Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 1/8/17

Welcome hockey fans to another awesome day of NHL action. On this Sunday we are blessed with a six-game slate starting at 5 p.m. ET. I am excited just thinking about all of the action packed games that we have coming up today, so let's dive right in folks.

Hockey is back and with it come our NHL projections which help inform these picks every night. When you purchase a DFSR NHL subscription to our base hockey projections you also get access to our brand new NFL DFS suite of tools including full projections, optimal NFL lineups and our Player Lab, which includes filters to help you create NFL lineups for FanDuel and DraftKings for any format. It’s a set of tools well beyond anything we’ve ever had, and something we feel will help our users *ahem* tackle the NFL season.

If you want to see the numbers behind our projections, create linueps with a single click, or research as deeply as your heart desires, click the button below to test out yourself.

GOALIES

Marc-Andre Fleury FD - $8700 DK - $8100
Opponent - TB
Proj Pts FD - 19.85 DK - 4.96

Let's start off with the French-Canadian netminder who became the starter in Pittsburgh when Matt Murray went down with another injury. Well, young man you just may be warming the bench when you come back because Fleury has been scorching hot lately. The Penguins haven't played since Christmas Eve which is great for an older goalie so that he can rest his aches and pains. Fleury has won his last four starts while earning an awesome 1.79 goals against average with a shutout. The Lightning come into town to play their third game in four nights, so they will be very tired and they have only scored three goals in their last two games. Tampa is ranked ninth in the league on offense, but a big reason they are ranked so high was when Stamkos and Callahan were healthy. They haven't been good lately so look for Fleury and the Penguins to dominate this game today and Fleury is by far my favorite play in all formats.

 

 

Corey Crawford FD - $8800 DK - $8000
Opponent - NAS
Proj Pts FD - 18.72 DK - 4.68

It is going to be hard for me to get away from Fleury today, but if you feel that he will be highly owned (which I don't think he will be because Tampa Bay will scare people,) then Crawford is a great tourney play today against the Predators who are playing their third game in four nights. Nashville is ranked 10th on offense and they fire 31 shots on net per game so Crawford could get lit up today. But this guy is still one of the best goalies in the NHL and even though he has been struggling this season by his standards, he still owns a .925 save % which isn't too shabby. He has the potential at any time to shut down the opposing team and score a boatload of fantasy points. This isn't a safe play by any means but if you are making multiple GPP lineups then Crawford is a great contrarian play today.

 

 

CENTERS

Evgeni Malkin FD - $8800 DK - $7600
Opponent - TB
Proj Pts FD - 15.95 DK - 5.05

I want to mention both Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin here but the center position is fairly deep today so I am going to choose Malkin who is $600 cheaper than Crosby on FanDuel and $800 cheaper on Draftkings. Malkin plays on the second line and the #1 PP unit in Pittsburgh and he has also been on fire lately as he two goals, four assists, and 15 shots on goal in his last four games. Tampa Bay has serious goaltending issues since Ben Bishop has been injured. They have allowed 14 goals in their last three games. Yikes!!! This game could get ugly fast as the Pens are projected to score 3.70 goals according to Las Vegas. I've never seen a projected total that high, so we want heavy exposure to the Penguins. Malkin is a great cash game play today as the Lightning are ranked 22nd on Defense and a terrific tourney play stacked with his power play line-mates against Tampa's 22nd ranked penalty kill.

Stack With: (PP) Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel, Patrick Hornqvist

 

 

Connor McDavid FD - $8600 DK - $8000
Opponent - OTT
Proj Pts FD - 14.06 DK - 4.75

Okay so I've done my research and I've come to the conclusion that we need to spend up at the center position today and go with some value players at winger. I was looking at an Oilers' winger that we could use today, but I talked to my friend who is a huge Edmonton fan and he says that they've been changing their lines like crazy lately. One thing that never changes is Connor McJesus playing on the top line and the #1 PP unit. He was concerning me lately with his lack of shots on net, but last night he fired a whopping eight shots on Kinkaid and the Devils. He also got an assist last night and has three in his last two games. He hasn't scored a goal in three games and Ottawa's defense is 11th best in the league, but superstars don't go stay off of the scoresheet for long periods of time and this could be the night that he explodes and has a huge game. McDavid is one of my favorite plays in GPP's today and I think with the fact that he's been shooting the puck more lately that he is playable in cash games as well.

Stack with: (PP) Leon Draisitl, Jordan Eberle

 

 

 

Also Consider: Artem Anisimov(CHI)

 

 

 

WINGERS

Cam Atkinson FD - $7200 DK - $7000
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 14.39 DK - 4.87

There are some guys we can think about playing and then some guys that if we think about not playing then we could be in serious trouble. Wel,l I believe that this guy falls into the latter category today as he and the Blue Jackets face off against the Flyers and their 25th ranked Defense. Columbus owns the third-best offense in the league and Atkinson plays on the #2 line (which is probably the best line,) and their #1 PP unit which is #1 in the entire NHL. Atkinson has four goals and 15 shots on goal in his last four games, and that was against the Rangers, Capitals, Oilers, and the Wild. Well sorry Philadelphia, but you're in a lower category than three quarters of those teams. Columbus should have a hay day today and Atkinson is very tough to fade in all formats.

Stack with: (PP) Nick Foligno, Alexander Wennberg

 

 

Nino Niederreiter FD - $4700 DK - $4600
Opponent - ANA
Proj Pts FD - 8.5 DK - 2.44

It just took me 30 seconds to spell this guy's name and then make sure I got it correctly. I think he's Norwegian because I think I remember his playing with Norway when they actually had a hockey team in one of the Winter Olympics recently. Anyways, the Justin Schroeder experiment on the top line failed miserably in Minnesota, so they're going back to Nemo I mean Nino to play alongside Parise and Staal. As long he plays with those talented guys, then at this price he is a great play in all formats. He has an assist and six shots on goal in his last two games and he also sees time on the #2 PP unit.

Stack with: Eric Staal, Zach Parise

 

 

Travis Konecny FD - $4400 DK - $4400
Opponent - CBJ
Proj Pts FD - 8.26 DK - 2.5

I told you that I would find you some value today folks. In order to fit both Malkin and McDavid into our lineups, we need guys like Nino and Konecny. Konecny plays on the Flyers' #2 line and #2 power play unit and has two goals, two assists, and 11 shots on goal in his last four games. That's solid production at near minimum prices across the industry. He doesn't need to do much to exceed value here and Columbus has allowed ten goals in their last two games and this will be their third game in four nights. The Flyers own the league's ninth best offense so look for them to score at least a couple of goals today. Konecny looks like a good lineup filler today in all formats.

Stack with: Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds

 

 

 

 

DEFENSEMEN

Kris Letang FD - $7100 DK - $6700
Opponent - TB
Proj Pts FD - 12.77 DK - 4.24

We have to go with the Penguins' D Man who plays on the top PP unit and since we found a ton of value at the winger position, we can fit Letang into our lineups today. Pittsburgh was not concerned with him being rusty coming back from injury as he played 25 minutes of ice time last time out, while contributing with two assists. Like I mentioned earlier, Tampa Bay is an absolute mess right now and because Letang is fully healthy again and he plays on the #1 PP with all of that amazing talent, I think he is in the no fade zone. Lock him and load him and don't think twice my friends.

 

 

Andrej Sekera FD - $4300 DK - $4600
Opponent - OTT
Proj Pts FD - 8.46 DK - 2.67

If you follow my articles regularly, (which please tell me you do or I'll cry and that's not cool,) then you will know that I like cheap D-Men who contribute everywhere and see a lot of time on the ice. Enter Sekera who had an assist last night and has six blocked shots in his last two games. He plays on the Oilers' top PP unit and he averages 22 minutes of ice time per game. Complete your cash game linups today with this guy and relax.

 

 

Also Consider: Victor Hedman(TB)

 

 

 

Hockey is back and with it come our NHL projections which help inform these picks every night. When you purchase a DFSR NHL subscription to our base hockey projections you also get accessto our brand new NFL DFS suite of tools including full projections, optimal NFL lineups and our Player Lab, which includes filters to help you create NFL lineups for FanDuel and DraftKings for any format. It’s a set of tools well beyond anything we’ve ever had, and something we feel will help our users *ahem* tackle the NFL season.

If you want to see the numbers behind our projections, create linueps with a single click, or research as deeply as your heart desires, click the button below to test out yourself.