NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Top Plays and Strategy for Thursday, December 11

DraftKings' NHL Thursday DFS slate includes value play Beckett Sennecke, who offers considerable bang for the buck when the Ducks take on the Islanders.
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Top Plays and Strategy for Thursday, December 11

Thursday has 13 games scheduled, including seven at 7 p.m. ET, three at 8 p.m. ET, two in the 9-9:30 p.m. ET slot and one at 10 p.m. ET. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of the DraftKings Sportsbook. 

SLATE PREVIEW 

Colorado (vs. Florida), Edmonton (vs. Detroit), Toronto (vs. San Jose), Winnipeg (vs. Boston) and Vegas (at Philadelphia) are the biggest favorites on the Moneyline. The Over/Under for Senators-Blue Jackets, Ducks-Islanders, Canadiens-Penguins, Sharks-Maple Leafs, Red Wings-Oilers, Panthers-Avalanche and Sabres-Canucks is 6.5 goals. The Hurricanes-Capitals, Blues-Predators and Bruins-Jets matchups anticipate 6.0 goals being scored, while the remainder of the contests expect 5.5 goals. 

GOALIES 

Logan Thompson, WSH vs. CAR ($7,500): Thompson has won five of his last six outings, posting a 5-0-1 record with a 1.32 GAA and a .955 save percentage. He has a challenging matchup for Thursday's slate, but he carries solid value as a result. Thompson also made 30 saves in a 4-1 win over Carolina on Nov. 11.

Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. BUF ($7,400): Demko could play for the first time since Nov. 11 against the Sabres after recovering from a lower-body injury. Before getting hurt against Winnipeg, he had a 5-4-0 record with a 2.57 GAA and a .912 save percentage in nine appearances.  

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS 

Kyle Connor, WPG vs. BOS ($7,600): Connor has notched four goals, five assists and 22 shots on net during his six-game point streak. He has three multipoint efforts during that span. 

Carter Verhaeghe, FLA at COL ($5,600): Verhaeghe has amassed seven goals and 13 points in his last seven games. Since becoming a father, he has five goals on 15 shots and two assists during a four-game point streak. 

Beckett Sennecke, ANA at NYI ($3,700): Sennecke has picked up at least one point in 11 of his last 12 outings, collecting four goals, 10 assists and 27 shots over that stretch. He has supplied one goal and one assist in each of the past three games, giving him considerable bang for the buck upside. 

FORWARD LINE STACKS 

Penguins vs. Canadiens 

Sidney Crosby (C - $7,200), Bryan Rust (W - $6,300), Thomas Novak (W - $3,400) 

Entering Thursday night's action, Crosby has registered six goals, 10 points and 19 shots in eight games. He has failed to earn at least one point only once in past six outings. Rust had three goals and three assists during a four-game point streak before going three straight outings without finding the scoresheet. However, he had six shots on target in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout loss to Anaheim. Novak has produced three tallies, four helpers and 11 shots in his last six appearances, including three goals and two assists over his four-game point spree. 

Pittsburgh's top line is a blend of riding hot play and bounce-back appeal for Thursday's slate. Crosby also had two goals and five points in three games against the Canadiens last season, while Rust had three markers and one helper in two appearances. Montreal has allowed the second-most goals per game (3.55) in the league this campaign. Pittsburgh's top-ranked power play could also take advantage of the Canadiens' 26th-ranked penalty kill. 

Senators at Blue Jackets

Brady Tkachuk (W - $7,500), Dylan Cozens (C - $4,300), Drake Batherson (W - $5,700)  

Tkachuk has one goal, five assists and 27 shots following his return to the lineup from thumb surgery. Cozens has one tally, two helpers and six shots in the last three games. Batherson has netted four goals on 15 shots while adding an assist in his past four contests. 

Ottawa's second line has been getting it together, and the trio should have plenty of opportunities to keep the ball rolling on Thursday. Columbus has surrendered the most shots per game (31.5) and the seventh-most goals per game (3.40) this year. 

DEFENSEMEN 

Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at VAN ($6,100): Dahlin has accumulated one goal, five assists, 10 shots and three blocks over a three-game point spree. He has provided four goals and 14 points in 11 previous regular-season outings against the Canucks.

Miro Heiskanen, DAL at MIN ($6,000): Heiskanen has three goals, two assists, 10 shots and eight blocks during his four-game point streak. He contributed an assist and had three shots on goal in a 5-2 win over the Wild on Oct. 14.  

Axel Sandin-Pellikka, DET at EDM ($3,200): Sandin-Pellikka has generated one goal, four assists, three shots and seven blocks across his four-game point streak. He also has two helpers on the man advantage during that span. The 20-year-old defender could be a solid value play if he continues to produce offensively. 

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