DraftKings NHL: Saturday Picks

DraftKings NHL: Saturday Picks

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

SLATE PREVIEW

With 12 games on Saturday, we'll be focusing on the eight-game DFS slate that starts at 7 p.m. EST. There are a lot of highly offensive teams on the docket, including Toronto-Montreal and Edmonton-Calgary, as both games have a 6.5 O/U. We'll want to hone in on those outings with high potential, but there are a few other teams that we'll want to target, including the Blues, Wild and Blue Jackets.

GOALIES

Darcy Kuemper, ARI vs. LA ($8,300): Kuemper is red-hot right now, sporting a 3-1-1 record with a .945 save percentage over the past five games. The Kings have shown some life lately with three straight wins. However, their firepower is a bit overstated, as they rank 29th in the league with 1.88 xGF/60. 

Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. NYI ($8,000): Jarry's early-season struggles were well-documented, but he's starting to get back on track, recording a .933 save percentage and a 2-1-0 record over the last three games, including a win over the Islanders on Thursday. The Islanders' offense continues to be lethargic, as it ranks 22nd with just 2.02 xGF/60. 

Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at CAR ($7,800): The Hurricanes are a daunting opponent, but there's little reason for Vasilevskiy to be priced this low. Now is not a time to fade. The 26-year-old boasts a .933 save percentage with a 9-2-1 record, and his chances for a win are always high with the support of an elite offense.

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS

Jack Roslovic, CLM vs. NSH ($5,200): Roslovic continues to be fantastic for his hometown team, recording 10 points through nine games. Those points aren't cheap. He's getting top-line minutes, and he certainly passes the eye test. The 24-year-old will take aim at the Predators' mediocre defense. 

Josh Anderson, MON vs. TOR ($5,000): Anderson is driving the offense in the top six, racking up nine goals and two assists across the first 15 games. He's shooting a ton, too, and Toronto's questionable defense should open the door for plenty of chances Saturday.

Andrew Mangiapane, CGY at EDM ($4,500): Mangiapane has been promoted to the top six due to injuries, but also because of his own merit. The 24-year-old has lit the lamp five times in addition to dishing out two assists over the last nine games. It appears Mikko Koskinen -- who has an .894 save percentage this year -- will be between the pipes as well. 

Martin Necas, CAR vs. TB ($3,800): Necas has elite upside. He was the 12th overall pick in 2017, after all. And he's finally getting an opportunity to succeed, flanking Vincent Trocheck on the second line and recording eight points -- three on the power play -- over nine games. Even with a tough matchup, he's the perfect fit at the right cost.

LINE STACKS

Oilers vs. Flames

Connor McDavid (C - $8,600), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $7,200), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $5,000)

This line has been firing on all cylinders, so it's tough to say that they've been underperforming. But they have. They've posted 3.44 xGF/60 this year but converted at a rate of 2.35 GF/60. While Jacob Markstrom has earned every penny of his new contract, he's starting to get worn out with the workload. In four of the last eight games, he recorded below a .900 save percentage. This trio is set up well tonight.

Blues vs. Sharks

Ryan O'Reilly (C - $6,600), Jordan Kyrou (W - $4,700), David Perron (W - $6,600)

Injuries have torn through the forward corps for the Blues, so Kyrou is getting a promotion, although he deserved one anyway. The 22-year-old has 14 points through 17 games, and he'll bring lightning quickness to a line that lacks in that area. This is an appealing matchup, too, as the Sharks rank 27th in the league with 2.74 GA/60 at even strength.

Wild at Ducks

Joel Eriksson Ek (C - $5,300), Kevin Fiala (W - $6,500), Mats Zuccarello (W - $3,000)

This is the Wild's new top line. It has an underrated amount of firepower. Last year, Fiala scored 23 goals, and he's started to follow it up this year with four goals through 10 games. Eriksson Ek has five of his own, while this will be Zuccarello's third game back from injury. Zuccarello's a grinder, but he continues to churn out offense at the age of 33. Altogether, they can make waves against John Gibson, who is quite talented but in a bad situation.

DEFENSEMEN

Jeff Petry, MON vs. TOR ($6,700): Petry is in the Norris race after firing out of the gate with 15 points through 15 games, adding 38 shots in the process. Maple Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen has been quite shaky this season with a .905 save percentage. Their defense has been just as bad, allowing 2.31 xG/60 -- the 10th most in the league.

Seth Jones, CLM vs. NSH ($5,900): Jones started to get hot before Zach Werenski (lower body) went out, and he's stayed hot during Werenski's absence, recording five points in as many games. Werenski could return tonight, but that shouldn't change things. He'll still get power-play time against his former team, which ranks 30th in the league with a 67.8 penalty-kill percentage. 

Torey Krug, STL vs. SJ ($5,800): Faulk logged a season-high 27:58 of ice time in Thursday's win over the Sharks because Colton Parayko (undisclosed) was out. It's unclear if Parayko will be back, but even if he is, Krug's ice time won't drop off too much. Krug sports a 53.2 Corsi For percentage, and quarterbacking PP2 raises his ceiling further. 

Jake Muzzin, TOR at MON ($5,200): Muzzin is on pace with fellow blueliner Morgan Rielly ($6,500) in terms of points and shots on net, but the former is leading the latter in the blocked shot department. Of course, Muzzin doesn't enjoy the same power-play usage, but their total ice time isn't far apart. Muzzin comes at an intriguing value even against a strong Canadiens defense. 

Dante Fabbro, NSH at CLM ($4,300): Fabbro's starting to heat up, as he's accrued four points and 13 shots on net over the past five games. The 2016 first-round pick is getting time with the man advantage, too. He'll be up against the Blue Jackets' 25th-ranked PK (73.7 percent).

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jordan Mazzara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Mazz30 Yahoo: Mazz30 DraftKings: Mazz30.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NHL Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NHL fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Mazzara
Jordan has produced NFL and NHL content for RotoWire since 2017. He's the beat writer for the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Seahawks.
NHL Parlay Picks for Thursday, April 18
NHL Parlay Picks for Thursday, April 18
FanDuel NHL: Thursday Picks
FanDuel NHL: Thursday Picks
NHL Picks Tonight: Best NHL Bets and Player Props for April 18, 2024
NHL Picks Tonight: Best NHL Bets and Player Props for April 18, 2024
DraftKings NHL: Thursday Breakdown
DraftKings NHL: Thursday Breakdown
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, April 17
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, April 17
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, April 17
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, April 17