It is a good day for sports fans. There is a 10-game NHL DFS slate, The 2022 Masters tees off today and it is Major League Baseball opening day. With only a month left in the regular NHL season, there is going to start to be a separation between the competitive teams that are grinding out a playoff berth and the bad teams that have checked out early. Let’s unwrap the slate and highlight some of the top NHL DFS picks for Thursday, April 7. As always, subscribers should check in the Awesemo NHL Discord chat for line updates, as there is a good possibility that there will be a lot of moving parts for a small slate. Staying up to date with news is key when it comes to succeeding at fantasy hockey. Following the Twitter beat writer lists is a huge advantage for getting last-minute news and scratches outside of our premium Discord channel.
NHL DFS Picks Today, Top Stacks & Lineup Optimizer Plays
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Auston Matthews (TOR at DAL): DraftKings – $9,600 | FanDuel – $10,300
Matthews continues to dominate the National Hockey League. Over the last 10 games, the sniper is averaging just under two real points a game, and he is averaging the shot on goal bonus. Dallas has a very good top line, but their depth has struggled defensively. Over the last month, the Stars have the 22nd ranked expected goals against and they are a middling team in scoring chances and high-danger chances against at five on five. Matthews and his linemates are matchup proof as it is, and it is possible their ownership will be less than normal considering the matchup.
Barrett Hayton (ARI vs. VAN): DraftKings – $2,500 | FanDuel – $4,100
Hayton has had a tough road to the NHL after being drafted fifth overall in 2018. He was thought of as a gifted prospect, but he did not show his upside immediately. He has spent time in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners and is now back with the Coyotes. Hayton is playing on the second line, pivoting Michael Carcone and Phil Kessel. The appeal here is that Hayton does not have to do much to pay his price tag off, and he allows you to fit in the high-priced studs like Connor McDavid or your favorite stacks. Vancouver is playing on the second of a back-to-back and their defense has been very forgiving. Over the last 10 games, Vancouver has been in the bottom 10 of defensive metrics looked at for DFS.
Winger
Johnny Gaudreau (CGY at SJ): DraftKings – $7,300 | FanDuel – $9,500
Gaudreau has been a rock-solid producer for the Flames and plays on what could be one of the best lines in hockey this year. Despite playing on the second of a back, Awesemo has Gaudreau as the top projected winger tonight. He has been a point production factory with 18 points in the last 10 games while averaging over three shots a game. San Jose has played better defensively over the last 10 games, but their metrics are still weak, ranking 31st in Corsi and 25th in expected goals against at five on five. The Flames ownership will likely take a dive tonight because of the price and the back-to-back.
Gaudreau looks to be one of the better NHL picks today for fantasy hockey lineups. According to the Awesemo NHL DFS optimizer, he is one of the top projected plays. Check out all of our free NHL DFS picks today in our DraftKings NHL Cheat Sheet and FanDuel NHL Cheat Sheet when building fantasy hockey lineups tonight.
Jesper Bratt (NJ vs. MON): DraftKings – $5,900 | FanDuel – $7,100
Bratt has been one of the better stories for the Devils this year. He is averaging a point per game and has found good chemistry playing alongside Nico Hischier. Together they carry 3.51 expected goals per 60, 54.4% Corsi, 37 scoring chances and 17.5 high-danger chances. Montreal has been a turnstile defensively the entire year. Even their recent play has been awful. Over the last 10 games, Montreal ranks dead last in Corsi, expected goals against, shots against and high-danger chances. New Jersey has not been a very stout team either, but they are going to get a plethora of chances tonight. Stacking Bratt with Hischier is a very solid two-man combo. Depending on the rest of your build and salary remaining, adding even-strength linemate Yegor Sharangovich can help bring the salary down to a value filler, or you can add Dougie Hamilton to make a power play stack to attack Montreal’s poor penalty kill.
Brady Tkachuk (OTT vs. NSH): DraftKings – $5,700 | FanDuel – $7,000
Tkachuk is not under $6,000 on DraftKings very often. He has tallied multiple points in each of the last two games and has shot bonus upside. Nashville has struggled defensively over the last 10 games, ranking 24th in Corsi, 19th in expected goals against, 28th in shots against and 22nd in scoring chances against. Tkachuk has been one of the only steady contributors for the Senators and his top line has been very good at times.
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Defensemen
Sean Durzi (LA vs. EDM): DraftKings – $4,700 | FanDuel – $5,400
Durzi was given an opportunity when the Kings lost Sean Walker and Drew Doughty to injuries. He has stepped up and has been logging a ton of ice time while contributing in all facets of the game. Over the last 10 games, he is averaging almost 25 minutes of ice time and over five shots/blocks per game. He is quarterbacking the top power play as well. This game should be fast-paced and there will be plenty of chances for Durzi to chip in on the offense, while also seeing more block opportunities against an Oilers team that is taking the fourth-most shots per game over the last month.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (VAN at ARI): DraftKings – $ 3,700 | FanDuel – $4,200
If Quinn Hughes sits again tonight with his illness, Ekman-Larsson remains as a top-value blue liner. He has been playing 20 minutes on a nightly basis and without Hughes, he will quarterback the top power play unit. Arizona has been a turnstile defensively just as much as the Montreal Canadiens. The Coyotes are sporting the 30th ranked penalty kill with a 73.4% kill rate, and they are allowing the most shots against, whether it is five on five or on the penalty kill. Ekman-Larsson is on the downside of his career, but at $3,700 he makes for a fine play without Hughes.
Top NHL DFS Stacks Today
TOR 1: Bunting – Matthews – Marner
NJ 1: Hischier – Bratt – Sharangovich
*Additional Stats from Natural Stat Trick
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