Best NHL DFS Picks & FanDuel Strategy Guide for Thursday, March 26

There were two games Wednesday, and there are only two games scheduled for Friday, so it comes as no surprise that there are 13 matches on the NHL schedule Thursday. Let's get into who I think are among Thursday's best picks.

SLATE PREVIEW

The four teams that played yesterday are taking Thursday off, so all 26 teams playing are rested. However, Chicago is gearing up for the first half of a back-to-back, which might influence the Blackhawks' lineup decisions.

GOALIES

Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL vs. SEA ($8,000): Vasilevskiy is on a four-game winning streak in which he's stopped 81 of 90 shots (.900 save percentage). He's now 34-12-3 with a 2.30 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 49 appearances this campaign. Meanwhile, Seattle has dropped four straight games (0-3-1) and eight of its past 10 matchups (2-7-1), so it's a goaltender on a roll against a team in a free fall.

Joel Hofer, STL vs. SJS ($7,700): Hofer has been fantastic recently, posting a 6-0-2 record, 1.34 GAA and .955 save percentage across his past eight outings. That's pushed him to an 18-11-5 record, 2.57 GAA and .909 save percentage in 38 appearances in 2025-26. Although San Jose has Macklin Celebrini, the young star has recorded just one assist across his past four outings, and the Sharks are similarly struggling, dropping five straight to fall to 32-31-6 on the season.

Darcy Kuemper, LAK at VAN ($7,100): Kuemper has left something to be desired this campaign with a 17-13-13 record, 2.66 GAA and .897 save percentage in 45 outings. However, Vancouver is a very favorable matchup. The Canucks rank 31st in goals per game with 2.53, and they're on a three-game losing streak, which drops them to a league-worst 21-41-8.

VALUE PLAYS

Jonathan Marchessault, NAS vs. NJD ($5,000): Marchessault hasn't had a great campaign, recording 11 goals and 28 points across 52 appearances. However, he seems to be finishing the season on a positive note after collecting seven assists over his past five outings.

Yegor Chinakhov, PIT at OTT ($4,700): Although Pittsburgh suffered a 6-2 loss to Colorado on Tuesday, Chinakhov continued to produce with a goal on four shots. He's now on a three-game goal-scoring streak and has a superb 11 goals and 22 points in his past 23 outings.

Connor Brown, NJD at NAS ($4,300): Brown has been on a roll with four goals and 13 points across his past 11 outings. He isn't a consistent offensive producer, but every once in a wjo;e, he has this kind of run, which skyrockets his short-term value.

FORWARD LINE STACKS

Lightning vs. Kraken

Anthony Cirelli (C - $5,800), Nikita Kucherov (W - $8,200), Brandon Hagel (W - $7,200)

Kucherov is on a five-game scoring streak in which he's accumulated six goals and 14 points. That superb stretch has pushed him up to a league-leading 120 points (40 goals) in 66 outings. Hagel is on a roll as well, supplying three goals and 10 points in his last five outings, which brings him up to 33 goals and 69 points in 65 appearances. Cirelli rounds out this unit with 19 goals and 48 points in 62 outings. It's not as impressive as his linemates, but Cirelli is meaningfully cheaper, so I'd still recommend grabbing him to have the full trio.

Canadiens vs. Blue Jackets

Nick Suzuki (C - $7,400), Cole Caufield (W - $7,400), Juraj Slafkovsky (W - $6,400)

Finding a hot player isn't difficult, and it's not uncommon for two forwards on the same line to be gelling at the same time. It's rare for all three members of a line to be red-hot simultaneously, but that's what Montreal has.

Suzuki is on a seven-game scoring streak (three goals, 12 points), Slafkovsky is matching him with a seven-game scoring streak (five goals, 11 points) and Caufield's own point streak is at six games (seven goals, 12 points). All three members of this unit have surpassed the 20-goal and 60-point marks this season, with Caufield being the most impressive in terms of goals (44), and Suzuki leading the group in points (86).

DEFENSEMEN

Quinn Hughes, MIN at FLA ($6,900): Hughes has three assists over his past two games, so he seems to be heating up again after being held off the scoresheet for three straight outings from March 15-19. He has six goals and 70 points in 66 outings between Vancouver and Minnesota this season.

Dougie Hamilton, NJD at NAS ($5,700): Hamilton had a goal and an assist Tuesday, which brings him up to three goals and 11 points over his past 12 outings. His 10 goals and 32 points in 65 appearances in 2025-26 are nowhere near his career high of 74 points from the 2022-23 regular season, but Hamilton has provided excellent value recently.

Olli Maatta, CAL vs. ANA ($3,800): Maatta is offering decent value for his rock-bottom salary with a goal and six points across his past 10 appearances. That stretch encompasses his time with Calgary in which he's averaged 22:17 of ice time. That's a huge leap from the 12:10 he averaged across 22 outings with Utah this season, which explains his improved offensive output. By contrast, he had just one assist in those 22 appearances with the Mammoth.