NHL Daily Fantasy: AI-Powered Value Picks for April 5

Moritz Seider

Getty Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings

A six-game NHL slate on Friday is headlined by the league-leading New York Rangers (51-21-4, 106 points) taking on the Detroit Red Wings (37-30-8, 82 points), who are looking to get back inside the playoff picture.

There will be several individual performances to watch for during the matchup, and our dfsPro projections have uncovered some additional under-the-radar value picks from the rest of Friday’s games to help daily fantasy managers to fill out their rosters and remain under the salary cap.

Let’s look at some of our model’s top AI-powered value picks for today’s games!


Top Value Picks: Forwards

Max Pacioretty (LW – Washington Capitals, $3,300 on DraftKings)

dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.24, A: 0.28, S: 1.61, BLK: 0.84

Our AI-powered model projects Max Pacioretty to nearly triple his average goal potential tonight when the Washington Capitals take on his former team, the Carolina Hurricanes. Defensively, Pacioretty is expected to see significant upticks in both takeaways (230%) and blocked shots (98%) tonight against Carolina, giving him additional value as a two-way forward in daily fantasy lineups.

J.T. Compher (C – Detroit Red Wings, $3,800 on DraftKings)

dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.45, A: 0.39, S: 1.37, BLK: 0.93

With four points in his last four games, Red Wings center J.T. Compher is a steal at $3,800 on DraftKings ahead of tonight’s matchup against the Rangers. Our model projects him to outperform his averages in every offensive category tonight, including a nearly-100% increase in goal potential. Compher is also expected to see a massive 548% increase in takeaways against Detroit.

Jimmy Vesey (LW – New York Rangers, $2,500 on DraftKings)

dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.13, A: 0.17, S: 1.1, BLK: 0.45

Rangers winger Jimmy Vesey hasn’t found the scoresheet in his last nine games and has just 23 points in 74 games this season. However, his daily fantasy value lies in his defensive ability. He averages 0.46 takeaways and 0.34 blocked shots per game, but our model projects him to outperform his averages in both categories tonight against the Red Wings.

Zach Benson (LW – Buffalo Sabres, $3,000 on DraftKings)

dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.27, A: 0.26, S: 1.37, BLK: 0.61

Our model projects a 41% increase in point potential for Buffalo Sabres rookie Zach Benson tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. After an eight-game scoring drought from March 16-30, he is coming off a 2-point performance (both assists) against the Capitals on April 2. Benson also has defensive value, with a projected increase in takeaways (126%) and blocked shots (24%) against the Flyers.


Top Value Picks: Defensemen

Moritz Seider (RD – Detroit Red Wings, $5,000 on DraftKings)

dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.31, A: 0.38, S: 1.83, BLK: 2.58

Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider is a solid option for daily fantasy managers looking to add blue line scoring to their lineups. In tonight’s matchup against the Rangers, our model projects Seider’s goal potential to be nearly triple his average, leading to a 33% uptick in total point potential.

Shayne Gostisbehere (RD – Detroit Red Wings, $3,500 on DraftKings)

dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.34, A: 0.5, S: 1.5, BLK: 0.68

Our model also projects Seider’s fellow Red Wings defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere to outperform his averages in both goals (146%) and total points (28%) against the Rangers. He is also expected to see a 374% increase in takeaway potential, from 0.24 to 1.15.

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