Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane celebrates after scoring his goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oiler,s Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015, in Chicago. The Blackhawks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Hello hockey fans and welcome to a nice six-game NHL slate today. It's been an exciting year so far as we are nearing the halfway point of the season. We have the league's two worst defenses playing today as well as a few weak offenses and a few good offenses, so finding some nice value should not be a problem. Chicago, Carolina, and Nashville are the only teams playing in back to back games. Hang on because it's going to be a fun ride.
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.
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 12.55 DK - 3.14
To start things off we have a guy who has gone seven games without losing a game in regulation while giving up an average of only two goals per game during that span. He has won his last two games while facing a total of 74 shots. Wow that's impressive and last game he shut out the Red Wings at home where he will be facing the Coyotes and their 29th ranked offense this evening. There are only 30 teams in the league by the way and if Colorado wasn't as terrible as they are then Arizona would own the worst offense. Look for the Ducks to cruise to an easy victory tonight and Gibson is the top cash game play of the day.
Opponent - COL
Proj Pts FD - 14.67 DK - 3.67
If the Islanders were at home here then this guy would be right up there as the top cash game play. Actually, because Colorado is so bad everywhere they play, I think Greiss has some safety here. Where I do love him today though is for GPP's as Gibson should be highly owned tonight. The Islanders finally released Jaroslav Halak so now Greiss owns the crease in New York. He has won his last three starts (two of them on the road,) while giving up only five goals and facing a whopping 113 shots. Wow, that's awesome and now he gets to face a very bad team called the Colorado Avalanche. Hooray!! Start the German tender with confidence today folks.
Also Consider: Ryan Miller
Opponent - NJ
Proj Pts FD - 16.21 DK - 4.84
The #1 overall pick in last year's draft has been sensational so far this season and he is almost impossible to fade at the moment. The rookie is on a seven-game point streak and he has six goals, five assists and 27 shots on goals during his streak. Matthews averages 18 minutes of ice time per game and he plays on the #1 power-play unit in Toronto. The Devils are ranked 23rd on defense so they are a good team to exploit today and it starts with Matthews. He's a great play in all formats today and fade at your own risk.
Stack With: Connor Brown, Zach Hyman
Opponent - COL
Proj Pts FD - 14.31 DK - 4.54
I feel sorry for this guy. I mean come on now, they trade away Okposo and Nielsen and now he is left with a bunch of borderline NHL level hockey players. I haven't mentioned Johnny T yet this season because he hasn't had the greatest season and that's understandable. Well, today the Islanders face off against the Avalanche who like I mentioned are not good in any way and they happen to own the league's worst defense. Tavares has two goals, an assist and five shots on goal in his last two games. We need exposure to the Islanders today and it starts with this guy in all formats. I especially like him over at Draftkings where he is too cheap, and I feel we can find room for him on Fanduel as well.
Stack with: Josh Bailey, Anders Lee
Opponent - CGY
Proj Pts FD - 9.99 DK - 2.93
Don't fix what ain't broken. As long as you keep producing steady results then you will keep appearing in this article. Sutter isn't flashy but he gets results. In his last two games, he has a goal and an assist to go along with six shots on goal and on the season he averages 20 minutes per game. At this price and with that amount of ice time, he is a safe play and always has upside because he plays on the #1 powerplay with the Sedin brothers.
Stack with: (PP) Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin
Opponent - CAR
Proj Pts FD - 14.21 DK - 4.3
I have a feeling that it's Kane's turn to do some serious damage and tonight could be the night. The Hurricanes are a middle of the pack defense and they are getting worse as the year goes on. Toews will be shadowing Jeff Skinner all game which means that Kane and his linemates will have a ton of room to make things happen tonight. Chris recommended him Last night and exploded for two goals, an assist and seven shots on goal. I'm going right back to the well tonight and Kane is a great play in all formats.
Stack with: Artem Anisimov, Artemi Panarin
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 11.36 DK - 3.66
I am going to start by saying that this pick isn't for the faint of heart because well it is New Jersey and they aren't good. But Taylor Hall is good and he has enough talent to take over a game by himself on any given day. The Leafs were playing good defensively until they gave up ten goals in their last two games and Hall looks 100% healthy finally. The former Oiler was held scoreless last game but before that he had a four-game point streak happening. I believe that sometimes you just have to go with your gut feeling and I feel that tonight is the night that Hall has a monstrous game. Lock him and load him in your tourney lineups
Stack with: Pavel Zacha, P.A. Parenteau
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 11.21 DK - 3.38
Here I see another guy that my friend and fellow writer Chris Durell recommended yesterday, and although he didn't perform well, I like him to bounce back today and here's why. Jonathan Toews is arguably the best defensive forward in the game, and like I said earlier, he will be sent out to shut down the Skinner line, so Aho and his line-mates will most likely be the line that performs well today. Aho has 8 goals, 13 assists and 93 shots on goal this season and this price I like him in all formats today and the system says he's a terrific play from a PTS/$ perspective.
Stack with: Lee Stempniak, Teuvo Teravainen
Opponent - VAN
Proj Pts FD - 10.98 DK - 3.62
This is one of the worst nights for value defencemen that I have seen in a long time so we have to use a couple of solid mid-value dudes today. Don't worry because there's value elsewhere as I pointed out. Giordano is about safe as it comes as he has 99 blocked shots this season already. He has nine power-play points and an impressive three short-handed points, has three assists, four shots on goal, and three blocked shots in his last two games. He plays an average of 24 minutes per game for the Flames and he sees a ton of time on the #1 PP and both penalty kill units. Giordano is a great play in all formats today.
Opponent - NAS
Proj Pts FD - 8.69 DK - 2.85
I want safety at this position and some guys achieve it in different ways. I either like a decent amount of blocked shots and shots on goal or a massive amount of one of those peripheral stats. With Ekblad we get our safety from an incredible 135 shots he has fired on net already this season and he has 19 in his last four games. His upside is limited usually but lock him into your cash game lineups for safety.
Also Consider: Jake Gardiner
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.
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