There is a large 11-game NHL slate to peruse for NHL DFS picks today. This article will help try to narrow that down a bit with the help of the premium tools and data here at Awesemo, including our NHL DFS Top Stacks tool. The Top Stacks tool is free for everyone to view on the site today, so check it out for some expert guidance when building your fantasy hockey lineups for tournaments on DraftKings and FanDuel tonight. Let’s go position by position to find some of the best NHL picks today, March 15.
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NHL DFS Picks Today, Top Stacks & Lineup Optimizer Plays
Center
Nick Suzuki (MTL vs. ARI): DraftKings – $6,000 | FanDuel – $6,300
The introduction of Martin St. Louis as Montreal’s coach has been good for the entire team, and mostly to the guys on the top line. Since he was hired, Nick Suzuki has 16 points in 14 games, skating 22 minutes a night. He was skating under 20 minutes a night before, so that huge ice time boost has led to a jump in shot rate, on top of the huge production boost. The team is shooting 10.5% with him on the ice at 5-on-5 in that span, which is high but certainly not extreme; it is outside the top-100 players in the league by that mark over the last six weeks. His personal shooting percentage is high at nearly 18% in those 14 games, but again, it is not extreme.
Arizona coming to town tonight is the big appeal here. They are allowing the most expected goals at 5-on-5 since Feb. 1, and are bottom-10 by actual goals allowed. They do not take a lot of penalties, but the Canadiens do not have a very good power play anyway and Arizona is on a back-to-back tonight. This is about the even-strength matchup, and it favors Suzuki tonight. He is fine to use by himself in tournaments, though some kind of top-line stack is in play as well.
Roope Hintz (DAL at TOR): DraftKings – $5,700 | FanDuel – $6,600
The Toronto Maple Leafs are having a lot of problems. First, the issue in net just is not improving. The team is 30th by 5-on-5 save percentage and 29th by overall save percentage over the last six weeks. It has not always been this bad this year, but it really has been a veritable decline since Christmas. To make matters worse, superstar Auston Matthews will be out of this game serving a suspension. As good as he is offensively, he is also arguably the team’s best defensive forward in their top-6, at least by defensive impact, according to Evolving Hockey. Taking him out of the lineup hurts them greatly at both ends of the ice.
This is what makes Roope Hintz an interesting option for tonight. At least on DraftKings, his price has been depressed. His line is still generating over 3.3 expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 together, which is a very good offensive number. The issue has been the power play, but a lowered price makes that risk easier to swallow. At his price, Hintz can be used as a one-off, but playing him with his linemates in tournaments makes a lot of sense, as they skate so many minutes together at all strengths.
Winger
Jake Guentzel (PIT at NSH): DraftKings – $6,600 | FanDuel – $8,600
Going into Nashville is an intriguing matchup. They have very good goaltending, but the team itself has not been very good of late. They are in the middle of the league by expected goals against when short-handed over the last six weeks and are in the bottom-10 by time shorthanded. This is a very average defensive team, and average may not be good enough against this Pittsburgh top line.
On the season, Jake Guentzel is managing a half-goal per game and over a point per game. Add in the 3.4 shots per night he is landing, and he is having a fantastic season. A big part of it is the quality of his linemates, as Pittsburgh’s top line has been productive all season, including once Sidney Crosby got healthy.
The matchup tonight is not among the best on the slate but that is what will also keep the ownership on the Penguins’ top trio low. They play together at even strength, 5-on-5 and with the empty net. Using Guentzel as a one-off in tournaments can work, as he is on pace for over 40 goals and goal scorers are usually fine as one-offs, but putting him in a line stack makes the most sense.
Zach Hyman (EDM vs. DET): DraftKings – $5,400 | FanDuel – $6,200
Injuries to a couple of key Oilers forwards means a less-imposing forward group, but it also means more opportunities for everyone else. It has meant a lot more opportunity for Zach Hyman, including a lock on the top power play unit. It has also meant more ice time, as he is skating over 23 minutes a night over his last seven games, landing over four shots per game. Maybe 4-5 shots cannot be expected every night, but if he is skating 23 minutes in Edmonton’s top-6 and their power play, it may not be far off.
Detroit will be a bit short-handed tonight, too. Tyler Bertuzzi will not be in the lineup, while Robby Fabbri’s injury has ended his season. They are down two forwards from their top-6 mix, and this is not a deep team to begin with, as they are in the bottom-5 by expected goals against over the last six weeks. It is a poor defensive team going into Edmonton tonight, and that is what brings up Hyman.
At his price in this matchup and with his ice time, Hyman is in consideration for cash games tonight. However, this is a great opponent to line stack him, either at even strength or on the power play, for tournaments.
Hyman was projecting as one of the best NHL picks today, according to the Awesemo NHL optimizer. Check out the DraftKings NHL DFS Cheat Sheet and FanDuel NHL DFS Cheat Sheet to see what other players are rating out as some of the best fantasy hockey picks on the slate.
Alex Iafallo (LAK vs. COL): DraftKings – $3,800 | FanDuel – $5,100
The DraftKings price is what stands out here. At times, Alex Iafallo has been roughly $2000 more expensive than he is priced tonight, and that is important to note.
He had been moved around the lineup at times this year but has found his way back to the top line in the team’s last few games. That is good news for him, as that line has been superb of late, generating 37 scoring chances and allowing just 24 every 60 minutes at 5-on-5 going back four weeks. One of the best teams in hockey is in town, but this top Kings line is still excellent and the price is very reasonable. Conversely, the Colorado top line is allowing nearly 30 scoring chances every 60 minutes in that same time frame. They are dynamic offensively, but they are also giving up chances at the other end.
Ownership here tonight should be curious because it is not a particularly elite matchup, though it is not awful, and the entire line is cheap. At the very least, Iafallo is in consideration because of his discount pricing. The entire line should also be considered for tournaments, though, as they will skate a lot of minutes for a very reasonable price.
Latest NHL DFS Content
Defensemen
Adam Fox (NYR vs. ANA): DraftKings – $5,500 | FanDuel – $6,800
The New York Rangers typically have a very good power play, and that has certainly been the case for several weeks now. Since February 1, they are third in the league in expected goals generated with the man advantage, and second in actual goals scored. The power play is the reason that Adam Fox is pacing over a point per game on the year, as he has a whopping 26 PPPs in just 58 games.
Anaheim is in the bottom-10 of the league by expected goals against while down a man over the last six weeks, meaning this is a good power-play matchup for the Rangers. Fox is not a defenseman who shoots a lot, so his value is derived from production. He has a good chance of production in this matchup tonight.
Erik Johnson (COL at LAK): DraftKings – $2,900 | FanDuel – $4,200
The injuries to a couple of Colorado blue liners means more ice time for some of the guys. That has meant more time for Erik Johnson, who has skated between 19-20 minutes in each of his last two games with Sam Girard out of the lineup. He leads the team in shot blocks per 60 minutes and is just behind Cale Makar in shot attempts per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. Additional minutes should help his peripherals a lot, and that makes him valuable for a very cheap price on DraftKings. Even on FanDuel, where peripherals are not as important, he is in play simply because of the TOI bump and the team he plays for.
Just beware the team traded for Josh Manson last night. If he is in the lineup, he could take some minutes away.
Goalie
James Reimer (SJS vs. FLA): DraftKings – $6,700 | FanDuel – $7,100
This is absolutely a risky start here, given that the Florida Panthers are one of the top offensive teams in hockey and San Jose has been through a very rough patch defensively. But the team did get back a couple of key players recently, namely Erik Karlsson so that should help. What is attractive here is that James Reimer has an exceptionally cheap price tonight and the Panthers are among the top-5 team in 5-on-5 shot rate going back to February 1. There is a very real chance Reimer has a bad game here tonight, given the matchup. However, the shot volume provides a cushion and if he does not get blown up, he could provide a lot of value in tournaments for his price.
Top NHL DFS Stacks Today
NJD2: Hischier-Bratt-Zacha
There is some news that will matter here. Nico Hischier has been injured but skated with the team on Monday, including power-play practice. That generally indicates an imminent return, there is just no confirmation yet. Assuming Hischier is in the lineup, he returns to one of the more underrated trios in the league this year. This Devils second line generates 3.8 expected goals per 60 minutes, controlling 61% of the expected goal share, which are both outstanding numbers. They are also scoring 4.3 goals per 60, another fantastic mark. Two of the three guys on this line will also be on the top power play unit, facing a weak Vancouver penalty kill.
EDMPP: McDavid-Draisaitl-Hyman
As mentioned in the section on Hyman, this matchup against Detroit tonight is a fantastic one. The Red Wings do not take a lot of penalties, but they are allowing the most goals per 60 minutes while down a man over the last six weeks. The penalty kill has not been good, so they need to stay out of the box against this lethal Edmonton power play. This is an expensive stack on a large slate, but there are ways to get cheaper by using some even-strength linemates as well. Edmonton has a great matchup at all strengths tonight and their top players warrant heavy consideration, at the least.
*Additional stats from Natural Stat Trick
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