NHL DFS Picks: Start Off the Stanley Cup Playoffs Strong With ... (April 17)

Tonight marks the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, opening with an exciting slate of four games on DraftKings. To make educated decisions in daily fantasy sports, having the correct resources and information is vital. Stokastic’s NHL DFS projections, NHL DFS ownership projections and Top Stacks Tool are essential tools to utilize when constructing your NHL DFS lineup. These tools offer valuable insights such as player projections, ownership percentages and top stacking options for the evening’s premier NHL DFS picks.

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NHL DFS Picks & Top Stacks for Stanley Cup Playoffs | April 17

Top Stacks

Dallas Stars Line 1: Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson

The Star top line has great five-on-five numbers and is expected to score 3.22 goals per 60 minutes, according to moneypuck.com. They also have full correlation on the top power play unit and will avoid facing Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild’s top line forwards. With a 21.5% chance of being a top-2 stack and only 11% ownership in Stokastic’s Top Stacks Tool, Dallas could be a great under-the-radar pick tonight.

Los Angeles Kings Line 1: Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar, Quinton Byfield

The Kings top line should get favorable matchups against an Edmonton Oilers second line that has struggled defensively. They also have solid even-strength numbers for the regular season and are on the top power play unit. With slight positive leverage on Stokastic’s Top Stacks Tool, Los Angeles could be a good low-owned option to consider.

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Defensemen

Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers

Bouchard is the top power play quarterback on the best unit in the NHL and faces a Kings team that is top 10 in times shorthanded this season. With 15% individual Corsi-for per 60 minutes at all strengths, Bouchard has a good chance to hit the shots bonus and provide some valuable points at a reasonable price of $4,300.

Brett Pesce, Carolina Hurricanes

Pesce is one of the top value defensemen in Stokastic’s NHL DFS projections and should play over 20 minutes tonight. He also has a decent chance to get blocks or shots and could be a great value play at just $3,300.

Goalie

Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders

Sorokin is one of the top goalies in the league and is expected to face a lot of shots on the road against a strong Hurricanes team. Stokastic’s NHL DFS projections have Sorokin at just under 30 saves for tonight, and with a small total of 3.0 implied goals against him, he could be a solid pick to secure a win and some valuable fantasy points.

Author

Jake Hari

Jake Hari is the Director of NHL Content at Awesemo.com and contributes to the site's NHL and MLB coverage as a writer of the spotlight stacks articles and host of Strategy Videos and Livestreams. Jake has been dubbed "the Baseball Savant" thanks to his immense knowledge of MLB but he's achieved some of his best success as an innovator in the world of NHL DFS. You can contact Jake by emailing [email protected].