NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Monday, January 20

NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Monday, January 20

This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.

Monday has nine games scheduled, including one at 1:00 p.m. ET, one at 3:00 p.m. ET, one at 4:00 p.m. ET, one at 6:00 p.m. ET, two at 7:30 p.m. ET, one at 8:30 p.m. ET, one at 9:30 p.m. ET and one at 10:30 p.m. ET. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. 

SLATE PREVIEW 

Carolina (at Chicago), Boston (vs. San Jose), Colorado (vs. Minnesota), Vegas (vs. St. Louis) and Los Angeles (vs. Pittsburgh) are the biggest favorites on the Moneyline. The over/under for Lightning-Maple Leafs is 6.5 goals. The Wild-Avalanche, Blues-Golden Knights, Blue Jackets-Islanders and Hurricanes-Blackhawks contests anticipate 6.0 goals, while the remaining games expect 5.5 goals. 

GOALIES 

Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at UTA ($8,400): Hellebuyck has stopped 88 out of 92 shots during his four-game winning streak. He earned his league-leading sixth shutout of 2024-25 during that span. He turned aside all 21 shots in a 3-0 win over Utah on Nov. 5. 

Jeremy Swayman, BOS vs. SJS ($8,100): Swayman is a solid bounce-back candidate after surrendering five goals on 44 shots in Saturday's 6-5 shootout loss to Ottawa. He made 83 saves on 88 shots in consecutive wins before Saturday's performance, and San Jose has struggled offensively this season. The Sharks sit 30th in the league in goals per game (2.54) and have scored two or fewer in five of their last six contests. 

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS 

Nathan MacKinnon, COL vs. MIN ($9,200): MacKinnon has three goals and nine assists in his last nine appearances. He has three power-play helpers, 28 shots and four multi-point efforts in that span. MacKinnon has five markers on 29 shots and seven assists in his previous five games versus Minnesota. 

Tomas Hertl, VGK vs. STL ($6,800): Hertl has four goals on 15 shots and five assists during his five-game point spree. He has one goal and three helpers on the man advantage over that period. 

Mathew Barzal, NYI vs. CBJ ($6,200): Barzal has six assists, nine points and 19 shots in his last eight outings. He has three goals and two helpers in four games entering Monday's action. Barzal has amassed eight goals, 23 points and 55 shots in 21 previous contests versus Columbus. 

Kevin Fiala, LAK vs. PIT ($6,000): Fiala has one goal, two assists and 13 shots in his last two outings. He registered 10 shots and an assist in Saturday's 4-2 loss to Seattle. Fiala has three goals, eight points and 32 shots in 11 previous meetings against Pittsburgh. 

FORWARD LINE STACKS 

Bruins vs. Sharks 

David Pastrnak (W - $8,200), Pavel Zacha (C - $5,400), Morgan Geekie (W - $5,300) 

Pastrnak has eight goals and six assists in his past eight contests. During that time, he has supplied five multi-point performances, 37 shots and three power-play points (one goal, two assists). Pastrnak has four goals and five helpers in his current three-game point streak. Zacha has produced two goals, four shots and three assists in his past two outings. Geekie has generated two goals, four points and three shots in his past three contests. 

Boston's top line should remain productive versus the Sharks on Monday. San Jose has allowed the second-most goals per game (3.44) and shots per game (32.2) this season. 

Maple Leafs vs. Lightning 

Auston Matthews (C - $8,800), Matthew Knies (W - $5,800), Mitch Marner (W - $8,000) 

Matthews has seven goals on 22 shots and five assists in his last eight appearances. He has lit the lamp four times during his three-game goal spree. Knies ended his three-game slump without a point in Saturday's 7-3 win over Montreal. He had five goals and three assists in a four-game point spree beforehand. In his past eight outings, Marner has one goal on 15 shots and 12 helpers. He has collected five assists and six shots during his current four-game point spree. 

Toronto's top line has been productive lately, especially Matthews and Marner. The trio has combined for three goals and 10 points in two games versus Tampa Bay this campaign. 

DEFENSEMEN 

Victor Hedman, TBL at TOR ($6,900): Hedman has two goals and five assists during his six-game point streak. He has two power-play helpers, 14 shots and 10 blocks in that stretch. Hedman has contributed four assists and six shots in two contests versus Toronto this season. 

Shea Theodore, VGK vs. STL ($6,500): Theodore has one goal and five assists in his four-game point spree. During that span, he has recorded 13 shots, four blocks and three power-play points (one goal and two assists). Theodore notched one goal and one helper in a 4-3 win over the Blues on Oct. 11. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Corey Abbott plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: armchair_gm, DraftKings: thenext1, Yahoo: Why.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NHL Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NHL fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Corey Abbott
Corey Abbott is an avid sports fan who has been writing fantasy hockey for 15-plus years.
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Monday, January 20
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Monday, January 20
Frozen Fantasy: When Will We Learn?
Frozen Fantasy: When Will We Learn?
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Monday, January 20
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Monday, January 20
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Sunday, January 19
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Sunday, January 19
The Week Ahead: Bench Your Devils
The Week Ahead: Bench Your Devils
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Sunday, January 19
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Sunday, January 19