With the NHL rolling out a 14-game schedule tonight, there’s no shortage of ways to get in on the action. That includes heading the DFS route, where I’ve locked in the nine-man roster you’ll find below. This lineup is playable in DraftKings’ classic $50,000 salary format, but I’ve also listed each player’s price at FanDuel’s $55,000 salary equivalent.
It is worth noting that these players are from the 10 earliest games, as that’s how DraftKings is running their classic competitions tonight. It excludes Red Wings-Kraken, Avalanche-Canucks, Stars-Ducks and Canadiens-Sharks.
Tuesday’s NHL DFS Picks & Advice
The lineup below is based on DraftKings, but FanDuel prices are also listed.
C1: Marco Rossi (C – MIN) | DraftKings: $4,900/FanDuel: $6,500
I’ll lock in Minnesota’s Marco Rossi as my top centerman tonight. Rossi and this Wild second line are tasked with scoring on Jeremy Swayman tonight. In years past, that would be a scary statement. However, the recently-inked $66-million man has been awful for the Bruins this season, going 17-17-4 with a 3.03 GAA (45th) and .895 SV% (39th).
Rossi’s second on the team in scoring (18 goals, 28 assists) and has six points (one goal, five assists) in his last five outings.
C2: Jiri Kulich (C – BUF) | DraftKings: $4,600/FanDuel: $5,500
Tage Thompson will miss tonight’s game against the Blue Jackets, which means Jiri Kulich will be elevated to the team’s top line and second power-play unit. I think it’s worth a flier on Kulich, as he’ll be playing alongside a solid winger in JJ Peterka.
Kulich has 16 points (11 goals, five assists) in 38 games, and he boasts a solid 12.8% shooting rate. He’ll be firing on a Jackets team ranked 27th in SV% (.887) this season.
W1: Jesper Bratt (LW – NJD) | DraftKings: $6,300/FanDuel: $7,300
My most expensive skater tonight is New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt. The top-line winger trails only linemate Jack Hughes (21 goals, 40 assists) in scoring. Bratt has 58 points (including 16 goals). His 42 assists are the most on the team, while his 122 SOG are the fifth-most on the roster.
The Devils face a Penguins team ranked 31st in GAA (3.24), 23rd in SV% (.888) and 26th in own-zone giveaways (389). Bratt is primed for a big night in the Steel City tonight.
W2: Matthew Knies (LW – TOR) | DraftKings: $5,000/FanDuel: $5,800
Matthew Knies is back in the Leafs lineup. He scored a goal and an assist in his return in the team’s 4-3 win over the Oilers on Saturday. Knies is up to 33 points (19 goals, 14 assists) across 48 games played.
Toronto takes on a Calgary team that has dipped to 17th in GAA (2.75) and 28th on the penalty kill (72.67%). I think the Leafs could pour it on in Alberta tonight, so look for Knies to have his hand in a goal or two.
W3: Kent Johnson (C – CBJ) | DraftKings: $4,800/FanDuel: $6,500
The other player I have from the Jackets-Sabres game is Kent Johnson. With the injury to Kirill Marchenko, Johnson is getting the bump to the top line to play with Adam Fantilli and Dmitri Voronkov.
Johnson has been blossoming as a top-six forward recently, racking up 13 points (five goals, eight assists) across his last 15 games. Now he’ll be shooting on a Columbus defense ranked 26th in GAA (3.08) and 30th in SV% (.885).
D1: Mikhail Sergachev (D – UTA) | DraftKings: $5,900/FanDuel: $6,100
I’ll go ahead and ride with Utah’s Mikhail Sergachev tonight as my top defenseman. The 26-year-old is playing 25:44 time on ice per game (TOI/G), and he’s also the leading defenseman on the roster in terms of point production (nine goals, 22 assists).
Sergachev is averaging 1.7 shots on goal per game (SOG/G) and his 1.9 blocked shots per game are the 38th-most in the NHL. Sergachev should have chances to contribute fantasy points on both ends of the ice against a Flyers club ranked 27th in overall defense (3.09 GAA) and dead last in SV% (.876).
D2: Tony DeAngelo (D – NYI) | DraftKings: $5,500/FanDuel: $5,200
The Islanders signed Tony DeAngelo at the end of January. The 29-year-old has already made an impact in New York. They’re 4-1-0 when DeAngelo is in the lineup, and he’s logged three points (one goal, two assists) and 10 SOG during the five-game sample size.
DeAngelo has already locked up the top power-play slot on the Isles’ blue line. They face a Golden Knights penalty kill ranked 22nd in the NHL (76.99%).
G: Ilya Sorokin (G – NYI) | DraftKings: $7,900/FanDuel: $7,700
At this price, I feel like we’re getting a bargain with the Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin. In his last 10 outings, Sorokin has posted a .938 SV%, making 240 saves on 256 shots faced.
Sorokin is 8-2-0 during the stretch, while also registering a pair of shutouts. The Isles welcome in a Golden Knights club on a 0-1-2 run, scoring only two goals per game during the stretch.
UTIL: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (C – EDM) | DraftKings: $5,000/FanDuel: $6,200
I’ll round out my lineup with Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The former first-overall pick from 2011 has been moderately productive this season, ranking 118th in points (33) and 91st in goals (15).
The second-line centerman is averaging 2.1 SOG/G this season. He’s currently driving a line with Viktor Arvidsson and Zach Hyman. The Oilers take on the Blues tonight. St. Louis is allowing 3.4 goals per game over their last five contests. Look for Nugent-Hopkins to get in on the scoring action.
