FREE 04/22 NHL Cheat Sheet: Top DFS Plays

Tonight’s 4-game NHL DFS slate offers a mix of tight matchups and intriguing goalie situations, with all four games sitting at a modest 5.5 total. The Devils head to Carolina in the early game, where Frederik Andersen will look to hold off a New Jersey team that can generate plenty of offensive chances. On the flip side, Jacob Markstrom will need to be sharp against a balanced Hurricanes attack, making this game an interesting spot for DFS decisions.

Later on, the Panthers-Lightning game stands out as one to watch, with Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky squaring off in net. Tampa Bay’s home ice and strong power play could give them the edge in a lower-scoring slate like this. Meanwhile, the late-night Wild-Golden Knights matchup features two solid goalies in Filip Gustavsson and Adin Hill but could still provide sneaky value if either team’s offense breaks through. With limited options tonight, finding the right stacks and leveraging ownership will be key.

Top Stacks

TOR PP1 ($23,200)

Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner

The TOR PP1 stack of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner carries a projected total of 40.5 points with a value of 1.75 pts/$1000, making it a strong high-salary option in terms of raw production. With an average ownership of 17.6% and an optimal lineup rate of 17.7%, the stack is efficiently owned relative to its chances of being part of the best lineup, indicating neither significant leverage nor excessive chalk risk. This combination of elite point potential and balanced ownership-to-optimal rate ratio makes it a viable choice for both cash games and tournaments, depending on roster construction needs.

TBL PP1 ($22,200)

Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, Victor Hedman

The TBL PP1 stack of Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, and Victor Hedman offers a strong projected points total of 37.6 with a solid value of 1.69 pts/$1000 on a $22,200 salary. While the average ownership is moderate at 15.1%, its optimal lineup rate of 14.4% indicates it is slightly less likely to appear in the top lineups compared to its ownership level, suggesting it may be slightly over-owned in tournaments. As a power-play unit stack, it consolidates high upside from correlated scoring opportunities, but the data reflects only modest leverage potential relative to its popularity in contests.

MIN PP1 ($20,500)

Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek

The Minnesota PP1 stack of Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Joel Eriksson Ek offers a strong combination of projected production and value for DFS lineups. With a total salary of $20,500, the stack is projected to score 35.3 points, yielding a solid value of 1.72 points per $1000 spent. Its average ownership rate of 12.3% suggests it will be moderately popular in tournaments, but its optimal lineup rate of 14.1% indicates that it has a slightly positive leverage score, making it an efficient choice relative to its expected usage. This stack’s power-play correlation enhances its ceiling potential while maintaining competitive efficiency metrics for both value and lineup optimization.

C Plays

Top Play: Auston Matthews ($9,000)

Auston Matthews ($9,000) is in a prime spot against the Senators, making him a top priority for DFS lineups. With a projection of 16.89 DraftKings points and appearing in 26.5% of optimal lineups, Matthews offers both a high floor and ceiling thanks to his elite shot volume and power play role on Toronto’s top unit. Ottawa’s defensive struggles—particularly on the penalty kill—further enhance his upside in this matchup. While his salary is steep, his ability to consistently generate scoring chances makes him one of the safest plays at center, especially given his recent production.

The ownership (25.6%) is high, but it’s justified given Matthews’ combination of value (1.88x) and game environment. Toronto’s offense has been clicking, and Matthews remains at the center of it all with significant ice time and top-line exposure. While he may not provide leverage in tournaments, fading him comes with risk due to his massive ceiling in what projects to be an up-tempo game against Ottawa. If you’re building around chalk, Matthews is an excellent cornerstone for both cash games and GPPs.

Honorable Mentions

• Jack Eichel ($7,700)
• Sebastian Aho ($6,300)

W Plays

Top Play: Seth Jarvis ($6,100)

Seth Jarvis ($6,100) stands out as a strong option on tonight’s slate, even with his elevated ownership at 15.2%. Slated to skate on Carolina’s top line and first power-play unit, Jarvis benefits from a favorable role against a Devils team that can struggle with high-paced offensive attacks. His 32 goals and 204 shots across the season highlight his ability to generate scoring chances, while his projection of 11.25 DK points and inclusion in 16.4% of optimal lineups underscore his solid floor and ceiling combination at this price point. The value of 1.84x further reinforces his viability, especially given the high-event nature of this matchup.

While Jarvis’ ownership is higher than average, it feels justified given his role and production. The Hurricanes are in a good spot offensively against New Jersey, making him a chalky but reasonable play for both cash games and tournaments. If you’re looking to differentiate in GPPs, you may want to pair him with lower-owned teammates or consider fading him for leverage—but with his projection and consistent top-line deployment, he remains one of the better mid-range options on the slate.

Honorable Mentions

• Nikita Kucherov ($8,800)
• Kirill Kaprizov ($8,000)

D Plays

Top Play: Jake Sanderson ($5,700)

Jake Sanderson ($5,700) offers an intriguing mix of floor and upside in his matchup against the Maple Leafs. His power-play production stands out—he’s one of just 18 defensemen to log 30+ power-play points this season—and Toronto’s penalty kill has been inconsistent, sitting in the middle of the league rankings. Sanderson’s ability to contribute across multiple categories (195 shots and 163 blocks this season) gives him a solid base, and his 15.7% optimal lineup rate underscores his potential to be a difference-maker at this salary. While the matchup isn’t soft, his heavy usage (28+ minutes last game) makes him a strong play for tournaments.

At 12.7% projected ownership, Sanderson is slightly chalky but not overwhelmingly so. Given his ability to hit value at nearly 2x and his seventh-place rank among tournament options, this ownership level feels justified in a high-leverage spot like this. The game environment also works in his favor—the Senators will likely lean on their top players heavily against Toronto’s high-powered offense, creating plenty of opportunities for Sanderson to rack up points on both ends of the ice. If you’re looking for a mid-range defenseman with multi-category upside, Sanderson checks all the boxes tonight.

Honorable Mentions

• Victor Hedman ($6,000)
• Shea Theodore ($5,200)

G Plays

Top Play: Frederik Andersen ($8,200)

Frederik Andersen ($8,200) stands out as a strong tournament option in goal against the Devils. Coming off a stellar Game 1 performance where he stopped 23 of 24 shots in a 4-1 win, Andersen appears locked into the Hurricanes’ crease for this series. While New Jersey’s offense is no pushover, ranking among the league’s best in scoring chances during the regular season, Carolina’s structured defensive system helps limit high-danger opportunities. Andersen’s projected 13.34 DK points and appearance in 18.86% of optimal lineups suggest he has both a solid floor and ceiling at this salary.

At 13.7% projected ownership, Andersen isn’t exactly sneaky but also isn’t overly chalky given his position as the top-ranked goalie for tournaments. The moderate ownership makes sense considering his strong value (1.63x) and recent form, especially with Carolina favored at home. This isn’t a risk-free play given New Jersey’s offensive firepower, but the combination of matchup, workload security, and optimal lineup rate makes him an appealing option for GPPs if you’re willing to spend up at goalie.

Honorable Mentions

• Andrei Vasilevskiy ($7,800)
• Filip Gustavsson ($7,000)

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