We have a light NHL slate on this Halloween Monday with just three games on tap. Nonetheless, let’s dive into some NHL DFS picks from each position, including Vladimir Tarasenko, as well as some sleeper plays that are worth considering.
NHL DFS Picks for Today | October 31
Goaltender
Jordan Binnington (Blues vs. Kings): $7,700 FanDuel | $8,400 DraftKings
Of the six netminders on the slate it sure looks like Jordan Binnington has the best matchup on the board. It also helps that he’s (mostly) enjoying a nice bounce-back campaign to this point in the young season.
Binnington owns a 2.60 GAA and .903 Sv% on the season, but those numbers are largely skewed due to allowing six goals on just 24 shots versus the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Otherwise, Binnington has yielded two goals or fewer in three of his five starts this season including a shutout of the high-powered Edmonton Oilers last Saturday.
In a sizeable sample of 11 career starts against the Kings, Binnington has turned in a stout 2.39 GAA and .919 Sv% despite failing to record a shutout in that time.
The Kings are averaging a hefty 3.50 goals per game on the season to rank sixth in the NHL, however their 3.30 goals for/60 at 5v5 is well above their middle-of-the-pack 2.76 expected goals/60 at 5v5, so look for some offensive regression from the Kings moving forward.
A bounce-back effort from Binnington is very much in the cards tonight on home ice.
Defender
Rasmus Dahlin (Sabres vs. Red Wings): $7,900 FanDuel | $7,800 DraftKings
Rasmus Dahlin is off to a fantastic start to his fifth NHL season and figures to keep rolling in a favorable home matchup with the Detroit Red Wings.
The Red Wings sit right in the middle of the pack defensively with three goals against per game on the season, but they also sit 23rd in high danger chances against/60 and 26th in expected goals against/60 in 5v5 situations. Their 2.40 goals against/60 sits notably below their 2.95 expected mark, so it’s fair to expect some defensive regression coming for the visitors moving forward.
As for Dahlin, he’s caught fire in the early going, notching five goals and 10 points across eight games along with 28 shots on goal, or 3.50 shots per game which is a major increase from previous seasons. Logging a career-high 25:19 of ice time per game is helping get home more pucks on goal as well.
Playing every other day for the last 12 days could have the Wings a little sleepy in this one, so paying up for Dahlin makes sense on a short slate.
Torey Krug (Blues vs. Kings): $5,700 FanDuel | $4,800 DraftKings
Particularly attractive at DraftKings, Torey Krug is solid cost-efficient option in a matchup with the visiting Kings.
The Kings have struggled to keep the puck out of their net in the early going, sitting 29th in overall defense with 4.10 goals against per game. Tonight’s starter for the road side is veteran Jonathan Quick who carries an ugly 3.81 GAA and .878 Sv% into action. Quick allowed vie goals versus the Jets his last time out and has allowed four goals or more in three of his last five and fewer than three on just one occasion in that stretch.
Krug hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire this young season, tallying a goal and three points in seven games with 14 shots on goal in that time. However, he remains a top-pair defenseman who anchors the Blues’ top power-play unit, a particularly attractive feature against a Kings team killing penalties at just 77.8% on the season, good for 21st league-wide.
Krug should be able to provide quality value in tonight’s matchup.
Wing
Jeff Skinner (Sabres vs. Red Wings): $4,900 FanDuel | $5,100 DraftKings
Jeff Skinner bounced back with a 33-goal, 63-point season a year ago across 80 games while piling a hefty 262 shots on goal. Despite having just one goal on the season across eight contests, now is the time to hop on the Skinner train.
With that lone tally coming on 20 shots, Skinner’s shooting rate is a measly 5%, less than half of his 10.9% career mark. He’s also averaging just 2.5 shots per game, a figure well below his 3.2 career mark. In other words, positive regression should absolutely be forthcoming in both the goals and shots departments.
I mean, he’s already heating up with a goal and three points over his last two games with seven shots on goal in that time. Skating on the team’s top line alongside Tage Thompson and Kyle Okposo while also seeing first-unit power-play minutes, Skinner is being provided the opportunity to stay hot tonight.
Vladimir Tarasenko/Robert Thomas/Pavel Buchnevich stack (Blues vs. Kings): $21,400 FanDuel | $18,100 DraftKings
This trio skates together at both 5v5 and on the Blues’ top power-play unit, therefore making them the most logical three-man stack on the slate. Krug skates on the same power-play unit, making a four-man stack more than a reasonable option in this matchup.
Vladimir Tarasenko has collected seven points in as many games while averaging three shots per contest on the season. Pavel Buchnevich has appeared in just three games due to a lower-body injury but has managed a goal and an assist with six shots in that time. Finally, Robert Thomas has notched a goal and five helpers in seven games. Thomas doesn’t bring much shot-on-goal upside to the table with just six shots on the season but plays his role as distributor about as well as any young center in the game.
This would be a tough three-man stack to fade in cash games tonight, although a four-man stack will lower overall ownership in GPPs.
Sleeper
Conor Sheary (Capitals vs. Hurricanes): $4,800 FanDuel | $3,100 DraftKings
His price is a little elevated at FanDuel, but that simply makes him a lower-owned option as Conor Sheary could deliver nice value on both sites tonight.
The Hurricanes have long been one of the best defenses in the league and they’re off to a solid start this season, sitting 10th in overall defense and second in both expected goals against/60 and high-danger chances against/60 at 5v5 action. Nonetheless, Sheary’s spot in the lineup alone makes him an attractive option.
Indeed, Sheary gets the privilege of skating with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov on the Capitals’ top line while getting some second-unit power-play reps as well. As a result, he’s logged at least 17:32 of ice time in each of his last two games while he’s tallied a goal and three points over his last five.
Consider Sheary as a low-cost value option, especially at DraftKings.
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