RADIO
Welcome back RotoBallers! Happy New Year! For those first-time readers, my name is Chris and I write a ton on RotoBaller. The sports universe of writing here spans from NASCAR to football to college sports to of course, hockey. If you have not checked some of those articles out then make sure you do! It is the return of the NHL which means it's time to sharpen our skills and partake in NHL DFS! As always, I'll give you the best tools to succeed and the info you need to build the best lineups possible for your GPP and cash game NHL contests on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Today I'll be bringing you my NHL lineup picks, analysis, and advice for NHL DFS contests on DraftKings and FanDuel for Saturday, January 22nd, 2022 at 7:00 PM. Be sure to also check out our awesome NHL tools including our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, Projections, and DFS Cheat Sheets!
If you have any questions on today's slate, bankroll management, GPP strategy, Cash game strategy, or anything else don’t hesitate to email me at stevens8204@gmail.com or via Twitter @ChrisWasselDFS or in our premium slack chat. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 1/22/22
As I am writing this, the nine-game main slate is taking shape. Postponements are almost down to zero and now it may finally be a question of adjusting to no "Olympic Break". Balanced scheduling will be prevalent over the next few weeks at a minimum,.
The suggestion is to check back on social media often to see who else may have been placed on protocol. Finally, if any postponement news breaks, we will try to get it posted ASAP. The trend has been less of these postponements lately which is good news.
Going forward, every Saturday, we will feature a slimmed down column. The idea will be to keep things simple. Forgive the blunt nature but as always, there will be more on social media and on Slack as well.
NHL DFS Goalies
Igor Shesterkin - DK $8.4K || FD $8.1K
Opponent - Arizona Coyotes
There has been some debate as to how much of a risk Igor Shesterkin is. However, the goaltender did get to rest on Friday night as Alexandar Georgiev played and was promptly shelled in a 6-3 loss. Arizona is not nearly as scary as the New York Islanders showed with a 4-0 shutout also on Friday. Neither team is rested and the hope is that Shesterkin sees more than 20 shots. That could be a struggle for Arizona though New York can be pretty accommodating with their defense. The Russian's salary on FanDuel is extremely reasonable considering the options available on Saturday.
Juuse Saros - DK $8.0K || FD $8.4K
Opponent - Detroit Red Wings
This features less risk than most picks because Saros has probably been much better at home for the most part this season. He had a tough time getting to 12 home wins last season (remember that second half run). Despite a 6-3-1 record over the past ten games, Saros has faced a whopping 38 shots an appearance. That is a lot. The fact that Nashville cannot rely on David Rittich in net will mean more Saros starts than most bargained for. Then again, some will say that was going to happen anyway. Saros has a 2.05 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in Nashville. Detroit struggles on the road. The math could work here.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Kahkonen (DK $7.9K || FD $7.2K), Vejmelka (DK $7.0K || FD $6.8K).
NHL DFS Centers
Nazem Kadri - DK $7.5K || FD $9.7K
Opponent - Montreal Canadiens
After starting the season a little slow, Kadri went on some run that most thought was unsustainable. Yes, admittedly anyone can be wrong including us. Now, the center's price has slid down below $10,000 on FanDuel. He does have three games without a goal or assist in his last six. However, he is playing the one team that allows more DFS points to forwards than any other franchise in the league. Montreal is allowing 40+ shots on almost a regular basis and is playing in Colorado on Saturday night. One should at least have some exposure to Colorado but be creative about it. Cayden Primeau is not an NHL goalie and some would argue barely an AHL goaltender.
Ryan Hartman - DK $6.1K || FD $7.0K
Opponent - Chicago Blackhawks
So, top line Ryan Hartman has five goals and ten points in his last ten games on 35 shots and 40 scoring chances. Also, Hartman scored twice against his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. They had no answers for his line so do not expect much to change on Saturday night in Minnesota. It comes down to execution. Even better news for DFS owners is that Hartman is being rewarded for more time on the man advantage. He has two points on the power play in the last ten and expect more to come as he stays close to a point a game. Overall, Hartman is still on pace for 35-40 goals. He may not hit that but based on his 14.5% shooting percentage, regression does not seem very likely, at least dramatically.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): McDavid(DK $8.7K || FD $10.2K), MacKinnon(DK $9.5K || FD $10.3K), Trocheck (DK $5.1K || FD $5.3K), Cirelli (DK $4.3K || FD $5.6K)
NHL DFS Wings
Alex Ovechkin - DK $8.5K || FD $9.9K
Opponent - Ottawa Senators
The magical Alex Ovechkin season continues as he chases down the most hallowed record in NHL history for goal scorers. His shot output has slowed to 4.3 per game (was 4.7) and his point production is still close to a point a game (nearly 1.5 a month ago). However, the Russian winger can turn it on at any time as we have seen even this week. He does have a six-game point streak and could break out at any time. When a player averages around five scoring chances a night, it is more inevitable than anything else. Look at options around Ovechkin for salary protection like Wilson, Backstrom, Orlov, Schultz, etc.
Tyler Toffoli - DK $4.5K || FD $5.9K
Opponent - Colorado Avalanche
No, this is a pure road wing and a prayer on Saturday night with the expectation of more DFS points due to the simple nature that Colorado lets it guard down a good deal. Think like the Pittsburgh Penguins and how they play sometimes. For as good as they can be, Colorado forgets sometimes how to play defense. There will be some opportunities and with Darcy Kuemper in net, Toffoli is going to get those scoring chances. If he pots even one then this choice is worth it for the salary. The winger has 11 points in the last ten games and goals in consecutive contests since returning from injury.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Kaprizov(DK $8.0K || FD $9.5K), Batherson(DK $5.0K || FD $7.3K), Svechnikov(DK $5.1K || FD $6.9K), Mikheyev(DK $4.4K || FD $5.2K), Wahlstrom(DK $3.7K || FD $5.0K)
NHL DFS Defensemen
Noah Dobson - DK $5.2K || FD $5.7K
Opponent - Toronto Maple Leafs
There may be other players on this slate that should be considered more but Dobson is averaging over three shots a game and playing like Ryan Pulock should. He is playing 23 minutes a game over the last ten contests and should continue those minutes for the foreseeable future. That is going to mean more opportunities. Toronto may look stout defensively but they have allowed nearly four goals a game in their last seven contests. They have blown a couple of multiple-goal leads as well. Dobson has an above average shot that finds its way through traffic. He must keep unleashing it. For a cheaper Islander alternative, look to Scott Mayfield again who is on a streak himself.
Devon Toews - DK $5.0K || FD $6.5K
Opponent - Montreal Canadiens
Since Montreal gives up the most unblocked shot attempts at even strength in the league and has a porous penalty kill, one can roster any one of several Colorado defensemen on Saturday night. Toews is way too cheap salary-wise on DraftKings. He is a well above average player priced like an average defender. People forget that he has 28 points in 27 games and eight goals to boot. While his numbers are not as eye-popping as Makar's, Montreal may key too much on Makar on Saturday. Toews may have a few more chances than usual come his way.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Seider(DK $5.3K || FD $6.0K), Josi (DK $8.2K || FD $7.4K), DeAngelo (DK $5.7K || FD $6.3K), Spurgeon (DK $3.5K || FD $5.2K.
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- MIN1
- COL 1
- CAR 1
- OTT 2
- NYI 2
- NYR 1
Chris’s Stack of the Day
MIN: Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello
Chalk Stack:
COL: MacKinnon-Rantanen-Landeskog-Makar
Sneaky Stacks:
NJD: Hughes-Bratt-Severson
TBL: Cirelli-Killorn-Stamkos (for late slates)
