NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Thursday, October 31

NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Thursday, October 31

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

Thursday has seven games scheduled, including five beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET, one starting at 8:00 p.m. ET and one getting underway at 10:30 p.m. ET. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. 

SLATE PREVIEW 

Washington (vs. Montreal), Toronto (vs. Seattle), Pittsburgh (vs. Anaheim) and Carolina (vs. Boston) are the biggest favorites on the Moneyline. Kraken-Maple Leafs, Ducks-Penguins and Oilers-Predators have the over/under set at 6.5 goals. The remainder of the matchups check in at 6.0 goals. 

GOALIES 

Lukas Dostal, ANA at PIT ($7,100): Dostal has been excellent this season, posting a 4-2-1 record with a 2.00 GAA and a .943 save percentage through seven appearances. He has made 30+ saves in five outings, and Pittsburgh (3-7-1) has struggled out of the gate this campaign. 

Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR at BOS ($8,000): Kochetkov has registered a mark of 3-1-0 this campaign, allowing 11 goals on 104 shots. He has performed well against Boston, earning a mark of 1-0-1 with a 1.95 GAA and a .938 save percentage.

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS 

Leon Draisaitl, EDM at NSH ($8,000): With Connor McDavid out due to an ankle injury, Draisaitl will be relied upon heavily to step up and should see a significant increase in ice time. The 29-year-old Draisaitl has six goals, 26 shots net and 10 points in 10 games. He has ample motivation to rebound after his six-game point streak was snapped in Monday's embarrassing loss to Columbus. 

Mikael Granlund, SJS vs. CHI ($6,500): Granlund's impressive seven-game point spree was halted in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Kings. Still, he has five goals, 12 points and 26 shots across eight games going into Thursday's matchup against Chicago. Granlund also had two helpers and two shots in two games versus the Blackhawks last season. 

Jared McCann, SEA at TOR ($5,900): McCann has supplied four goals and eight helpers during his seven-game point streak. He has three power-play points (one goal, two assists) and 14 shots over that span. McCann has three goals and six points across his last four meetings against Toronto. 

Seth Jarvis, CAR at BOS ($5,300): Jarvis has two goals, one helper and nine shots over his last three outings. He has accounted for six points through eight appearances this season. Jarvis has contributed three tallies on 18 shots while adding two assists in eight games against the Bruins.

Ryan Donato, CHI at SJS ($2,700): Donato has four goals, one helper and nine shots in his last four appearances. He could be a great bargain play on Thursday if he remains hot offensively. 

FORWARD LINE STACKS 

Maple Leafs vs. Kraken 

John Tavares (C - $6,400), Max Pacioretty (W - $3,500), William Nylander (W - $6,800) 

Tavares has contributed three goals, four assists and 24 shots during his five-game point streak. He has been held off the scoresheet on just two occasions through nine contests this campaign. Pacioretty has one goal, three helpers and eight shots in his past four appearances. Nylander has been hit or miss lately but has 10 points in eight games going into Thursday's action because of four multi-point performances. 

Toronto's second line combined for four goals and five assists in Monday's 6-4 win over Winnipeg. If the trio carries over any momentum versus Seattle, they have the potential to be a great value stack. 

Capitals vs. Canadiens 

Alex Ovechkin (W - $6,100), Aliaksei Protas (W - $3,200), Dylan Strome (C - $6,200)

Ovechkin has lit the lamp four times on 18 shots in his last five outings. Protas has seven points, including five assists, across his past seven games. Strome has failed to reach the scoresheet once through eight appearances, generating eight helpers, 11 points and 15 shots during that stretch. 

The top line of the Capitals should remain productive on Thursday. Montreal has surrendered 40 goals in 10 games this campaign. 

DEFENSEMEN 

Roman Josi, NSH vs. EDM ($8,100): Josi is due for a breakout performance after providing 15 shots on target and three blocked shots in his past three games. He had two shots, three blocks and two assists, including one on the power play, in a 4-2 loss to the Oilers on October 17. 

Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. SEA ($4,800): Rielly has two goals, one assist, 10 shots and two blocks during his three-game point spree. He possesses plenty of upside due to his category coverage. 

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.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Corey Abbott
Corey Abbott is an avid sports fan who has been writing fantasy hockey for 15-plus years.
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