This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
We have a busy night of hockey ahead of us with 10 games on the docket. Despite the full schedule, the latest start times are 9:00 p.m. ET, so those planning on playing DFS on the East Coast should have a good idea of how their team is doing before bed. Here are my FanDuel DFS lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Vegas, Carolina and San Jose are all in the second half of a back-to-back set, so fatigue might be a factor for those squads. This is a particularly challenging stretch for San Jose, which is gearing up for its third game in four nights.
GOALIES
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA at CHI ($8,000): Bobrovsky is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner and was a finalist for the award in 2023-24, but he has been a mixed bag in 2024-25. He has an underwhelming 2.98 GAA and .893 save percentage across 14 outings, though strong goal support has nevertheless left him with a 9-4-1 record. I think this will be one of his better showings. Chicago is 6-12-1 and ranks 31st offensively with 2.32 goals per game, so this is a very favorable matchup.
Jordan Binnington, STL vs. SJS ($7,900): Binnington has a 5-8-1 record, 3.19 GAA and .887 save percentage in 15 appearances this season, so I make this recommendation with some reluctance. Still, the 6-11-4 Sharks rank 28th offensively with 2.48 goals per game and, as noted above, are going into this game tired, so this is about as favorable an assignment as one could ask for. Combined with the reasonable price by goaltender standards, Binnington is worth taking a chance on under these circumstances.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL at CLM ($7,800): Vasilevskiy has excelled recently, posting a 3-0-1 record, 0.97 GAA and .961 save percentage across his past four starts. That brings him up to a 9-5-1 record, 2.13 GAA and .919 save percentage through 15 outings. Monitor the Lightning's goaltending situation tonight, though. Tampa Bay isn't in a back-to-back situation, so Vasilevskiy will probably start, but after playing in the Lightning's past five games, there is a chance backup Jonas Johansson will draw the assignment to give Vasilevskiy a breather.
VALUE PLAYS
Vladimir Tarasenko, DET vs. NYI ($4,800): Tarasenko's tenure in Detroit started poorly with the 32-year-old forward recording two goals and three points through 13 outings. He seems to have turned a corner, though, recording an assist in each of his past four games, including two with the man advantage.
Robert Thomas, STL vs. SJS ($4,700): For a player who collected 86 regular-season points (26 goals) last season and is up against one of the worst defensive teams in the league (San Jose ranks 28th with 3.48 goals allowed per game), Thomas is extremely well priced. To be fair, Thomas has just one goal this season, but he also has six assists and has been limited to just eight appearances due to an ankle injury. He returned Tuesday, registering an assist while logging 23:07 of ice time, so he's set to make up for lost time.
Kaapo Kakko, NYR at CAL ($4,300): Kakko is on a roll going into tonight's action, having supplied two goals and four points over his past four outings. The 23-year-old is playing in a middle-six role, so he's not worth taking consistently, but you can select him while he's hot.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Bruins vs. Utah HC
Pavel Zacha (C - $5,200), David Pastrnak (W - $7,900), Morgan Geekie (W - $4,100)
This is a vibes pick rather than one based on anything quantifiable. This line isn't hot nor has it been especially good this season. That said, after three straight losses, including two humiliating defeats to Dallas (7-2 loss) on Thursday and Columbus (5-1) on Monday, Boston fired head coach Jim Montgomery, setting tonight's tilt up as Joe Sacco's first assignment as the Bruins' bench boss. I think a frustrated Bruins team is going to take this opportunity for a fresh start and rally around Sacco tonight. I expect their best forward, Pastrnak, to play a key role in that.
It certainly doesn't hurt that Utah isn't the toughest of opponents. The Hockey Club has a 7-8-3 record and is tied for 24th defensively with 3.44 goals allowed per game.
Avalanche at Capitals
Casey Mittelstadt (C - $5,900), Mikko Rantanen (W - $8,300), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $3,700)
There is no shortage of talented lines to choose from tonight, but a lot of them come with a downside. Connor McDavid (C - $9,000) has an incredible six goals and 14 points over his past six appearances, but his Oilers are up against Minnesota, which is tied for second defensively (2.33 goals allowed per game). Martin Necas is just one outing removed from his 13-game scoring streak, but the Hurricanes are playing against New Jersey, which ranks seventh defensively (2.67 goals allowed per game). Jack Eichel (C - $8,500) has five goals and 28 points through 19 appearances in 2024-25, including 12 points over his past seven outings, but Vegas is playing tired tonight.
Washington leads the league offensively with 4.33 goals per game while the Avalanche has been terrible defensively, so I'd recommend a Washington line under normal circumstances. However, the absence of Alex Ovechkin (lower leg) makes picking a forward trio less appealing.
In the end, Rantanen's unit offers a nice compromise. Rantanen is red-hot with six goals and 10 points across his past five appearances and is having a fantastic campaign with 12 goals and 27 points through 19 outings. Mittelstadt has been strong throughout the campaign with seven goals and 18 points in 19 appearances and is coming off a two-point showing Monday. Nichushkin hasn't recorded a point yet, but he's just appeared in two games since making his season debut and had 28 goals and 53 points in 54 regular-season outings in 2023-24. I expect him to get going shortly. It helps that Nichushkin's price is about as low as it can go.
Washington does rank 12th defensively (2.78 goals allowed per game), which is respectable, but it's not quite at Minnesota or New Jersey's level, so I'm comfortable going against the Capitals' goaltending in this instance.
Nathan MacKinnon's (C - $8,800) line is a solid alternative, but Artturi Lehkonen (W - $6,800) has been inconsistent, being held off the scoresheet in four out of seven appearances since returning from injury. Meanwhile, Jonathan Drouin (W - $4,800) has just one assist through three appearances this season. Like Nichushkin, Drouin is getting back into his groove after a prolonged absence, but, Drouin's upside is lower and his price is higher, which makes him the less appealing of the two. Still, there is merit to grabbing the MacKinnon line instead if you like him more.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TBL at CLM ($7,000): Hedman has been held off the scoresheet only once across his past eight appearances, providing two goals and nine points over that stretch. He's tied for fifth among defensemen in scoring with 17 points (four goals) in 17 outings this season.
John Carlson, WAS vs. COL ($6,700): Carlson is on a three-game scoring streak and has recorded five assists over his past five outings. That gives him two goals and 14 points in 18 appearances in 2024-25. The Avalanche are tied for 30th defensively with 3.68 goals allowed per game, so the Capitals should collect some goals tonight.
Adam Fox, NYR at CAL ($5,900): Fox hasn't found the back of the net yet this season, which is somewhat surprising for a blueliner who managed a career-high 17 markers in 2023-24. He has 15 assists, seven on the power play, and 17 appearances, though, so he's making a sizable impact. Fox is showing no signs of slowing down on the helper front – he has six assists across his past five outings.
Jakob Chychrun, WAS vs. COL ($5,400): Chychrun missed five games from October 31st through November 8th due to an upper-body injury, but he's looked great since returning, supplying three goals and four points across his past five appearances. He's up to five goals and eight points in 13 outings this year.
