Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 1/20/18

Hello hockey fans and welcome to another day of NHL action here at DFSR. Today, we have a huge 13-game slate split into a four-game and nine-game slate. On DraftKings, things are a little more tricky where there are two separate two-game slates in the early portion of the day. Either way, there are a ton of great plays so let's not waste any more time and dive right into the picks.

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.

GOALIE

Jonathan Bernier FD - $8000 DK - $7700
Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 15 DK - 3.75

Let's start this exciting Saturday off with Bernier who has been blazing hot lately as he's won his last seven starts in a row with only 10 goals allowed during those seven games. The Rangers are ranked 11th overall in offense, but Bernier has defeated a few offensively sound teams already during his current streak such as Dallas, Winnipeg, and the New York Islanders, so with the way he is locked in right now, he should have another huge game on home-ice today and he is my favorite goalie for the early slate.

Also Consider: Ben Bishop(DAL)

 

Main Slate

Carter Hutton FD - $8700 DK - $8300
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 14.07 DK - 3.52

With Jake Allen struggling mightily recently, this guy looks to have taken over the starting job for the Blues. The young tender has won his last two starts with only one goal allowed in each game and he is 10-3-1 this season to go along with a 1.73 GAA and a stifling .943 save %. Tonight's matchup against the Coyotes is a juicy one as they are ranked 30th overall offensively while scoring only 2.30 goals per game and the Blues are currently listed as a -220 favorite to win, so with all of these things considered, Hutton is an elite play and my top goalie in all formats.

Cam Talbot FD - $7800 DK - $7900
Opponent - VAN
Proj Pts FD - 13.9 DK - 3.48

It is going to be hard to get away from Hutton in all formats this evening, but if for some reason we need to look elsewhere, then let's take a look at Talbot. The Canucks struggle offensively as they rank 26th while scoring only 2.64 goals per game and Talbot stopped 34 of 36 shots against Vegas in his last start before the Oilers' had their week-long break. Safety is an issue here as Talbot has a reputation of being pulled very early in games, but this could be a game where he produces a ton of fantasy points. He is a high risk/high reward option which makes him the perfect fit for our tournament lineups.

 

CENTERS

Nathan MacKinnon FD - $8100 DK - $7400
Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 15.83 DK - 4.62

I don't think there is anyone playing as well as this young man is right now and fading him seems like a very dangerous proposition today. The young Canadian center has an astounding 17 points in his last eight games to give him a total of 57 in only 44 games and he has a whopping 25 shots in his last five. The Rangers are weak defensively away from New York as they are ranked 22nd in goals allowed(3.17) and dead last in shots allowed(38.4), and the Avalanche are on fire as they have won their last eight games in a row. Do yourself a favor and lock this guy into all of your lineups in every single format today.

Stack with: Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog

 

Main Slate

Connor McDavid FD - $9000 DK - $7600
Opponent - VAN
Proj Pts FD - 15.17 DK - 4.41

I am pretty sure that the Oilers have finally told "McJesus" to carry the entire team on his back and do whatever it takes to try and get his squad into the playoffs. After quite a few games where he was hardly firing any pucks on net, the young superstar has tallied 28 shots in his last six games which means that he's safe to fire up in cash games again. He also has a goal and five assists in his last three games and the Canucks allow 3.20 goals per game, which is sixth-worst in the league which gives him a very high ceiling, therefore making him an elite play in all formats

Stack with: Patrick Maroon, Leon Draisaitl

Patrice Bergeron FD - $7900 DK - $7400
Opponent - MON
Proj Pts FD - 15.35 DK - 4.62

Unless you have been living under a rock, you are aware that this guy is good at hockey and after I recommended him in my most recent article, he scored a hat-trick(which is three goals in one game) on four shots against the Islanders to give him nine goals, five assists, and 26 shots in his last eight games. That is impressive and tonight he and the Bruins square off against the Canadiens and their eighth-worst defense who they have played two games against already this week where Bergeron recorded three assists. The Bruins are firing on all cylinders, so all things considered, the superstar center is an elite play in all formats.

Stack with: Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak

Also Consider: Mathew Barzal(NYI)

WINGERS

Taylor Hall FD - $7800 DK - $7200
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 15.59 DK - 4.54

There are a few guys who are playing some great hockey lately and this guy is one of them as he has four goals, six assists, and a whopping 33 shots during his current six-game point streak. The Flyers are ranked 16th defensively, so there is no reason to worry about that aspect and the Devils are ranked seventh in offense and their powerplay unit is ranked sixth overall whiel the Flyers love to take penalties. Hall is one of the best young stars in the game, so make sure you consider him in all formats for the early slate and the all-day slate on Fanduel.

Stack with: Nico Hischier, Kyle Palmeiri(PP)

 

Main Slate

Alexander Steen FD - $5500 DK - $5200
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 10.96 DK - 3.22

Since we went to two high-priced centers for the late slate, we needed to find value at the winger position and honestly, it wasn't hard to find at all. Let's start with the veteran Swede, who although he plays on the #2 line for the Blues, he joins elite sniper, Vladimir Tarasenko on the #1 powerplay unit. Steen has found a ton of chemistry with his line-mates recently as he has two goals, an assist, and nine shots in his last two games, and the Coyotes allow 3.45 goals per game which is ranked 31st overall. He is simply too cheap on both sites, so lock and load Steen in all formats.

Stack with: Brayden Schenn, Vladimir Tarasenko(PP)

Anthony Duclair FD - $3100 DK - $3900
Opponent - NYI
Proj Pts FD - 8.2 DK - 2.37

One of my first steps in analyzing a slate is to look at the teams who are playing against the worst defensive teams, then I look at the current line setups to see if any value presents itself. Well, this guy has only played two games with his new team since being traded from the Coyotes and he already has an assist, and at today's practice, he was promoted to the #1 line and the #1 powerplay unit. This is tremendous news as the Blackhawks host the Islanders, who are ranked 31st in defense, so rostering Duclair in all formats allows us to spend up at other positions this evening.

Stack with: Jonathan Toews, Brandon Saad

Also Consider: Patrick Kane(CHI)

 

DEFENSEMEN

Dougie Hamilton FD - $5100 DK - $5300
Opponent - WPG
Proj Pts FD - 11.13 DK - 3.26

This veteran has been playing his heart out lately as he is on an impressive five-game point streak with four goals and two assists to go along with 20 shots and six blocks. Hamilton has averaged 21 minutes of ice-time this season while playing on the #2 powerplay unit as well as about half of the team's penalty kill situations, so he offers a decent amount of safety and upside that we are looking for, making him a solid play for the early slate.

 

Main Slate

Brent Burns FD - $7300 DK - $7200
Opponent - PIT
Proj Pts FD - 16.35 DK - 4.96

With the way this bearded wonder has been playing lately, we need to try very hard to fit him into our lineups every time the Sharks hit the ice. The superstar veteran has a goal, nine assists, 46 shots, and nine blocks in his last eight games, and he leads all defensemen with a whopping 190 shots on goal. The Penguins are currently without their starting goalie, so Burns and company will be licking their chops this evening, therefore making him an elite play in all formats.

Darnell Nurse FD - $4600 DK - $4000
Opponent - VAN
Proj Pts FD - 9.44 DK - 2.78

The Oilers have an easy matchup tonight and this young man been their best defenseman lately as four goals, an assist, nine shots, and nine blocks in his last four games, and the Oilers recently promoted him to the #1 powerplay unit alongside Connor McDavid and friends. He is too cheap on both sites, so fire up Nurse in all formats this evening.

Also Consider: Roman Josi(NSH), Jordan Oesterle(CHI)

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.