Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for DraftKings and FanDuel - 10/16/15

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Tonight in DFS Hockey we have 8 games on tap with two teams playing back to back(MIN, STL) with STL playing in the third game in four nights. With most of the top goaltenders off tonight, we can spend a little less in cash games to help fill out our forwards and defense. The pricing across the industry should start adjusting soon so we will want take advantage of some values before they are gone. Lets dig deeper into Friday night.

The first thing to know when playing DFS hockey is that choosing your goalie is very important. In most cases, especially cash games, it is smart to pay up for the best goalie who is the biggest favorite to win on any given night. If you are going to play multi lineups in GPP formats you can start to stray away from the top guys and pick some lower end goalies and stack your forwards and defense. Another thing I watch closely when looking for value picks in DFS hockey is to watch the line combinations as new guys jump up the depth chart and start playing with superstars. The pricing on these players doesn't catch up fast enough and close to minimum priced players can be found nightly with plenty of upside.

The two sites I will be making picks for will be DraftKings and FanDuel. Here is the breakdown of the points for each site:

DraftKings:
Goal(3 Pts)                                                   Goalie Win(3 Pts)
Assist(2 Pts)                                                 Goalie Save(.2 Pts)
Shot(.5 Pts)                                                  Goal Against(-1 Pt)
Short Handed Point Bonus(1 Pt)             Shutout Bonus(2 Pts)
Shootout Goal(.2 Pts)
Hat Trick Bonus(1.5 Pts)
Blocked Shot(.5 Pt)

Fanduel:
Goal(3 Pts)                                                    Goalie Win (3 Pts)
Assist(2 Pts)                                                 Goalie Saves(.2 Pts)
+/-(1 Pt)                                                        Goal Against(-1 Pt)
PIM(.25 Pts)                                                Shutout Bonus(2 Pts)
Power Play Point Bonus(.5 Pts)
Shot(.4 Pts)

There is no difference in goalie scoring between the two sites but there is a significant difference in forward/defense points. On DraftKings you get awarded points for short hand points, blocks, shootout goals, and can receive a hat trick bonus. FanDuel has none of these categories but awards powerplay points, +/-, and penalty minutes. More than anything this affects how I choose my defense. On DraftKings I look for defense who block a lot of shots while on FanDuel I really concentrate on +/- more than anything as it is worth 1 point either way.

GOALIES

Jimmy Howard - Detroit Red Wings **PROBABLE**
DraftKings - $6,900 FanDuel - $8,800
I will be back aboard the Red Wing train on Friday at as they are at home as -190 favorites. Howard is 2-0 with a .977 save % to start the year and the Red Wings look in mid season for right now. He is much better play on DraftKings as he is the 10th most expensive option. Safe in all formats.

Martin Jones - San Jose Sharks *PROBABLE*
DraftKings - $7,000 FanDuel - $7,700
Great price on both site but most liekly will be highest owned goalie on the night. Spent last season as a backup to Quick in LA and since joining the Sharks is 3-0 with a .987 save %. In a great matchup vs. the Devils with the leagues #1 offense in front of him.

Also Consider - Ryan Miller - Vancouver Canucks

CENTER

Henrik Zetterberg - Detroit Red Wings vs. CAR
DraftKings - $6,700 FanDuel - $7,100
He made his way to the top of the center picks again. He is still a great value on both sites and is in another great matchup at home vs. the Hurricanes. He has been dependent on scoring in the first three games but expect an uptick in shots coming soon.

Joe Thornton - San Jose Sharks @NJ
DraftKings - $4,800 FanDuel - $5,500
The Sharks have been averaging 4 goals a game and Big Joe has been a big part of the production. He has 2 goals and 1 assist on 10 shots and is also +4 which comes in nice on FanDuel. The Sharks are -160 favorites Friday night and stacking the top line while they are hot is never a bad idea.

Also Consider Sean Monahan - Calgary Flames

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WINGERS

Brandon Saad - Columbus Blue Jackets vs. TOR
DraftKings - $5,800 FanDuel(LW) - $5,300
He has three goals in four games and enters a matchup at home vs. the Leafs. This game should be of the high scoring nature as both teams are ranked near the bottom of the league in defense. His salary is affordable on both sites and he makes a great cash game play.

Gabriel Landeskog - Colorado Avalanche @ANH
DraftKings - $6,200 FanDuel(LW) - $6,200
He has been on fire to start the year and presents amazing upside playing alongside Mackinnon. The Avalanche have averaged 4 goals a game to start the year and now get to face the Ducks at home while they are struggling. The problem has been they have allowed 14 goals to the opposition resulting in a 1-2 start. Look for the defense to tighten up and the team pickup more wins with Landeskog right in the middle collecting fantasy points night in and night out.

Jiri Hudler - Calgary Flames @ WPG
DraftKings - $4,900 FanDuel(RW) - $5,800
He is a nice salary relief option Friday night and benefits from playing alongside Sean Monahan and Johnny Hockey. So far this year he has 4 points on 8 shots in the first 3 games and should be targeted in all formats at these prices.

DEFENSE

Dustin Byfuglien - Winnipeg Jets vs. CAL
DraftKings - $5,500 FanDuel - $6,700
He is a beast of a man and one of the most unique talents in the league. He plays pretty much any position on the ice and has great hands for a big man. He is a little more expensive on FanDuel but presents the upside of penalty minutes to go along with the scoring. He is in a favorable matchup vs. the Flames and should put up a nice game fantasy wise.

Ryan Suter - Minnesota Wild @ LA
DraftKings - $4,200 FanDuel - $4,300
He paid off nicely last night with an assist on 2 shots and a block. He is a great cash game value at this price as he can contribute in multiple categories but lacks the upside for larger field tournaments.

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