We have several marquee matchups on the ice tonight. It should be a thrilling night for us NHL fans. If you’re looking to get some skin in the game, then you’ve come to the right place.
Below I’ve listed the nine-man DFS lineup I’ve locked in. This roster is eligible for DraftKings’ classic $50,000 salary competitions, but I’ve also listed each player’s price at FanDuel’s $55,000 salary equivalent.
Tuesday’s NHL DFS Picks & Analysis
The lineup below is based on DraftKings, but FanDuel prices are also listed.
C1: Evgeni Malkin (C – PIT) | DraftKings: $5,700/FanDuel: $6,100
Colorado has addressed its goaltending issues twice over, bringing in both Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood to stop the bleeding. While I like the Wedgewood move, I don’t think the Avs are going to turn into Martin Brodeuer-led Devils circa 2000.
With that said, it’s worth a shot to play Evgeni Malkin tonight. This should be a higher-scoring game, and I anticipate the stars rising up in this one. Geno has looked good this year, ranking second on the team in scoring (six goals, 18 assists) and sixth in shots on goal (SOG) with 60.
C2: Marco Rossi (C – MIN) | DraftKings: $4,100/FanDuel: $5,600
Marco Rossi is centering Minnesota’s top line, which means he’s playing alongside the always-dangerous Kirill Kaprizov. Most of Minnesota’s offense will come from this top line, and I think there’s good value playing Rossi tonight against Utah.
The Hockey Club comes into this one ranked 15th in GAA (2.81) and 23rd on the penalty kill at 77.78%. Rossi currently ranks third on the team in scoring (nine goals, 14 assists), which isn’t too shabby over 27 games played.
W1: Valeri Nichushkin (RW – COL) | DrafKings: $5,000/FanDuel: $6,200
One of the other players I have in the Avs/Pens game tonight is Colorado winger Valeri Nichushkin. Big Val has logged 12 games this year since returning from suspension, and he’s nearly a point-per-game guy with 10 points (six goals, four assists).
This Avs offense is picking up steam, and they draw a favorable matchup against a bottom-tier Pens defense. Pittsburgh is dead last in GAA (3.55), 22nd in SV% (.889) and 28th in high-danger shots against (109).
W2: Matvei Michkov (RW – PHI) | DraftKings: $4,000/FanDuel: $6,000
Talk about getting great value right here. Matvei Michkov has looked fantastic this season, going for 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 26 games played.
The winger has been lighting it up over the last two weeks, picking up eight points (three goals, five assists) in his last four games. Michkov could go nuclear tonight against a Columbus squad ranked 31st in both GAA (3.37) and SV% (.875), as well as 30th on the penalty kill (71.59%).
W3: Nick Paul (LW – TBL) | DraftKings: $3,900/FanDuel: $5,500
Daily Faceoff has Nick Paul listed as the second-line center due to Anthony Cirelli‘s undisclosed injury. With Paul sliding into a top-six role, I think he makes for an excellent option in DFS lineups tonight.
Paul has been solid in 19 games, scoring 14 points, courtesy of six goals and eight assists. Mostly, I like this matchup against an Edmonton defense ranked 25th in SV% (.887) and 29th on the penalty kill (72.31%).
With an elevated role playing alongside Brandon Hagel and Cameron Atkinson, Paul should turn in a solid outing.
D1: Cale Makar (D – COL) | DraftKings: $8,300/FanDuel: $7,500
I’m going to splurge tonight and play Cale Makar as my top defenseman. I don’t think anyone will be surprised when I tell you Makar is leading all defensemen in scoring this year with 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists).
Makar is also a modest 84th in blocked shots (41), so he’s not afraid to step in front of a puck when needed. All of the anti-Pittsburgh stats I laid out with Nichushkin apply here as well. Colorado’s offense should explode in this game.
D2: Brandon Montour (D – SEA) | DraftKings: $6,400/FanDuel: $6,200
Who’s up for a “Brandon Montour revenge game?”
Brandon Montour will face the Panthers tonight, which is the club he helped lead to a Stanley Cup last season. Montour’s offensive production has taken a step forward with the Kraken this year, where he has 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 28 games.
Montour is third on Seattle in scoring and leads the way in SOG (90). Florida is still having issues getting saves, considering they’re just 29th in SV% (.881) this season.
G: Darcy Kuemper (G – LAK) | DraftKings: $8,000/FanDuel: $7,600
I’ll be locking in either Darcy Kuemper or David Rittich ($8,000 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel) in net tonight, as the Kings take on the Islanders. Both guys have been solid, each logging GAAs of 2.50 or less.
Mostly, this is just a fade of the Islanders’ offense, which is ranked 26th in scoring (2.6 GPG), 29th in shooting% (9.11%) and 31st on the power play (13.75%). Los Angeles has allowed two or fewer goals in each of their last five games. They’ve won all five contests (5-0-0).
UTIL: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (C – EDM) | DraftKings: $4,500/FanDuel: $5,200
I’ll round out my lineup with Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The natural centerman hasn’t been lighting it up this year, as he has just 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 27 games played. However, Nugent-Hopkins is always a threat to turn it on at any moment, and I like him to have an impact in what should be a high-scoring game tonight against the Bolts.
The Oilers have scored four or more goals in all five of their wins during their current 5-1-0 stretch. Nugent-Hopkins has five points (two goals, three assists) during that span.
