Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 1/20/17

Welcome back for another night of daily fantasy hockey.  Tonight we have six games with some very tough decisions to make as there are only two teams that are -120 or greater favorites. Let's dig in and take a look at some of the top values on the slate.

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

 

Ryan Miller FD - $8400 DK - $7800
Opponent - FLA
Proj Pts FD - 16.1 DK - 4.03

Hello Ryan, you have a nice name and welcome to my article. You have earned it, but mostly because you are playing at home this evening. Originally I thought that Miller would only be a tournament play today, but then I dug a little deeper into his statistics. This guy has been money at home, as evident by his 11-4-1 record. He plays for the Vancouver Canucks who haven't been good this season. But hey, sometimes certain things just click. The thing that has put him as my favorite goalie tonight, is the fact that he has won his last 10 starts while playing in his home barn and he shut-out a not so bad Nashville Predators team in his most recent start. The Canucks welcome the Florida Panthers to town this evening. Florida owns the league's 26th ranked offense and they are struggling to find any offensive momentum on a regular basis. Vancouver struggles in the offensive department, but the fact that Florida allowed nine goals in total to Calgary and Edmonton in their last two games, makes this an even safer play for me this evening. I think we should consider him as our safest goalie and move on from here.

 

 

 

Cameron Talbot FD - $9100 DK - $8100
Opponent - NAS
Proj Pts FD - 16.32 DK - 4.08

The Oilers are an improved team this season. Tonight they face the Predators who are playing their third West Coast road game in four days. Nashville is a long ways away from home. Talbot is the Oilers' unquestioned starting goalie and he will be in a positive spot tonight against a tired Nashville squad. He has won his last four starts, while allowing only seven goals during that span. The Predators are ranked 14th on offense, so Talbot isn't the safest play today, but he is a great play for your GPP lineups.

 

 

 

CENTERS

Evgeni Malkin FD - $8800 DK - $7300
Opponent - CAR
Proj Pts FD - 14.07 DK - 3.98

Okay, this is very tough for me to do. I'm recommending Malkin over Crosby, but only because he is cheaper on both sites. I am simply going to stress the fact that we need to have exposure to Pittsburgh any time that they hit the ice. They score a ton of goals and they currently own the league's #1 offense. It doesn't even matter who they play and that showed when they scored eight goals on the Capitals' #1 ranked defensive unit a couple of games ago. Malkin is currently on a five-game point streak and during that streak, he has five goals and two assists. He also gets to play alongside Sydney Crosby on the Pens' top power-play unit and is a great play in all formats today against Carolina.

Stack With: Sidney Crosby (PP,) Patrick Hornqvist

 

 

 

Jack Eichel FD - $7500 DK - $7000
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 11.94 DK - 4.02

I am getting a headache while writing this article today. It's a tough slate, but we will work our way through it. I am trying to find some guys who won't kill our lineups, while I'm trying to pick on struggling defenses. Enter Jack Eichel who has fired a whopping 20 shots on goal in his last three games, to go along with two goals. Wow! Now that's impressive young man. Now you get to face the Detroit Red Wings who own the league's 22nd ranked defense, as well as the 19th ranked penalty kill unit. Eichel plays on one of the top two lines, as well as the #1 PP unit, so fire him up today in all formats.

Stack with: Ryan O'Reilly (PP,) Kyle Okposo (PP)

 

 

 

Phillip Danault FD - $5100 DK - $4500
Opponent - NJ
Proj Pts FD - 6 DK - 1.88

You are going to look at this guy's stats from his last two games and see two goose eggs. Yep, that is correct. I am a Habs fan, so I know what's going on here. Alex Galchenyuk came back from injury two games ago and Danault disappeared. Well, yesterday Coach Therien announced that he is moving Danault back up to the top line with Max Pacioretty and Alexander Radulov. That's awesome news for Danault. Last time he played on this line, it was three games ago and he got three assists. New Jersey is ranked 19th on defense so look for this line to score a couple of goals today. This isn't really a safe play obviously, but the upside is through the roof.

Stack with: Max Pacioretty, Alexander Radulov

 

 

 

WINGERS

Brad Marchand FD - $7300 DK - $7000
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 13.8 DK - 4.2

The Weasel, as my fellow Habs' fans call him. There is a lot of love between Boston and Montreal fans(not). This guy has been on fire lately for the Bruins and has two goals and five assists to go along with seven shots on goal in his last three games. Tonight, he gets to play the Chicago Blackhawks, who have been letting in goals left and right lately. Chicago does own the league's ninth-ranked defense, but that is regressing quickly. Where I like Marchand tonight is on the power-play, as the Hawks are the worst in the league at killing penalties. He's never the safest play in the world, but there isn't much safety to be had today at the position. I love stacking him in GPP's with his #1 PP linemates.

Stack with: Patrice Bergeron (PP,) David Pastrnak (PP)

 

 

 

Leon Draisaitl FD - $6800 DK - $6400
Opponent - NAS
Proj Pts FD - 12.95 DK - 4.05

Here we have one of my favorite players in the league. The young German star in the making plays on the top line and powerplay unit with Connor McJesus. I could probably just quit here. Nashville is ranked 11th on defense, which isn't bad, but like I said earlier, they will be exhausted today. Leon has a goal and as assist in his last two games, but only has two shots on goals. Like I said with Marchand above, there is very little safety here today. Focus more on GPP's and make sure you have exposure to Draisaitl and the Oilers' top line.

Stack with: Connor McDavid, Patrick Maroon

 

 

 

Sebastian Aho FD - $5400 DK - $4600
Opponent - PIT
Proj Pts FD - 10.38 DK - 3.07

This guy is still an under the radar player in the NHL. But hey, he's only 19 and if he keeps on producing like he has been, then he will be very popular soon. He is still cheap around the industry and what I look for when recommending our value winger is whether he shoots the puck on net or not. Well, this guy does. He has 12 shots on goal in is last three games and scored a goal in his last game in Columbus and has averaged 16 minutes of ice time for the Hurricanes this year. At his cheap prices, that is not too shabby. Pittsburgh has been playing 1980's type hockey lately. They have scored a ton of goals, but have given up a ton of goals. Before allowing only one goal to Montreal, they allowed seven goals to the Capitals, as well as six goals to the lowly Detroit Red Wings. With the plus/minus category not in effect, I believe that we can deploy Aho in all formats today.

Stack with: Lee Stempniak (PP,) Jordan Staal (PP)

 

 

 

 

DEFENSEMEN

Justin Schultz FD - $5700 DK - $5200
Opponent - CAR
Proj Pts FD - 9.96 DK - 2.96

Kris Letang is injured again, which means that Schultz is on the deadly #1 PP unit in Pittsburgh. Just two games ago, this guy had four assists against Washington. We always need exposure to the Penguins and Schultz is a good play today in all formats.

 

 

Andrej Sekera FD - $4600 DK - $4700
Opponent - NAS
Proj Pts FD - 9.58 DK - 2.94

Here we have another guy who plays on his team's #1 PP unit. He is almost a must play at these prices. He has averaged 24 minutes of ice time in his last four games. During those four games, he had a goal, an assist, 13 shots on goal and 11 blocked shots. Okay, there is no almost about it. He is a must play in all formats today my friends.

 

 

Also Consider: Aaron Ekblad

 

 

 

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.