FREE 03/11 NHL Cheat Sheet: Top DFS Plays

Tonight’s 11-game NHL slate offers a little bit of everything, from tight defensive matchups to potential high-scoring shootouts. The Vegas-Pittsburgh (6.5 O/U) and Nashville-San Jose (6.5 O/U) games stand out as the most DFS-friendly environments for offense, making them prime spots for stacking. Meanwhile, elite goaltending in matchups like Florida-Boston (5.5 O/U) with Jeremy Swayman and Sergei Bobrovsky or New York-Winnipeg (6.0 O/U) featuring Igor Shesterkin and Connor Hellebuyck could suppress scoring, pushing DFS players toward value plays elsewhere.

Pay attention to some intriguing goalie situations tonight as well. Andrei Vasilevskiy is back in net for Tampa Bay against Carolina’s Pyotr Kochetkov in a game with a modest 5.5 total, while Juuse Saros faces off against Alexandar Georgiev in San Jose’s leaky defense environment. With several strong power plays in action—like Colorado against Minnesota or the Rangers on the road in Winnipeg—there are plenty of ways to approach lineup construction depending on whether you’re chasing upside or looking for contrarian pivots.

Top Stacks

COL PP1 ($24,100)

Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas

The COL PP1 stack of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Martin Necas offers a strong combination of projected production and value. With a total salary of $24,100, the stack is projected for 42.3 points, resulting in a solid value of 1.76 pts/$1000. Its average ownership sits at 8.2%, which is relatively modest given its optimal lineup rate of 9.7%, indicating it is slightly underutilized relative to its potential upside. This balance of low-to-moderate ownership and above-average optimal rate makes it an appealing option in tournaments, particularly for those seeking leverage without sacrificing raw point potential.

NJD PP1 ($19,300)

Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt

The NJD PP1 stack of Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt offers a strong combination of projected production and moderate ownership for NHL DFS contests. With a total salary of $19,300, the stack is projected for 35.0 points, resulting in a value of 1.81 pts/$1000. Its average ownership sits at 6.9%, which is relatively low compared to its optimal lineup rate of 9.0%, indicating a positive leverage opportunity. This suggests the stack has a higher likelihood of appearing in optimal lineups than its ownership implies, making it an appealing choice for tournaments where differentiation is key. The PP1 designation adds further upside due to the players’ correlation on the power play unit.

FLA PP1 ($19,100)

Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett

The FLA PP1 stack, consisting of Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, and Sam Bennett, offers a projected 35.8 points at a combined salary of $19,100, resulting in a solid value of 1.87 pts/$1000. With an average ownership of 8.9% and an optimal lineup rate of 7.7%, the stack is slightly underperforming in terms of efficiency relative to ownership expectations. While its projected point total is appealing for high-upside contests, the gap between ownership and optimal rate suggests it may be moderately overplayed in tournaments. This makes it a viable but not standout option within the DFS landscape, particularly for those seeking leverage against the field.

C Plays

Top Play: Nathan MacKinnon ($9,200)

Nathan MacKinnon comes into this matchup against Minnesota in elite form, tallying 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in his last eight games. His consistent production is backed by massive shot volume, as evidenced by six shots on goal in his most recent outing. At $9,200, he’s one of the priciest options on the slate, but his combination of floor and ceiling is tough to ignore. The Wild are a solid defensive team, but MacKinnon’s involvement in all phases of Colorado’s attack—especially on the power play—makes him a strong option regardless of matchup. With a projection of 17.8 DK points and appearing in nearly 16% of optimal lineups, he’s a justifiable spend-up.

The expected ownership of 11.4% puts him on the higher end for tournaments, but it’s not prohibitive given his upside. While he won’t give you much leverage relative to the field, this chalk feels warranted considering his recent dominance and secure role as Colorado’s offensive engine. If you’re looking to differentiate elsewhere in your lineup while locking in a high-probability star performer, MacKinnon fits the bill as one of the safest plays with tournament-winning potential.

Honorable Mentions

• Jack Eichel ($8,500)
• Macklin Celebrini ($6,800)
• Aleksander Barkov ($6,300)

W Plays

Top Play: Oliver Bjorkstrand ($2,500)

Oliver Bjorkstrand ($2,500) presents an intriguing value option in tournaments tonight, ranking as the top overall GPP play at his position. With a projection of 7.53 DraftKings points and a strong 3.01x value, he’s priced well below where his potential production suggests he should be. The trade to Tampa Bay immediately elevates his supporting cast, giving him exposure to high-end playmakers like Nikita Kucherov, which could enhance both his scoring chances and overall floor. While the matchup against Carolina’s stout defense isn’t ideal, Bjorkstrand’s role in Tampa’s offensive system makes him a viable salary-saver with upside.

At 10.9% projected ownership, Bjorkstrand will be one of the chalkier punt plays on the slate, but this level of popularity seems justified given his price and situation. He appears in 7.1% of optimal lineups, suggesting he has a legitimate path to outperforming expectations despite the tougher game environment. If you’re looking for differentiation in large-field tournaments, fading him could make sense given the ownership disparity relative to others in this range. However, for single-entry or smaller contests, his combination of price, opportunity, and potential ceiling is tough to ignore at this salary point.

Honorable Mentions

• David Pastrnak ($8,600)
• Kyle Connor ($7,800)
• Alex Ovechkin ($8,400)

D Plays

Top Play: Seth Jones ($4,500)

Seth Jones ($4,500) presents an interesting value option on tonight’s slate despite a tough matchup against Boston. His projected 9.76 DraftKings points and solid 2.17x value make him one of the better mid-range defensemen to consider, especially given his strong peripheral stats. Jones logged over 22 minutes in his Florida debut, contributing with shots and blocks while playing a top-four role. While he isn’t currently on Florida’s top power-play unit, he remains a secondary option with the man advantage, which keeps his ceiling intact in a game where Florida may need to generate offense from its blue line.

The biggest concern with Jones is his relatively high ownership at 12.5%, which is well above the field average for defensemen. While this chalk could be warranted given his price and steady floor from blocked shots and shot volume, it does limit his appeal as a tournament play unless you’re confident in leveraging him alongside lower-owned stacks. In cash games, though, his combination of ice time, peripheral production, and affordability makes him a strong consideration despite the challenging matchup against Boston’s stout defensive structure.

Honorable Mentions

• Cale Makar ($8,000)
• Zach Werenski ($7,600)
• Jake Sanderson ($6,600)

G Plays

Top Play: Andrei Vasilevskiy ($7,600)

Andrei Vasilevskiy ($7,600) offers an intriguing mix of value and upside in a tough road matchup against Carolina. While the Hurricanes rank 11th in goals per game (3.19), Vasilevskiy has historically excelled against this team, boasting a stellar .930 save percentage and 2.21 GAA over 23 career meetings. His recent form has been somewhat uneven—posting a .897 save percentage in March—but his overall skillset and favorable career numbers against Carolina make him a viable option, especially given his strong projection (13.8 DK points) and 1.81x value at this salary.

At 9.2% ownership, Vasilevskiy is among the chalkier goalie options on the slate, but the popularity is warranted given his combination of price point and ceiling potential. He appears in nearly 10% of optimal lineups, reflecting his ability to deliver in high-leverage spots despite the challenging matchup. For tournaments, he’s a solid play if you’re comfortable eating some ownership at goalie to lock in stability with upside. However, given Tampa Bay’s recent inconsistency defensively, he may not be an ideal fit for riskier builds prioritizing contrarian leverage elsewhere.

Honorable Mentions

• Connor Hellebuyck ($7,900)
• Darcy Kuemper ($7,900)
• Jeremy Swayman ($7,200)

Good luck! Make sure to check the Lineup Optimizer for latest updates before lock. Visit DFS Hero for our full suite of DFS tools including the Lineup Optimizer, Contest Simulator, Player Projections, and Ownership Projections. Use code HEROPLAY15 to get 15% off your first month!