Hello everyone and welcome to this lovely Monday where we get to enjoy a nice little four-game NHL slate. There are no teams playing in back to back games today, but Washington, Calgary, Winnipeg, Florida and New Jersey are all playing their third game in four nights, so there could definitely be some fatigue happening around the league today. We have some great picks in store for you today, so let's get started 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 linueps with a single click, or research as deeply as your heart desires, click the button below to test out yourself.
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 19.46 DK - 4.87
When I first glanced at the games today, I thought wow Dallas isn't in a good spot traveling to Las Angeles without Jamie Benn and a very large majority of below average hockey players that are basically lineup fillers. Then Budaj came to mind. He has actually done very well for the Kings since he took over the starting job by default when Quick went down with an injury earlier in the season. Budaj has won his last three starts, and although he gave up three goals last game vs Minnesota, that's been extremely rare for him this season. Before last game, the Slovakian tender hadn't given up more than two goals in nine starts. That is impressive in today's fast paced game. Believe it or not, the Stars' offense is ranked a below-average 19th in the league this season. Now they are without Jamie Benn's services for a few games, and that makes things much easier for the Kings today. L.A. comes into this game with the seventh-best defense in the NHL, and they have enough defensive minded forwards to shut Tyler Seguin and the Stars' top line today on home ice. I see very little negative with Budaj in this spot and he is my favorite goalie in all formats today. Start him with confidence.
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 17.7 DK - 4.43
Okay please, before you say that I'm crazy for recommending a goalie that is about to face Washington, just hear me out. This is Carey Price, and even though lately it has been proven that he is kind of Human, he is still the best goaltender on planet Earth. With all of the injuries in Montreal, I wouldn't use Price in cash games, but because he faces Ovechkin and the Capitals this evening, he shouldn't be too highly owned. The Canadian superstar tender has already faced the Caps once this season less than a month ago in Washington, where Price stopped 20 of 21 shots en route to a 2-1 victory for the Habs. Price has been sensational at home this season as he owns a 14-3 record with two shutouts. Washington owns the eighth-best offense in the league, but they are ranked 19th on the power-play. Like I said above, it's tough to roll him out in cash games this evening, but there is enough evidence here to make him a great GPP play on this four-game slate.
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 14.1 DK - 4.32
This guy is the best center today and it's not really that close. Just watch him play for a few shifts and you will see that he is easily the best player in L.A. Anze Kopitar used to be, but he's showing his age and Carter is right in the middle of his prime. He's already faced the Stars once this season in Dallas where he scored two goals, with one via the power-play and he fired four shots on goal. In his most recent game vs. the Wild who's defense is ranked #1 in the league, Carter scored a goal and added two assists, which gives him a total of three goals, three assists and 13 shots on goal in his last four games. The Stars' defense is ranked 28th in the league so he is going to be licking his chops this evening as soon as the puck drops. Enough said. Jeff Carter is a terrific play in all formats.
Stack With: Tanner Pearson
Opponent - FLA
Proj Pts FD - 7.43 DK - 2.41
Oh boy was it tough to find value at this lovely position today, so basically I'm giving you a guy who is the best of the worst of the bunch. What sealed the deal for me was the fact that he centers Taylor Hall who is pretty much the only decent hockey player in New Jersey. Don't take it personal Devils fans, it isn't my fault that your team isn't good, but at least you have an NHL hockey team in your city that you can watch skate up and down the ice with excitement over and over again. I have to bring out my ice time equals opportunity thing here because that's about all I have for this guy. Zajac plays an average of 20 minutes per game (which is a lot for a forward,) while playing on the team's top line (if you can call it that,) as well as one of their power-play units and both penalty kill units. He had an assist in his most recent game, so just put him into your second center spot and move on already.
Stack with: Taylor Hall, P.A. Parenteau
Opponent - CGY
Proj Pts FD - 12.26 DK - 3.92
My boy Wheels. I don't think I've recommended this guy once this year so I'm super excited right now. I call him my boy because I met him a couple of times. The Jets' former coach Claude Noel was one of my fly fishing students before he got fired. I own a Wheeler jersey so he's my boy!!! The reason why Captain Wheels made my famous and hopefully not infamous article is because the Jets' star rookie winger Patrick Laine is out with a concussion for an undisclosed amount of time. Well, that and the fact that Calgary isn't very good when not playing in their Saddledome. The Flames' defense overall is ranked 17th, but only because current backup goalie Chad Johnson acted like Johnny Bower and was actually unreal for a bunch of games in a row. Well, that is history now and Chad Johnson is himself again so don't expect Calgary to improve on defense. Wheeler has been solid this year as always and he has 11 goals, 21 assists and 122 shots on goal in 42 games played. He is going to get a ton of ice time now that Laine is out and it starts tonight against the Flames. Start him with confidence in all formats folks.
Stack with: Brian Little, Matthew Perreault
Opponent - WPG
Proj Pts FD - 10.62 DK - 3.13
Are we sure that this guy isn't a former star like maybe Theoren Fleury that took some magic anti-aging pill or something? Okay back to reality but man has this guy been good lately or what? He plays on Calgary's second line, their #2 power-play unit, and his best roll is his heavy work on his team's penalty kill units. He has three goals and eight shots on goal in his last two games and today he gets to play the Jets and their not so good 26th ranked defense. And guess what? He played in Winnipeg for a year so he's going to be pumped up for this one because Jets fans are mad at the fact that he left the city. Jets fans get mad easily anyways, but this just adds incentive to playing him today. His line has actually been Calgary's best line lately and our system loves him from a points per dollar perspective. Frolik is cheap enough that I'm comfortable using him in all formats.
Stack With: Michael Backlund, Matthew Tkachuk
Also Consider: Alexander Radulov(MTL)
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 7.89 DK - 2.38
Yes I know, the Capitals currently own the league's #1 offense, but sometimes when the price is so cheap, and the right opportunity presents itself, you have to take advantage of the situation no matter the circumstances. Enter Beaulieu. Please don't ask me how to pronounce his name. Just because I'm Canadian doesn't mean I'm French. I don't really know what I am actually. Anyways, this guy has been playing a ridiculously large amount of ice time since Andrei Markov has been injured and has been pretty darned good for the Habs.
Opponent - CGY
Proj Pts FD - 9.02 DK - 2.63
It's nice to see this guy finally living up to his potential in Winnipeg. A few games ago, they moved him up to the top power-play unit replacing Dustin Byfuglien who doesn't seem to know which position he is supposed to play. He even tried to play goalie with the goalie still in his net. So the Jets have needed the stability that the young American defenseman has shown lately. Trouba has a goal, six assists, 20 shots on goal and 14 blocked shots in his last six games while averaging 24.5 minutes of ice time. He is about as safe as it comes as these prices and there is always upside with the large amount of ice time that he plays. Trouba makes a great play in all formats today.
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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