NHL DFS Picks Today: Nathan MacKinnon Avalanche Stack

There is a solid six-game Monday slate to comb through, with a few attractive options on the board. Let’s dive into some NHL DFS picks from each position, including a cash-game building block in Logan Thompson as well as some other players worth considering.


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NHL DFS Picks for Today | December 5

Goaltender

Alexandar Georgiev (Avalanche vs. Flyers): $8,400 FanDuel | $8,200 DraftKings

There’s a couple of high-end options on this six-game main slate including the Flames’ Dan Vladar at home against the Coyotes, but it’s Colorado’s Alexandar Georgiev that leads the pack according to Stokastic’s player projection model.

Georgiev takes on a Flyers team that has struggled mightily at both ends of the ice this season. Offensively, the Flyers check in dead last with just 2.36 goals per game on the season while they also are 30th in expected goals for per 60 minutes at five-on-five. Philadelphia has dropped 12 of its last 13 and has managed to score more than two goals just three times during that stretch.

As for Georgiev, his first season with the Avalanche has been a major success to this point. He has a tidy 2.58 goals against average (GAA) and .922 save percentage across 15 starts, going 11-3-1 in that time. Georgiev is backed by a solid Colorado offense while he has certainly held up his end of the bargain between the pipes.

He’s allowed nine goals over his last two games but still carries a 2.52 GAA and .924 save percentage in nine road appearances into this one.

With the Avalanche sitting as heavy -200 road favorites Georgiev is a nice building block tonight.

Defender

Adam Fox (Rangers vs. Blues): $7,200 FanDuel | $6,300 DraftKings

Colorado’s Cale Makar leads the way in defenseman projections tonight, but a little easier on the wallet is the Rangers’ Adam Fox as he takes on the slumping Blues in St. Louis.

The Blues have dropped five of their last six and have been brutalized to the tune of 5.17 goals against per game during that stretch. They can’t seem to get any sort of goaltending as they actually are ninth in expected goals against per 60 at five-on-five. That said, a major issue is the penalty kill which allowed two goals in Pittsburgh its last time out while the Blues are in a tie for second-last with a 66.7% mark in that department for the season.

This bodes well for one of the best, if not the best power play defenseman in Fox. He has notched six goals and 27 points in 26 games on the season, and while only 8 of those points have come on the power play, he should get plenty of high-end looks on the man advantage in this matchup.

This Rangers team should find plenty of offense against a badly struggling Blues back end.

Michael Matheson (Canadiens vs. Canucks): $4,900 FanDuel | $4,300 DraftKings

Sliding down the projections a handful of spots, Michael Matheson projects to have a fine evening as his Canadiens take on the Canucks in Vancouver.

Matheson has taken over the role as the lone blueliners on the Canadiens top power play, which surely helps his cause. While the Canadiens are just 29th with a 17.8% clip on the man advantage, the Canucks are also 29th on the penalty kill at just 67.5% for the season. Something’s got to give in the special teams department here.

The Canucks also are 30th in overall defense with 3.76 goals against per game and rank 29th in expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five. Goaltending has also been an issue as it will be Spencer Martin and his 3.08 GAA and .901 save percentage getting the nod between the pipes.

He’s played just seven games this season but has a solid 3 points, 18 shots and seven blocks in that time as part of his hefty 24:19 of average ice time. He’s absolutely worth a look in this matchup.

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Wing

Zach Hyman (Oilers vs. Capitals): $8,200 FanDuel | $6,800 DraftKings

Of course, using a three-man Oilers stack with Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman makes a lot of sense tonight as it does just about each and every night they skate together. However, Hyman needs to be a strong consideration whether a stack is in order or not.

The prices for such a stack are through the roof but Hyman should be strongly considered, especially at DraftKings. Getting first-line and top power play duties with that Draisaitl/McDavid duo is the single best spot to be in an NHL lineup right now. Hyman hasn’t been there the entire season but has enjoyed a nice campaign with nine goals and 26 points in 25 games while managing a whopping 92 shots on goal in that time.

The Capitals are about middle of the pack in many defensive stats and metrics as offense is the foremost reason for their disappointing spot in the standings at the moment.

However, as long as Hyman is where he stands in the pecking order, he needs to be a strong considered as a high-floor winger on this six-game slate.

Rantanen/MacKinnon/Newhook (Avalanche vs. Flyers): $24,200 FanDuel | $19,800 DraftKings

There are a variety of directions with an Avalanche stack tonight, but if using Fox over Makar on the back end, throw these three Avalanche forwards together.

The Flyers have been awful defensively to put it lightly. They are 19th in overall defense which isn’t horrific, but they also rank 23rd in expected goals against per 60 at five-on-five, 29th in shot attempts against per 60 at five-on-five and 24th with a 74.4% mark on the penalty kill. Carter Hart’s dynamite start to the season is the key difference between the surface numbers and brutal underlying metrics, but even he has slipped with a 2.99 GAA and .901 save percentage in November and an awful 3.56 GAA and .844 save percentage in two December starts to this point.

Due to injuries these Avalanche have put their lines into a blender. Alex Newhook is centering Mikko Rantanen on the second line while Nathan MacKinnon remains on the top line between Alex Galchenyuk and Martin Kaut. That said, this is top power play stack as well, and the Avalanche are first in the NHL with a 32.5% clip on the man advantage.

Look for the Avalanche to dominate an injured and weak Flyers club in this one tonight.

Sleeper

Vitali Kravtsov (Rangers vs. Blues): $3,300 FanDuel | $2,600 DraftKings

Given how poor the Blues have been defensively (at least on the surface due to goaltending) and Vitali Kravtsov makes for a nice value look as a result.

Lineup placement and the fact Kravtsov is set to skate with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck are massive factors. He notched his first goal of the season two games back against the Senators, and while he doesn’t shoot the puck much at all with just six shots in nine games, he does have 2 points over his last four games.

He’s been injured a couple of times already this season, but he gets back to where he was to start the season on a line with an MVP-caliber player in Panarin. That in itself warrants strong consideration before we begin to gauge the matchup with a Blues team that has struggled to keep the puck out of their net of late.

His value is immense that these prices and his linemates’ skill level.

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