Sunday in the NHL brings us a quick-hitting three-game slate. With just a few games to sift through, it’s important to make sure your research is on point and you’re targeting the best NHL DFS picks for your DraftKings and FanDuel lineups. To help guide you along the way, we have outlined some of the top plays at each position as well as some of the top stacks to look to based off Alex “Awesemo” Baker’s expert tools.
We will be taking some more risks than usual with the smaller stakes.
Let’s get into the picks for Sunday, March 21.
NHL DFS Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel | March 21
NHL DFS Pick: Center
Aleksander Barkov (FLA vs TAM)
DraftKings – $7,400
FanDuel – $8,000
This projects to be a fun matchup full of goals with some rusty play on both sides, as both teams played yesterday. That just means an opportunity to see 30 to 35 shots per 60 at some point during this contest, with some quality chances exchanged in transition.
If one wants to stack and play a little different, see if Anthony Duclair gets any correlation on the power play or if Frank Vatrano worms his way up the lines. Either way, there are some options on Sunday one may not expect. Throw the numbers out the window in this matchup and focus on the rivalry itself. Ten goals were scored in the last meeting, and a game stack of sorts may just seize the slate here. Goaltending is risky at best, as Andrei Vasilevskiy may get a rest.
There is a little inkling to use another higher-priced center, though Anze Kopitar is sneaky enough to consider as a backdoor option. Jonathan Huberdeau is always the stacking option with Barkov, but look at MacKenzie Weegar, whose price has stagnated and plays well defensively. This is a more dynamic and short slate today. Waiting for a few line shifts, especially with Dallas and Nashville, could pay off later.
NHL DFS Picks: Winger
Max Pacioretty (VGK vs LAK)
DraftKings – $8,400
FanDuel – $8,200
One of my favorite plays on Sunday is again Pacioretty, as he shoots at the level of an Alex Ovechkin or David Pastrnak. Now he is riding the confidence after 2 more goals against the Kings on Friday night. With a chance to hit the DraftKings shot bonus nightly, Pacioretty is well set up by Mark Stone, forming one of the most dynamic duos in the league (much like Barkov and Huberdeau).
Pacioretty’s shot volume is always solid, producing over 4 shots per game, and the shot bonus is in play — plus this is a matchup against the Kings. See if Jonathan Quick is playing, but expect the same amount of scoring chances and shots.
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Eeli Tolvanen (NSH vs DAL)
DraftKings – $3,300
FanDuel – $3,600
It is always worrisome when recommending value plays from Nashville on the back end of a back-to-back, but Tolvanen continues to impress by just getting his shot to the net. Unlike the maddening inconsistencies of Calle Jarnkrok, Tolvanen keeps improving and evolving. He had 4 shots on Saturday and saw over 17 minutes of ice time. If these trends continue, Tolvanen will stay in the upper echelon of forwards for the Predators when or if a trade deadline purge does occur.
The idea remains to explore and be aggressive. Value options are needed more than ever tonight because of the small slate. It’s a fun slate with that huge Battle of Florida matchup. However, going off the grid to the other games could be intriguing as well.
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NHL DFS Picks: Defense
MacKenzie Weegar (FLA vs TAM)
DraftKings – $4,600
FanDuel – $4,000
Weegar’s price has remained more or less stagnant on FanDuel, which is great for the entire world but also not so good on a short slate like today. He will be highly owned and ridiculously so. Yet it has to be done. This seven-game point streak may just not be a fluke as he takes over second in command defensively with Aaron Ekblad. It allows Keith Yandle to slide into a more comfortable slot. For better or for worse, Weegar is the must-play and allows one to spend upward to the top because a Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews is not on this slate.
Some still may look at Mattias Ekholm, and that is fine. While Victor Hedman has to be plugged in with some lineups, going lower on the tiers may just be more beneficial, as one can spread spending up the lineup a bit better this afternoon and evening. Think again like a playoff-slate approach.
Alec Martinez (VGK vs LAK)
DraftKings – $5,800
FanDuel – $4,500
Martinez is a good piece to play on Sunday and can be used on both DraftKings and FanDuel. His ability to hit the blocks bonus makes him valuable, even at that nearly $6,000 price tag. He has hit at least 3 blocks in three of his last four appearances and will move up and down the lines while playing all situations.
For another alternative, John Klingberg has 5 shots and 3 scoring chances in consecutive games. Nashville allowed 50 shots to Florida yesterday. Dallas needs this game and almost every game going forward. Do the math here.
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Top Goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK vs LAK)
DraftKings – $8,300
FanDuel – $8,500
The problem today is four teams are on the back end of back-to-backs, while the other two are on the front end. What does one do? Ideally, waiting as long as possible is optimal here. Fleury represents the best chance of winning, with Dallas having the second-best chance of getting a win. It again comes down to who starts. Fleury has been one of the league’s best at 36. One slight concern with Fleury is his high-danger save percentage off scoring chances. That has dipped every year for the past five seasons. His penalty-killing save percentage and even-strength percentage make up for it.
Jake Oettinger will likely start and has a great chance of winning for Dallas. Again, after Anton Khudobin started on Saturday, the expectation is Oettinger will get his turn.
Top Stacks
VGK1: Stone — Pacioretty — Stephenson
It does not matter here. One can use a defensive kicker like Martinez or even Shea Theodore for the man advantage correlation. Either way, the top Vegas line could thrive here, much like the Avalanche top line did versus Minnesota yesterday. If anyone watched that game, having a dynamic defensive group helps against teams like the Wild and even the Kings. They cannot handle that intensity. Theodore and Martinez can help bring that frenetic acceleration to the forefront.
As always, there will be some more line stacking options around warmups.
TAM3: Goodrow — Johnson — Coleman
There are probably two Tampa Bay lines in play tonight, but the third line is still rather good and sneaky. This is more for Tyler Johnson and Blake Coleman. However, one can step up to the second line with Steven Stamkos to get top-unit power-play exposure. Either way, how much gas does Florida have? Again, the expectation is for the over to hit, which should mean 7-plus goals combined between the two teams. That typically means the middle sixes will figure prominently in this game like the top lines for the respective clubs.
Several quality options should exist from this game alone.
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