Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) skates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Welcome back for another night of daily fantasy hockey. After two very small slates on Sunday and Monday, we get a big 11 game slate tonight with just three teams(BUF, TOR, STL) playing on a back to back. There should be a ton of offense as well as eight of the Top 10 offense's are in action with some tasty matchups. Let's dive right in and take a look at some of the top plays.
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 - CAR
Proj Pts FD - 19.19 DK - 4.8
After Grubaeur picked up the shutout win in Washington's last game, we should see Holtby back in net tonight vs. the Hurricanes. He should be well rested as he hasn't made more tan two straight starts since the beginning of January. He has been very consistent since the calendar flipped to 2017 as he has won 12 of his last 14 starts with three shutouts. Tonight the Caps and their #1 defense get a matchup vs. the Canes and their 17th ranked offense. Although the Canes have won three straight, they really struggle on the road(7-14-6) scoring more than two goals just once in their last eight road games. Holtby is safe in all formats.
Opponent - CGY
Proj Pts FD - 18.95 DK - 4.74
If you are looking for a little saving at the goalie position tonight, get Murray in your lineups in an elite home matchup. He should also be well rested as Marc-Andre Fleury got the start and win in the Pens last game. Murray is the clear #1 option in Pittsburgh despite a few struggles pre All-Star break. He obviously didn't let those struggles get to him as he came out of the break winning two straight games, stopping 65 of 70 shots he faced. He now faces a Flames team tat has been up and down all year and rank 19th in offense.
Also Consider: Pekka Rinne(NSH)
**Sidney Crosby is the most expensive non-goalie option(2nd on DK). He is an elite play at home vs. the Flames and safe for cash if you can fit hi in.**
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 15.41 DK - 4.67
For cash games, I love pivoting off Crosby's elite salary and building a more balanced lineup. I will start with Mathews tonight who trails only his teammate Mitch Marner in rookie scoring and gets an elite matchup. Yes, the Leafs are playing on back to back nights but are in just too good of a spot to ignore. They travel to Dallas to face the Stars and their 29th ranked defense that has given up 15 goals over their last four games. Matthews has not only provided offensive upside this season but for DFS he also offers a nice floor with his shot volume making him safe in all formats at a sub $8K price tag.
PP Stack with: William Nylander, Leo Komarov
Opponent - TB
Proj Pts FD - 13.97 DK - 4.34
Speaking of shot volume and safety for cash games, don't overlook what Carter has to offer. He is averaging just over three shots per game this season and has 36 shots over his previous 10 games played. He doesn't just come with a floor either as he has tallied 27 goals and 47 points on the season giving him huge upside for GPP's as well. Don't let the road matchup in Tampa scare you are the Lightning have lost seven of their last 10 games and now sit in the basement of the Eastern Conference.
Stack with: Tanner Pearson
Opponent - CAR
Proj Pts FD - 12.59 DK - 3.72
First of all, Kuznetsov is an elite play on DraftKings where is grossly under priced. I mean we are talking about a player who centers the second line and plays 2+ minutes a game on the powerplay for a team that ranks #5 in total offense. I haven't even got to his recent production yet. Over the last 10 games, he has tallied six goals and 13 points(3 on the PP) while adding 23 shots on goal. He is a near must play on DraftKings and a great high upside GPP play on FanDuel.
PP Stack with: Andre Burakovsky, Justin Williams
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 17.32 DK - 5.57
It's been a long time since I wrote up Jamie Benn and I am not sure why. While he isn't having the unreal season he did last year, he has been extremely consistent for the Stars in the '16/'17 season. He got off to a very slow start in October but hasn't gone more than two games without a point since then. The price is still in a very affordable spot on both sites and his safety for cash games comes from the elite volume he has shown lately(39 shots in last 10 games). He also plays with Tyler Seguin on the team's top powerplay unit.
Stack with: Patrick Eaves, Tyler Seguin(PP)
Opponent - WPG
Proj Pts FD - 14.37 DK - 4.44
The price has gotten to new levels for the Wild's leading point man but he remains a very strong play in all formats. He is coming off a hat trick and four-point night vs. the Canucks which extended his point streak to 12 games. Even further, he has picked up at least one point in 23 of his last 27 games. I would say that warrants a price increase and don't thnk this will be his salary ceiling when all is said and done. He is in a great spot to extend that streak against the Jets who rank 28th overall in defense.
Stack with: Mikko Koivu, Jason Zucker
Opponent - CGY
Proj Pts FD - 8.67 DK - 2.68
If you are looking to get some exposure to Sid the Kid, try doing so through Chris Kunitz. Not only does he skate with Croby on the top line, but he comes a huge discount on both sites and won't break the bank. He is by no means a safe option for cash games with minimal shot volume and no powerplay time but he does have points in three of his last four games.
Stack with: Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust
DEFENSEMEN
Opponent - ANA
Proj Pts FD - 7.86 DK - 2.32
As you can probably tell by my first D pick, I will be mining for value at the position tonight. I love this strategy as it allows us to build lineups with a strong forward core and top goalie on a night where there are so many. I start with Skjei(don't even know how to pronounce that) who is coming off a game where he received just over 19 minutes of ice time, a big bump from his 16 minute average on the season. For near minimum price, he has provided consistent value lately with five points in his last eight games with 16 shots and four blocks. As a bonus he is also getting a little run on the powerplay, adding to his punt value.
Opponent - CAR
Proj Pts FD - 8.75 DK - 2.65
Another value option on the point who has been providing very consistent PTS/$ lately. He has been skating over20 minutes per game lately and it has paid off as he has tallied seven points(3 on the PP) in his last 10 games played. He may not be the safest option for cash games with just 15shots and nine blocks in that time but the low salary and added powerplay time make it worth the roster spot.
Also Consider: Jake Muzzin(LAK)
Hockey is back and with it comes 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.
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