RADIO
Welcome back RotoBallers! For those first-time readers, my name is Brandon and I write both “The First-Serve” and “The Kick-Off” for Tennis and Soccer, respectively. If you have not checked those out then make sure you do! It is the return of the NHL which means it's time to sharpen our MLB 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 Sunday, December 19th, 2021 at 2:00 PM EST. 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 [email protected] or via Twitter @df_solutions or in our premium slack chat. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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NHL DFS Analysis and Picks for 12/19/21
Things could not be harder right now in both reality and the fantasy sports world. However, I will help you navigate these uncertain slates. We have four games starting at 2 p.m. EST with the Golden Knights and the Penguins as the prime spots.
We also have a few teams on the second-half of a back-to-back: Los Angeles and New Jersey. The Golden Knights enter with the league's thirteenth-worst goals against (3.01) hosting the goalless-Islanders while the Blues will look to terrorize the Jets with their sixth-best offense (3.35).
DISCLOSURE: The slate may not be the same at puck drop as it is during the writeup due to COVID-19. Play at your own risk.
NHL DFS Goalies
Tristan Jarry- DK $8.1K || FD $8.4K
Opponent - New Jersey Devils
Jarry is on fire and there is no doubting it. He has won his last four games while posting north of 0.905 save percentage in all but one game. Now he gets to put his win streak on the line against the struggling Devils who will be playing on the second-half of a back-to-back. The Devils currently possess the league's thirteenth-worst offense with 2.7 goals per game.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP): Samsonov(DK $7.9K || FD $8.6K), Lehner(DK $7.8K || FD $7.8K)
NHL DFS Centers
Centers
Ivan Barbasehv-DK $3.8K || FD $5.5K
Opponent - Winnipeg Jets
At this point, it is extremely hard to not play Barbashev in any matchup. The centerman is a part of the dynamic trio that breathes life into the Blues’ offense. In his last five appearances, he has a 3-3-6 line and 10.0 shots. For someone that is under $4K and playing with two strong producers for wingers as well, this is the steal of the century.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau- DK $3K || FD $4.8K
Opponent - Vegas Golden Knights
When life gives you small slates, you must be creative. The second-line pivot has been soaking up plenty of minutes since teammate Matthew Barzal went into the COVID-19 protocol. He only has a 1-2-3 line in his last five appearances, but he does have 14.0 shots in that span. This will be a fast-paced matchup and one that the Islanders will need to keep up with. Pageau only needs a few shots to hit value.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Crosby(DK $8.5K || FD $8K), Stephenson(DK $4.6K || FD $6.3K), Karlsson(DK $3.9K || FD $4.5K), Eller(DK $3.7K || FD $4.3K)
NHL DFS Wings
Wings
Anthony Beauvillier- DK $3.4K || FD $3.9K
Opponent - Vegas Golden Knights
Beauvillier along with the rest of the Islander's offense has gone dry. However, he is at least providing a floor still, with three or more shots in three of his last five appearances. The Islander's defense has been lackluster lately and they will most likely concede early once again, which will lead to a shooting gallery for Beauvillier.
Kasperi Kapanen- DK $4.1K || FD $4K
Opponent - New Jersey Devils
Kapanen is ultimately letting many down in a big chance, but he does have double-digit fantasy points in three of his last four games. The main issue of his play is his lack of a floor. He will continue to remain a boom-or-bust option at best, however, he is in a plus matchup with a low salary and playing alongside Sidney Crosby.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Ovechkin(DK $9.6K || FD $10.4K), Pacioretty(DK $8.4K || FD $10.5K), Rodriguez(DK $6.3K || FD $6.1K), Buchnevich(DK $5.2K || FD $6.5K), Smith(DK $4K || FD $5.2K), Sprong(DK $2.8K || FD $4.2K)
NHL DFS Defensemen
Defense
Sean Durzi- DK $3K || FD $4.4K
Opponent - Washington Capitals
Durzi is still not seeing a proper salary increase, albeit manning the top power-play unit for the Kings. In his last four appearances, he has a 0-1-1 line along with 6.0 shots and 6.0 blocked shots. Playing in a paced-up environment against the Capitals, he should have no problem hitting value.
Josh Morrissey- DK $4K || FD $4.2K
Opponent - St. Louis Blues
Teammate Nate Schmidt is currently day-to-day with the possibility of missing this meeting with the Blues. If that is the case, Morrissey will get the full reigns of the second power-play unit. The defenseman has a 1-1-2 line over his last three appearances. He also has 7.0 shots and 2.0 blocked shots.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): Letang(DK $7.1K || FD $7K), Pietrangelo(DK $6.7K || FD $7.1K), Hague(DK $3.8K || FD $4.1K), Severson(DK $3.4K || FD $4.4K), Marino(DK $3K || FD $3.9K)
NHL DFS Top Power Plays and Stacks
- PIT1
- VGS1
- STL2
Brandon’s Stack of the Day
STL: Buchnevich-Barbashev-Tarasenko
Chalk Stack:
PIT: Rodriguez-Crosby-Kapanen
Sneaky Stack:
NYI: Lee-Pageau-Wahlstrom
