Below are game breakdowns and example lineups for tonight’s three-game NHL DFS slate. 

Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia

This game has the smallest line of the slate with Pittsburgh opening as a -120 favorite on the road. Philly has morphed into a stingy defensive team thanks to the play of Carter Hart as they have the 10th lowest goals allowed per game since Hart’s first start. In the same time frame Pittsburgh is 13th best in goals allowed per game. As a result, this isn’t a game we’ll lean on heavily when constructing rosters.

The top lines will match up in this one with Sean Couturier’s line taking on opposing top lines in home games. Sidney Crosby’s line is a stout possession trio, so you’ll want to lean towards the Claude Giroux line if rostering Flyers. Giroux plays with James van Riemsdyk both at even and on the top PP unit, so they’re a mini-stack option. JVR also works as a one-off with reasonable price tags on both sites. Shayne Gostisbehere is the D-man on the top PP unit and his pair will skate some with the Giroux line at even.

Pittsburgh’s second line could also be an option since Philly will sometimes let their fourth line take on opposing second lines at home. Evgeni Malkin will return to the lineup tonight with Nick Bjugstad and Phil Kessel on his wings. Kessel is priced significantly better on DK than FD as is Malkin, so that would be the spot to stack them.

Matt Murray is worth a look in GPPs and perhaps cash games as a small favorite. The Pens are one of two teams on this slate who allow more than 60 shot attempts per game at even strength, which gives the Pitt netminder some upside. They’re also not going to be one of the three most expensive goalies on either site unless several teams decide to go with backup goalies tonight.

Los Angeles @ Washington

Washington is obvious chalk here as the biggest favorite of the slate at -180, so you’ll want some exposure to them in cash games. Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie will be together at even and on the top PP unit and are both priced better on FD than DK. Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov will be together at even and on the top PP unit and are both priced better on DK than FD. John Carlson is the D-man on the top PP unit, so he’s also very much in play.

While Washington will be the chalk, we like the matchup for the Kings. The Kings rank next to last in goals per game, so they’re admittedly a tough sell. However, the Caps have the third highest xGA/60 (expected goals against per 60) both at even strength and overall, and they’re tied for 10th in most goals allowed per game. Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown work as a mini-stack option on either site as they play on the top line and top PP unit together. We don’t recommend putting them in the same lineup with the Backstrom line as those lines should match up in this one. 

Pheonix Copley is an obvious cash game option with the Caps being the biggest favorite of the night against a team that ranks next to last in goals per game. He’s a better option on FD where he’s the cheapest starting goalie as opposed to the most expensive goalie on DK. Jonathan Quick is an option in GPPs on DK. He’s the cheapest projected starter of the slate with a price tag all the way down below $7000. Quick plus a Kopitar-Brown (and maybe Doughty) stack should be sufficiently contrarian.

San Jose @ Vancouver

San Jose has the highest implied total of the slate by way of being favored in a game with an over/under of 6.5 (the Washington game only has an over/under of 5.5). The Sharks have the biggest possession advantage over their opponent of any team on this slate, and the Canucks have mediocre goaltending at best. San Jose will be the other chalky play, and they should be.

The matchup to avoid is the line centered by Elias Pettersson, but Vancouver let them take on the opposing bottom six in their last home game, so San Jose’s top six is in play. San Jose is a bit tough to stack since their even strength lines jumble on the power play units, but the top line pair of Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski does stay together on the top PP unit. We like them a bit better on FD as they’re priced slightly better there, and the other member of that line, Timo Meier, is a nice value on FD.

No SJ forwards are priced all that well on DK though Couture is priced fairly there, and Joe Thornton, who has 11 points in his last 13, is a salary relief option. Defenseman Brent Burns can be paid up for on either site, though his skillset works better with DK scoring. D-man Marc-Edouard Vlasic is a salary relief option on either site with Erik Karlsson remaining out of the lineup as Vlasic has been getting some PP2 work lately.

Martin Jones could be an option for cash games on DK, but it might be a better idea to save even more there if you’re not going with Copley by continuing down the pricing list to Murray.