NHL DFS April 17th Slate Breakdown
. Read on for NHL DFS cash plays, GPP plays, and more. We are covering the main slate on both Draftkings and Fanduel.
Initial Slate and Betting Odds
San Jose Sharks (+215) vs Minnesota Wild (-270), Reimer vs Fleury.
St. Louis Blues (-115) vs Nashville Predators (-105), Binnington vs Rittich.
New York Islanders (+175) vs Toronto Maple Leafs (-210), Varlamov vs Campbell.
Columbus Blue Jackets (+120) vs Anaheim Ducks (-140), Berube vs Gibson.
Storylines to Watch
- The NHL still has a huge problem with COVID. At any point today, one or more of these games could get cancelled.
- The NHL is like the NBA now. You need to constantly be monitoring the news.
- Toronto, Columbus, and San Jose are playing back-to-back games.
NHL DFS Cash Plays
NHL cash is difficult. This is because hockey is an extremely volatile sport, so it is harder to ascertain a player’s floor and ceiling. A bad day for a high owned NBA player may still produce at least 20 points. In hockey, it is not uncommon for top tier forwards to have an off night and score 2 points. I myself index more heavily into GPPs.
If you do decide to play cash: Have some pieces of the chalkiest stack on the slate in your lineup. It is highly, highly recommended that you check out our leverage cheat sheet to see industry standard ownership projections in order to help with this.
General lineup construction would begin with both a goaltender who is a betting favorite and the aforementioned chalk stack. Fill in with cheaper pieces. Look for forwards who fire multiple shots on goal and defenseman who block a lot of shots, as these are two scoring methods that can rack up points without a goal being scored.
Chalk: Toronto.
Favored Goaltenders: Fleury, Binnington, Campbell, Gibson
NHL DFS GPP Plays
Your lineup construction should be based around the size of the contest that you are playing. There is no need to play long shot underdog goaltenders and third line stacks in smaller contests of under 200 people. You do need to get more contrarian as the contest size increases. If you are attempting to take down a huge GPP, then you have to get very unique.
This is not a night where you can play just one lineup. If you are a member, then feel free to use our credit for Fantasy Cruncher and start putting builds together.
Small GPPS and Satellites
You can build around the standard stacks of high scoring, favored teams. Look to start your lineups with these chalkier, “safer” builds.
Toronto 1 (Bunting-Matthews-Marner)
St. Louis 1 (Buchnevich-Thomas-Tarasenko)
Medium Sized GPPS
Consider using second lines, low owned favorites, and players from underdogs to differentiate your lineup. Underdog goaltenders are also now in play.
Columbus 1 (Nyquist-Roslovic-Laine)
Minnesota 1 (Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello)
Large GPPS
You will need many low owned pieces to take down a large GPP. Underdog goalies are an excellent place to gain leverage. Using two low owned forward lines, generally from underdogs, is another strategy. Remember, these contests present the highest degree of difficulty in all of DFS.
In addition to these stacks: Almost every player on the third line and above is viable in large field contests.
New York Islanders 1 (Lee-Nelson-Beauvillier)
Nashville 2 (Tolvanen-Granlund-Duchene)
Best Bets
When it comes to sports betting, it is extremely important to practice proper bankroll management. Do not go all in on one particular play because you think it is a lock or bet more than you can reasonably afford to lose. The NHL season is 82 games long and sees heavy variance throughout the year. Favorites lose outright or fail to cover. Games with a goal total of 6.5 end 1-0. In addition, resist the urge to chase your losses if your plays are not working out. Doubling up on the late games to try and cover your earlier losses is strongly discouraged. All plays are one unit unless specified otherwise.
Our best bet for today is under 6 in Minnesota vs San Jose. Kappo Kahkonen revenge game narrative boys.
Best Bet: Under 6 in San Jose vs Minnesota
Closing Thoughts
Anyone playing DFS should 100% check out our membership page to see the excellent benefits that come with being a part of DGF. We provide cheat sheets that have ownership projections, raw projections, and core plays for each sport and all contest types. You will also find a supportive environment in our private discord where discuss strategy for all sports. Overall, we pride ourselves on being the best value in the industry and encourage you to try us out. We have plans starting at just ten dollars a week.
If you use the promo code “Ryan” at checkout, you’ll be credited with 5 dollars off your purchase. Check out our membership page to see which plan works for you. That ten dollar a week promotion we’re running right now is the perfect entry point, especially when you add in my promo code.
Want to see more of the site first before making a decision? Follow this link to our main home page: https://dgfantasy.com?aff=rtrainor1980
Be sure to check out our coverage of all other major sports including NFL, NBA, UFC, and more. Good luck, let’s cash!
