Welcome back hockey fans. We have another busy night in the National Hockey League with nine games which include five teams(WSH, ARI, CBJ, VEG, VAN) all playing the second of back to back games and their third game in four nights. Let's jump in and take a look at some of the top plays at each position.
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 lineups with a single click, or research as deeply as your heart desires, click the button below to test out yourself.
Opponent - VAN
Proj Pts FD - 19.02 DK - 4.76
We always try and start off with an option that is not only safe in cash games but also has some upside. Enter Mike Smith of the Flames who has been one of the best goalies in the league this season with a .931 save % and despite giving up four goals in his last start, has won three straight and four of his last five and has been facing an average of 33.4 shots per game. Tonight he gets an excellent home matchup as the Flames are big -180 favorites as the Canucks come to the Saddledome having lost three of their last four games and are playing on back to back nights and their third game in four nights.
Opponent - ANA
Proj Pts FD - 16.78 DK - 4.19
The only reason Jonathan Quick comes in as option two here is the road matchup and price on FanDuel. He has been an elite option all season as he sits second in the league with a .939 save % and has been one of the main reasons the Kings rank #1 in defense this season. He not only provides a safe floor but also gives us a ton of upside as he has also faced 33+ shots per game this season. Despite the road matchup, he faces a Ducks team that has been punchless without captain Ryan Getzlaf having lost three straight games scoring just four total goals.
Also Consider: Pekka Rinne(NSH) as a GPP option on DraftKings at a value price
Opponent - EDM
Proj Pts FD - 17.96 DK - 5.08
One of the premier matchups of the night comes from Long Island where Connor McDavid will face off against John Tavares. Both the Oilers and Islanders sport bottom tier defenses allowing 3+ goals per game making it nearly impossible to fade both of them tonight. For cash games, I think the decision is easy with Johnny T who comes at a discount on both sites and comes in scorching hot with points in four straight and six of his last seven games(15 total) including five multi-point efforts. Aside from the high ceiling, he also provides a stable floor with 3.4 shots on goal per game. In tournament formats, I would also consider game stacking with both superstars.
Stack with: Anders Lee
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 14.34 DK - 4.26
The Penguins offense has been tough to trust this season as they rank 26th overall(2.6 goals per game) but they will be nearly impossible to avoid tonight in an elite matchup. They are at home facing a 2-12-1 Coyotes team that ranks 30th in defense and is one of just two teams to allow over four goals per game. In cash games, I will be leaning on Malkin as he has not only outperformed Crosby this season(3.8 DK/14.1 FD) but he also comes at a discount on both sites. Pair him with his linemate Kessel in cash games and add Crosby or Hornqvist in GPP's as they all skate together on the top powerplay unit.
Stack with: Phil Kessel, Sidney Crosby(PP), Patric Hornqvist(PP)
Opponent - VEG
Proj Pts FD - 10.53 DK - 2.96
For value at the position, I will be once again turning to Phillip Danault who leads all Habs centers with 10 points on the season thanks to a hot streak where he has recorded nine points in his last nine games. During that nine-game stretch, he has also seen an uptick in shot volume as he has averaged three shots on goal per game and is getting just under a 1:30 in powerplay ice-time. All things considered, he is a safe play in all formats that helps us get multiple high-priced stars in our lineups.
Stack with: Max Pacioretty
Opponent - VAN
Proj Pts FD - 14.86 DK - 4.29
Just like Sunday, it's another day of the Johnny's and it's Gaudreau leading off the winger section. He has been the straw that stirs the Flames drink this season and he comes in red hot(no pun intended) with points in four straight and eight of his last nine games and now sits tied for sixth overall in the league with 18. There are couple factors at play that keep him a GPP only play tonight starting with the fact the shot volume isn't where I would like(2.4 per game) and he is also facing a Canucks team that ranks Top 5 in defense. The good news is that the Canucks have lost three of their last four games and are now playing on back to back nights.
Stack with: Sean Monahan, Michael Ferland
Opponent - FLA
Proj Pts FD - 13.71 DK - 3.98
If it's the shot volume and safety you are after give strong consideration to Skinner tonight as he seemingly has everything going his way. First of all, he has fired 38 shots on goal over his last 10 games and is averaging over 3.5 per game on the season. The offensive production is a little inconsistent but he has seven goals in 12 games and gets an elite matchup at home vs. the Panthers who rank dead last in defense allowing 4.2 goals per game. Tonight, Skinner is safe in all formats.
Stack with: Jordan Staal, Elias Lindholm
Opponent - NJ
Proj Pts FD - 9.51 DK - 2.69
For value tonight, I will be turning to Sobotka who has impressed as he is skating in a top-six role with the Blue this season. He has been getting around 17 minutes of ice-time per game and could get some extra run tonight as Vladimir Tarasenko left practice early on Monday after exiting last Saturday's game vs. Toronto with an injury. He isn't going to give us a high floor with just 26 shots on goal this season but he does offer a nice price and has scored in three of his last four games. The Devils have also flipped this season and have as strong offense but the defense has taken a step back as they rank 20th at the moment(3.2 goals per game).
Stack with: Paul Stastny, Alexander Steen
DEFENSEMEN
Opponent - VEG
Proj Pts FD - 14.58 DK - 4.43
After starting off the season with just one point in his first five games, Weber has come on strong with 10 points in his last 10 games. In that time, he has also added a balance of shots(37) and blocks(29) giving him an elite floor and making him one of the more consistent options for fantasy at any position. Tonight, the Habs get a top matchup vs. the Vegas Golden Knights as they are playing back to back games and a third game in four nights on the road. Weber is an elite play in all formats.
Opponent - NJ
Proj Pts FD - 10.4 DK - 3.04
This is not the first time he has been mentioned in our articles and it surely won't be the last. We love our value defensemen here at DFSR and Edmundson's salary continues to ride in the $4K range making him a great play in all formats. He provides us an elite floor as he leads the league with 47 blocked shots(2 or more in all but two games) and has even flashed some offensive upside lately with four points in his last six games.
Also Consider: John Carlson(WSH), Alec Martinez(LAK)
Hockey is back and with it comes 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.
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