it appears there’s a decent slate there tonight, so I officially have no idea how DK sizes their contests.
In looking at the games, there aren’t any no-brainers, but there is a large tier of teams with viable claims to the top spot. There are five teams with a 3.6+ implied team total, then a sizeable dropoff after that. In order, the Canucks, Kings, Panthers, Avalanche, and Kraken make up that first tier. I do expect this combination of teams to comprise the majority of ownership, with all of the other teams coming in extremely low-owned.
There is some injury news to account for, as it appears Bo Byram and Arturri Lehkonen will return to the lineup for the Avalanche. The Jets have some question marks in their lineup and will likely be without Mark Scheiffele and Gabriel Vilardi tonight. The Panthers should be getting Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling back in the lineup too and are close to full-strength. Last, Vince Dunn should return for the Kraken and resume his role on the first power play.
Top Skaters
Nathan MacKinnon
DraftKings $10,000
I’m very careful about throwing around the term “must play,” especially in a sport as volatile as the NHL. And I’m not going to use that phrase for MacKinnon tonight, but in cash games, I’d be viewing him pretty close to that. MacKinnon possesses a beautiful blend of floor and ceiling thanks to his shot volume and ability to find the scoresheet. Over his last 5 games, he has 10 points and is averaging almost 5 shots per game. His home/road splits aren’t as extreme as some, but he is averaging 3+ more fantasy points per game at home, thanks in large part to how efficient the power play has been.
His opponent, the Capitals, aren’t a terrible team, but I wouldn’t describe them as a good one either. They have the unenviable task of playing the second of a back-to-back at altitude against the speed and physicality of the Avalanche. They have several players who are getting up there in age, too, which doesn’t help the cause. I think MacKinnon and company blitz them early and end up with a bushel of points.