COVID protocol has been making a strong onset through the NHL in the past week or so. Keeping an eye on new is imperative to succeeding at NHL DFS. Following this list of Twitter beat writer is a huge advantage for getting last minute news and scratches. This Power Play article will use Awesemo’s Premium NHL Tools to help dole out the NHL DFS advice to help with building lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel tonight. The Awesemo NHL projections and ownership projections are two of the best tools to utilize when constructing stacks and making the optimal NHL DFS picks. Let’s go position by position and pinpoint some of the top plays and stacks for Thursday, Jan. 6.
NHL DFS Picks, Top Stacks & Lineup Optimizer Plays
Center
Nathan MacKinnon (COL vs. WPG): DraftKings – $9,500 | FanDuel – $10,200
MacKinnon kept his 11-game point streak alive on Tuesday against the Blackhawks. He assisted Cale Makar in one of the best goals of the year. MacKinnon has hit the shot-on-goal bonus in six of the last eight games while averaging 1.6 real points over the last 10 games. MacKinnon is a volume shooter, but he has trouble finding the back of the net. What he does playmaking ability wise makes up for his shooting percentage, though. He is involved in almost all the goals scored on his line and on power plays, so it is wise to use MacKinnon as a stack.
MacKinnon is one of the top options popping up in the Awesemo NHL lineup optimizer. For all of Awesemo’s free NHL DFS picks tonight, check out the DraftKings NHL cheat sheet and FanDuel NHL cheat sheet.
Jack Hughes (NJ vs. CBJ): DraftKings – $5,900 | FanDuel – $7,800
Hughes’ returned from the COVID/holiday break playing phenomenal hockey. In the four games since returning, he has tallied 9 points while averaging 4.5 shots per game. The Devils need him to continue that pace to be the face of the franchise. COVID has struck the Devils locker room, though, with linemate Yegor Sharangovich entering protocol. The matchup against Columbus does not get much better on paper. The Jackets carry the sixth-worst team Corsi, and over the last 10 games they have ranked in the bottom three of every advanced metric used for NHL DFS. Stacking Hughes up with Jesper Bratt is a smart decision, as they both correlate on the top power play. Over the last 10 games, Columbus is dead last in goals against and 31st in expected goals against.
Winger
Jake Guentzel (PIT at PHI): DraftKings – $7,300 | FanDuel – $9,500
Guentzel continued his point streak to 15 games last night against the Blues with two assists. He has become one of the most consistent point producers for the Penguins, and it helps to get fed by one of the best pivots in the game in Sidney Crosby. Guentzel is averaging 4.5 shots on goal over the last 10 games, and that should continue tonight, even on the back end of a back-to-back. The Flyers have four players in COVID protocol, and they are still missing two of their best players in Sean Couturier and Ryan Ellis. The Penguins top line is going to get plus matchups for most of the night, even if they see the Kevin Hayes line for the majority. Philadelphia ranks dead last in expected goals against, and dead last in scoring chances against and high-danger chances allowed. It could be a long night for the Flyers.
Jonathan Marchessault (VGK at NYR): DraftKings – $7,000 | FanDuel – $7,300
After the Golden Knights lost Max Pacioretty to a wrist injury and Mark Stone, Marchessault has picked up where they left off. Marchessault is averaging four shots a game over the last 10, and he fully correlates on the top power play with his linemates. The Rangers have been bailed out by good goaltending for the majority of the year. They rank 32nd in team Corsi, 24th in expected goals against, and 26th in scoring chances allowed and high-danger chances allowed. With the pace at which Vegas plays, Marchessault and company will get plenty of chances to light the lamp tonight.
Martin Frk (LAK vs. NSH): DraftKings – $2,500 | FanDuel – $3,000
Frk is one of Awesemo’s NHL DFS dandies. He has a howitzer of a shot, and he is not afraid to fire it off when he can. He received the call back up to the NHL because the Kings are dealing with a rash of COVID protocols. Frk will be playing on the top line alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. All three will also fully correlate on the top power play, with Frk manning the point. Frk broke the record for the hardest shot in the AHL All-Star game in 2020, with a recorded speed of 109.2 mph. If he can let a couple bombs go off from the point, he should not have any issue paying that min price tag off.
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Defensemen
Kris Letang (PIT at PHI): DraftKings – $6,300 | FanDuel – $6,700
Letang has received a price drop on full slate nights, down from $7,100. He is playing 27 minutes a night on a regular basis, in all situations. Over the last 10 games, he has averaged five shots/blocks per game while chipping in 12 points. Flyers are in distress with their COVID situations and missing two of their best players. Finally, over the last month, Philadelphia is giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing defensemen per game.
Rasmus Dahlin (BUF vs. SJ): DraftKings – $4,500 | FanDuel – $5,400
Dahlin makes for a solid mid ranged play tonight. He has averaged 25 minutes of ice time nightly. Over the last 10 games, Dahlin has averaged just under five shots/blocks per game while chipping in 6 points. Using Dahlin as an add-in for a stack with Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson keeps the top line and fully correlated stack very affordable as a secondary filler. San Jose has been in the bottom 10 in shots and chances allowed over the last month and could make for a good value play.
Value Punt Defensemen: Adam Boqvist (PP1), Ty Smith (PP1), Oliver Kylington (PP2)
Top NHL DFS Stacks
COL 1: Gabriel Landeskog – Nathan MacKinnon – Mikko Rantanen
Gamers will have to pay a premium for the Avalanche top line tonight, but they carry one of the top leverage scores on the slate. The reasoning is their price, and people tend to stay away from full stacking the entire line. The Avalanche top line is one of the best lines in hockey. Combined they carry a 64% Corsi, 3.19 expected goals per 60, and create 37 shots and over 13 high-danger chances. They fully correlate on the top power play and get a good matchup against the Jets top line. Winnipeg’s top line has good offensive numbers, but they give up a ton of chances on the other end, with 2.98 expected goals against. Add in the fact that Winnipeg’s penalty kill is the fourth worst in the league, and this is a great matchup.
*Additional Data from Natural Stat Trick
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