NHL daily fantasy scoring: DraftKings and FanDuel explained

FanDuel’s NHL scoring follows the same shape: goals and assists are worth the most, shots and blocked shots both count, and a goalie win is one of the largest single scores on a slate. The exact values, roster spots and bonuses differ from DraftKings, and FanDuel can change them between seasons, so read FanDuel’s NHL scoring page before you build. Edgehalla projects FanDuel points separately from DraftKings points for that reason.

The biggest difference is variance. In season-long, a player’s bad night is one of 82. In DFS it is the whole contest, so you are choosing between safer lineups for contests where finishing in the top half is enough and more correlated, higher-ceiling lineups for large-field tournaments where only the top few finishes matter.

A single goal on DraftKings pays 8.5 to the scorer and 5 to each player credited with an assist. If all three are in your lineup, that one goal is worth 18.5 points to you. That is why most NHL DFS lineups are built around stacks: forwards from the same line, often with a defenseman from the same power-play unit.

• Line stacks: two or three forwards who play together at even strength.
• Power-play stacks: players from the same first unit, who share the most dangerous minutes of the game.
• Game stacks: players from both teams in a game expected to be high scoring.
• Bring the data, not the hunch: line-level correlation is real, but the history of one specific pair is noisy, so don’t over-read it.

Shots and blocks are the floor of a DraftKings score. Four shots alone are 6 points; a fifth adds 1.5 more plus the 3-point bonus, so the jump from four shots to five is worth 4.5 points. A defenseman with three blocked shots earns 3.9 plus the 3-point bonus, 6.9 points before he touches the puck on offense.

For goalies, 30 saves and 2 goals against in a win is 21 + 6 − 7 = 20 points; five more saves add 3.5 and the 35-save bonus. A goalie facing a heavy shot load can score well even in an overtime loss (worth 2), while a blowout loss is costly at -3.5 per goal.

1. Starting goalies. A goalie who doesn’t start scores zero, and the opposing starter changes every skater’s outlook. Wait for confirmations on late games if you can.
2. Lines and power-play units. Morning skate and warmup changes move players onto or off the first unit; a promotion at a low salary is the best value on most slates.
3. Rest and travel. Teams on the second night of a back-to-back, especially with a backup in net, give up more; the team facing them gains.
4. Shot volume against the opponent. Teams that allow a lot of shots raise every opposing skater’s floor through the 1.5-point shots and the 5-shot bonus.
5. Late scratches. Check again just before lock; a swap is cheaper than a zero.