NHL DFS Picks Today: Bruins Going OP With Top Line

The Sunday NHL DFS main slate offers a number of the league’s top superstars skating in extremely appealing matchups. Let’s dig through a couple of skaters who provide significant value and some potential fades.

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Best NHL DFS Picks Today | January 8

Mikael Backlund, Andrew Mangiapane: $7,800 DraftKings | $10,700 FanDuel

With less than 10% projected ownership and very modest salaries, Andrew Mangiapane and Mikael Backlund project to be extremely valuable pieces Sunday and open up excellent possibilities for the rest of lineups. Calgary’s third unit of Mangiapane, Backlund and Blake Coleman has quietly the top expected goals score in the entire league among forward units who have spent over 75 minutes together, with a 75.2% expected goal rate in 92.2 minutes together.

More importantly for fantasy purposes, the line has generated 5.34 expected goals per 60, which is also the highest mark in the league among units who have spent over 75 minutes together at even strength. The lack of finishing seen from this trio has at times been downright comical, but it’s still clear this unit will find a way to generate more actual goals moving forward.

A matchup with the Blackhawks could be the perfect spot for the positive regression to occur, as Chicago has allowed 3.66 goals against per game this season and are rightfully massive underdogs in this matchup.

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David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand: $16,900 DraftKings | $18,500 FanDuel

Playing the Mangiapane/Backlund stack opens up lots of salary to stack up on some of the superstars skating in favorable matchups.

With Jake DeBrusk injured, Boston has returned to stacking David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand at even strength, and the trio has thrived with 11 combined points over the last two games. Marchand and Pastrnak have done the vast majority of the damage, combining for six goals and 9 of those points.

Anaheim has been the worst team in the league defensively, allowing 4.00 goals per game this season. Over the last 10 games, Anaheim has allowed 4.57 expected goals per 60, which is an alarmingly bad mark. The Ducks do not have the defensive horses to keep most top units in check, let alone the Bruins’ lethal one.

Paying up for this Bruins stack makes sense on this slate, and pairing it with Mangiapane and Backlund provides a workable salary and some serious upside.

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Goaltenders

Jacob Markstrom/Dan Vladar: 8,500 DraftKings | $8,700 FanDuel

Calgary has been in tremendous defensive form over the last month of action, which has allowed Jacob Markstrom to return to dominant form after a slow start to the season.

Calgary has played to 2.33 expected goals against per 60 over the last 10 games, which is the best mark in the entire league. The Flames matchup Sunday against the league’s worst offense, as Chicago has scored just 2.16 goals per game this season and does not appear due for an upswing moving forward with Patrick Kane out of the lineup.

The ceiling may not be massive for Markstrom, as there’s a good chance he faces 25 shots or fewer, but odds are Markstrom allows fewer than three goals in a winning result today. That makes his floor very high.

It’s entirely possible that Flames backup Dan Vladar will make this start, which would change very little, and at that point the plan would still be to target Calgary’s netminder.

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