Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for DraftKings, FanDuel, & DraftPot - 12/18/15

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Welcome to the daily fantasy hockey picks article for DraftKings, FanDuel, and DraftPot for Friday, December 18th, 2015. Tonight we have 6 games on the NHL schedule on a night sandwiched between two 11 games slates. There are four teams (FLA, SJ, VAN, NYR) playing on back to back nights and all are on the road. Targeting the home teams in these matchups will be a smart way to go tonight.

Below you will find a few core plays at each position for Friday nights games.

Goaltenders

Jimmy Howard - Detroit Red Wings vs. VAN *Confirmed*
DraftKings - $7,300 FanDuel - $8,300 DraftPot - 4.48 DPPG

He is coming off two straight overtime losses in which he made 35 and 38 saves respectively. The record (7-4-3) doesn't reflect how effective Howard has been, as he now sits with a .921 save percentage. The Wings are at home Friday as -200 favorites vs. the struggling Canucks. He is a safe option in any format.

Braden Holtby - Washington Capitals vs. TB *Probable*
DraftKings - $8,300 FanDuel - $10,400 DraftPot - 7.28 DPPG

If you are paying up for a goalie on Friday Holtby makes a great pick. He has picked up four straight wins including a 35 save win in Tampa Bay last week. He improved his career record vs. the Lightning to 7-2 and will look to add another win Friday night.

Also Consider - Tuukka Rask - Boston Bruins @ PIT

CENTER

Patrice Bergeron - Boston Bruins @ PIT
DraftKings - $6,800 FanDuel - $7,500 DraftPot - 3.45 DPPG

Has been one of the most consistent fantasy players this season with 30 points and averages around 3 shots on goal per game. He has been the center(no pun intended) of the leagues #2 offense averaging 3.17 goals per game. The Bruins have been tremendous on the road this year(10-2-2) and travel to Pittsburgh to face the Penguins who have struggled with a 3-4-3 record their last 10 games.

Stack with - Brad Marchand, Brett Connolly, Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara

Dylan Larkin - Detroit Red Wings vs. VAN
DraftKings - $5,400 FanDuel - $5,700 DraftPot - 3.55 DPPG

He hasn't recorded a point in his previous three games but contributes in the peripheral stats which gives him a nice floor . In his last 10 games he has 7 points with a +7 rating and  averaged over 3 shots per game. At a salary under $6K on DraftKings and FanDuel he is a great value play on a short slate.

Stack with - Henrik Zetterberg, Justin Abdelkader, Gustav Nyquist, Niklas Kronwall

Also Consider - Mark Scheifele - Winnipeg Jets vs. NYR

WINGERS

Mike Hoffman - Ottawa Senators vs. SJ
DraftKings - $5,900 FanDuel(LW) - $7,300 DraftPot - 5.50 DPPG

It has been a phenomenal breakout season for the Senators left winger. He is tied for 4th in the league with 17 goals and has 30 total points. The floor is high with the amount of shots he takes and he also carries mutli point upside into a matchup vs. the Sharks who are playing back to back games on the road.

Stack with - Kyle Turris, Bobby Ryan, Mark Stone, Erik Karlsson

Alex Ovechkin - Washignton Capitals vs. TB
DraftKings - $8,800 FanDuel(LW) - $9,700 DraftPot - 4.25 DPPG

The price continues to drop as scoreless streak has reached three games. He is an elite talent who won't be held in check much longer. He has picked up 77 points in 59 career games vs. the Lightning making this a prime spot to break the streak. On a short slate you are going to need Ovi in a GPP if he goes off and if you don't you're toast.

Stack with - Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, John Carlson

Ryan Callahan - Tampa Bay Lightning
DraftKings - $4,900 FanDuel(RW) - $5,200 DraftPot - 2.48 DPPG

He makes a nice low end punt play on a short slate as he takes a ton of shots and also add blocks for a bonus on DraftKings. He is a safe play in any format so you can pay up for some top options.

Also Consider - Mats Zuccarello - New York Rangers

DEFENSE

John Carlson - Washington Capitals vs. TB
DraftKings - $6,800 FanDuel - $6,600 DraftPot - 4.68 DPPG

Has been an elite option on the point lately with 11 points in his last 10 games. He has also added 35 shots and 32 blocks in that time. If you are paying up for a D man he is an affordable option under $7K on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Aaron Ekblad - Florida Panthers @ CAR
DraftKings - $4,800 FanDuel - $5,700 DraftPot - 3.33 DPPG

He is becoming one of the top defensemen in the NHL and contributes on both ends of the ice. He has 15 points on the season, a +9 rating, 83 shots on goal and 25 blocked shots. The Panthers are favorites on the road in Carolina and Ekblad makes a terrific value play in any format.

Also Consider - Justin Braun - San Jose Sharks @ OTT

***All advanced stats in this article are sourced from www. puckalytics.com***

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