Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel - 5/5/16

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Welcome back for another night of daily fantasy hockey, playoff edition. The Western Conference playoffs roll on as both series enter the pivotal swing game. The St. Louis Blues lead the Dallas Stars 2-1 while the San Jose Sharks lead the Nashville Predators 2-1. The Sharks, Blues, and Predators will continue to roll out the same goalie while there is no word yet who is starting for the Stars.

If you have any questions throughout the day be sure to join the conversation in the comments section below. Also, be sure to check LeftWingLock to get confirmation on all of the starting goalies for Tuesday. Now onto the picks.

 

Goaltenders

Martin Jones
Opponent - NAS
FD - 9000 DK - 8100

The Predators came out flying in game three and proved too much for the Sharks. The game was close and within a goal the entire game until late in the third when the Preds pulled away for good. Jones hasn't been great in the playoffs but he has done enough to earn six wins to this point as the Sharks have limited the Kings and Predators to only 220 shots in eight games played. He was terrific on the road in the regular season with 22-7 record and a .925 save percentage. Look for the Sharks to bounce back tonight in a big way as they try and take control of the series.

Kari Lehtonen
Opponent - STL
FD - 8200 DK - 7700

If you are looking to take a GPP shot tonight, Lehtonen is the cheapest of the four goalies on the slate giving you some extra room for your skaters. After being benched in game three in favor of Anti Niemi, he was forced to take over in the second period as the Blues were all over Niemi and scored three goals on 12 shots. Lehtonen wasn't great after coming in but did stop 24 of 27 shots in cleanup duty. No word yet who is starting but my guess is on Lehtonen who has been the far better option throughout the playoffs. Don't risk it in cash games but he makes a great GPP play.

 

 

 

CENTER

Logan Couture
Opponent - NAS
FD - 7000 DK - 6200

Couture is tied with Joe Pavelski and sits just one point behind Brent Burns for team lead in the playoffs. His point streak was broken last game after recording eight points in four straight games. He centers the second line of Joonas Donaskoi and Joel Ward who provide tremendous stacking value at a minimal cost. He also gets top minutes on the Sharks dangerous powerplay which ranks 3rd(26.7%) in the playoffs. Safe in all formats.

 

Cody Eakin
Opponent - STL
FD - 4000 DK - 4300

Eakin has provided some excellent punt value playing on the first line for the Stars in the absence of Tyler Seguin. He is right around the $4K price range on both sites and has already recorded seven points in nine games played. He doesn't provide the best shot volume as he plays the role of setup man with linemates Jamie Benn and Patrick Sharp taking care of the scoring. On a short slate you are going to need one or two of these low priced payers to get the top guys in your lineup. Start with Eakin.

Stack with  - Jamie Benn, Patrick Sharp

 

 

WINGERS

Vladimir Tarasenko
Opponent - DAL
FD - 8800 DK - 7800

He broke out of his mini three game slump in last game with a goal and two assists in a Blues 6-1 destruction of the Stars. He is the most talented goal scorer on the team and when he is on, he provides tremendous value in any format. He has the shot volume(8 last game) to provide a safe floor for cash games and the multi point upside to win a GPP. Look for the Blues to once again come out flying and take advantage of the Stars and their shaky defense and goaltending.

Stack with - Jori Jehtera, Jaden Schwartz

 

Tomas Hertl
Opponent - NAS
FD - 5500 DK - 5200

He provides a nice salary relief in the mid $5K price range and offers exposure to the Sharks top line. He has picked up points in two of his last three games while firing 10 shots on goal. Although Logan Couture gets the majority of the PP time on the first unit, Hertl still provides some value with the man advantage playing over 1:30 per game between both PP units.

Stack with - Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski

 

DEFENSE

Kevin Shattenkirk
Opponent - DAL
FD - 5400 DK - 6900

It is very possible to fit Brent Burns in your lineups tonight but I prefer to pivot off and save some salary. Shattenkirk will be my top overall D man on the slate and is coming in with a three game point streak. In those games he has recorded four points with three coming with the man advantage. He provides safety with shot volume as he has tallied two or more shots in all but one playoff game to this point.

 

Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Opponent - NAS
FD - 5100 DK - 4900

Vlasic has provided terrific value on the point for the Sharks in these playoffs. He isn't a high upside offensive player like Burns but he will give you a safe floor with shots and blocks(DK Bonus). He has picked up three points in his last six games with a total of 12 shots and 20 blocks.

 

Also Consider - Brenden Dillon(Min Price Punt Play on DraftKings)

 

 

Daily Updates Below:

 

IT'S GAME DAY!

Stars take on the Blues in Game 4 tonight at 7 on NBCSN.
Preview:https://t.co/PteHISclD7#NHL17Benn pic.twitter.com/Wuxa5jhMV7

— #NHL17Benn (@DallasStars) May 5, 2016

Game 3 in 60 seconds. #SJSvsNSHhttps://t.co/W9maBHyi8J

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) May 5, 2016

***All advanced stats in this article are sourced from www. puckalytics.com***

***All goaltender and team line combination information is provided by www.leftwinglock.com***

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