Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 4/1/18

Hello hockey fans and welcome to another day of NHL action here at DFSR. Today, we have five games on tap for us with almost half of the teams playing on consecutive nights so it should be an entertaining day to say the least. Let's take a look at some picks, shall we?

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

John Gibson FD - $9000 DK - $8000
Opponent - COL
Proj Pts FD - 18.05 DK - 4.51

Today is rough at the goalie position but this guy stands up above the rest. The young tender is 6-1-1 in his last eight games while allowing 15 goals during that span and he allowed only a single goal against the Kings in his last outing. The Avalanche are ranked 17th in offense but the Ducks are a better team overall and they are listed as -160 favorites this evening so all things considered, Gibson is the only goalie that I'm considering and he is a solid play in all formats.

CENTERS

Brayden Point FD - $6500 DK - $5600
Opponent - NAS
Proj Pts FD - 12.44 DK - 3.54

This is another difficult position today so it makes sense to dip down a bit in the player pool and I landed on the former Moose Jaw Warrior, who scored two goals on five shots last game after being held pointless in his last two. Point also has three goals, three assists, 17 shots, and six blocks in his last five games while centering the #2 line and the #2 powerplay unit for the league's #1 offense. The Predators own a top 5 defense but they allowed seven goals to the Sabres last night with both goalies getting peppered with shots so Point is a great GPP play and can be considered in cash games as well.

Stack with: Tyler Johnson, Yanni Gourde

Nicklas Backstrom FD - $6600 DK - $6000
Opponent - PIT
Proj Pts FD - 13.46 DK - 3.91

I love watching the Capitals and Penguins play as it is one of the biggest rivalries in recent history and they score a pile of goals almost every time they meet. Backstrom centers the #2 line and he plays with Alex Ovechkin and company on the #1 powerplay unit and he has eight assists in his last four games. While he isn't safe for cash games as he only averages two shots per game, he is one of my favorite GPP plays today in what should be a high-scoring affair.

Stack with: T.J. Oshie, Alex Ovechkin(PP), Evegeny Kuznetsov(PP)

Also Consider: Sidney Crosby(PIT)

WINGERS

Taylor Hall FD - $8300 DK - $7600
Opponent - MON
Proj Pts FD - 16.9 DK - 4.91

Finally, we have arrived at the winger position, which is easily my favorite position of the day. This young superstar is almost a must play for us on a large slate so when we have a small slate like this, he is a very dangerous fade especially against the Habs and their seventh-worst defense. Hall had two goals on six shots last night and he is on a seven-game point-streak where he has five goals, seven assists, and 32 shots. He also has 88 points in 73 games and an elite 3.7 shot per game average so lock him into your lineups in all formats and fade at your own risk.

Stack with: Nico Hischier, Kyle Palmieri(If he isn't injured)

Patric Hornqvist FD - $6400 DK - $6100
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 14.81 DK - 4.34

Here is another piece of the puzzle for the Pens/Caps game and this guy is my favorite play of them all. He scored a goal on four shots last night and he has three goals and two assists during his current four-game point streak. Hornqvist has also fired a ridiculous 53 shots on net in his last 11 games which games him a huge floor to go along with massive upside against the Caps and their fourth-worst road defense. Lock him and load him in all formats, my friends.

Stack with: Phil Kessel, Sidney Crosby(PP), Evgeni Malkin(PP)

Ryan Donato FD - $4500 DK - $5600
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 9.5 DK - 2.7

We need some value on any given slate and this guy has been on fire since being recalled from the minors seven games ago. Donato has two goals, an assist, and eight shots in his last three games and he plays on the #2 line and the #1 powerplay unit for the Bruins. The Flyers aren't terrible in defense but it's slim pickings today so fire up the rookie in all formats as a value play.

Stack with: David Krejci Jake DeBrusk

DEFENSEMEN

Ryan Ellis FD - $5700 DK - $5500
Opponent - TB
Proj Pts FD - 12.54 DK - 3.72

This guy has been playing well lately as he has two goals, three assists, 13 shots, and 11 blocks in his last four games while averaging 24 minutes of ice-time. The Lightning used to own a top-five defense but they've dipped down all the way to 13th with their poor defensive play in the last few weeks. Ellis plays in all situations for the Preds so lock him and load him in all formats.

Jeff Petry FD - $4400 DK - $4300
Opponent - NJ
Proj Pts FD - 10.58 DK - 3.16

This is the best value play that I could come up with and Petry has been solid lately as he has a goal, three assists, six shots, and three blocks in his last three games while averaging 21.5 minutes of ice-time. He plays on the #1 powerplay unit for the Habs so fire him up in all formats this evening.

Also Consider: Shayne Gositsbehere(PHI)

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.