Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 2/18/17

Welcome back to another exciting day of DFS hockey. Saturday brings us a split slate with three matinee matchups and eight games on the main slate. For the purpose of this article, we will turn our attention to the main slate. Let's dig in.

 

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.

GOALIES

Devan Dubnyk FD - $9600 DK - $8100
Opponent - NAS
Proj Pts FD - 19.72 DK - 4.93

In case you didn't know, this guy is a very good goalie. He had issues with stopping the puck in the past, but he fixed those issues a few years ago and now he's a tough fade every time he protects the crease. Dubnyk's record this year is 31-13 with five shutouts and he has a .934 save % which is awesome. He lost his last start, but only because Anaheim's goalie stood on his head as the Ducks beat the Wild 1-0. Before that the Wild netminder won four starts in a row. Tonight he faces the Predators who are ranked 13th on offense which is right around the league average. Do not worry, though, because on home ice, Dubnyk is as close to matchup proof as it comes. Look for the Wild to come away with the victory today and start Dubnyk with confidence in all formats.

 

 

Also Consider: Aaron Dell (SJ)

 

 

CENTERS

Connor McDavid FD - $8700 DK - $8200
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 17.04 DK - 4.9

I love the state the NHL is in right now. There are so many potential stars in the making and it's going to get very exciting very soon. This isn't breaking news, but this guy is already a star. I don't have to keep repeating his season-long statistics because he is a beast. In his last three games, "McJesus" has a goal, five assists and seven shots on goal. He also has 15 shots on goal in his last five games. Chicago isn't a bad defensive team as they are ranked 9th overall, but where they aren't good is on the penalty kill where they are ranked second worst in the league. McDavid logs a ton of ice time on the Oilers' top line and the #1 PP unit. He has been on fire lately, so fading him tonight is a dangerous idea.

Stack With: Patrick Maroon, Leon Draisitl (PP)

 

 

 

Nazem Kadri FD - $6800 DK - $6000
Opponent - OTT
Proj Pts FD - 12.49 DK - 4.08

The Maple Leafs are a tough team to figure out from a DFS perspective because they spread their ice time around a lot. Auston Matthews is always a decent play, but safety is an issue with him. Nazem Kadri is a different story. This guy is one of the most under-rated players in the league and he is a power-play specialist. He has 10 PP goals and 15 PP points this season and he has scored a point in 11 of his last 13 games. Kadri has three goals and an assist in his last two games with six shots on goal and 19 shots on goal in his last six games. He is the safest Maple Leaf player to roster and has monster upside tonight against the Senators in the "Battle of Ontario."

PP Stack with: James Van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak

 

 

 

Joe Thornton FD - $5500 DK - $4900
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 10.93 DK - 3.83

Hello big Joe and welcome to DFSR. I'll warn you right now that this guy is never a safe pick. The reason is the fact that he averages barely one shot per game. On that note, he has a very juicy matchup tonight against the lowly Coyotes and their 27th ranked defense. Thornton is actually on a four-game point streak as he has two goals and three assists during that time. He is one of the best playmakers in the league and he plays on San Jose's top line and #1 PP unit and has 14 power-play points this season. He is not the best cash game play, but has massive upside against Arizona tonight, so fire him up in your tournament lineups.

Stack with: Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau (PP,) Logan Couture (PP) 

 

 

 

WINGERS

Patrick Kane FD - $8400 DK - $7600
Opponent - EDM
Proj Pts FD - 17.22 DK - 5.33

This guy is good in case you have been living under a rock for the last few years. He is matchup proof and has safety and upside written all over him on any given day. Kane is on a five-game point streak with four goals and five assists during his current streak to go along with a whopping 23 shots on goal. That works out to an average of 4.6 shots per game in those five games. Nothing more to say here. Kane is an awesome play in all formats tonight.

Stack with: Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov, Jonathan Toews (PP)

 

 

 

Zach Parise FD - $6800 DK - $6200
Opponent - NAS
Proj Pts FD - 11.67 DK - 3.73

I didn't know that this guy was a cash game beast until my friend and fellow DFSR writer Chris Durell pointed it out to me last night. Parise blocks over a shot per game which is very rare for a forward in the NHL This guy also has 40 shots on goal in his last 10 games. Those two stats make him cash game gold and he always has upside while playing on home ice as he plays on the top line and #1 PP unit for the Wild. Parise is a must play in cash games tonight and you can possibly consider him in GPP's as well.

Stack with: Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle

 

 

 

Jonathan Drouin FD - $5500 DK - $5400
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 12.61 DK - 3.94

I gave you a nice safe cash game play with Parise, so now I present to you a guy who can help you take down a massive tourney this evening, but is tough to roster in cash games because of Tampa Bay's inconsistency as a whole. Drouin had an assist last game and has two goals and two assists and 12 shots on goal in his last four games. We need to get exposure to the Lightning today as they play the Dallas Stars and their awful 29th ranked defense. Drouin is a boom or bust option and is a great play for your GPP lineups today.

PP Stack with: Nikita Kucherov, Vladislav Namestnikov

 

 

 

 

DEFENSEMEN

Marc-Edouard Vlasic FD - $4600 DK - $4100
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 11.28 DK - 3.55

Obviously, Brent Burns is a great play, but as Chris and I say often, finding value guys at defense is the way we roll here at DFSR. Save your money and spend up at the forward positions. The system loves this guy today and it's obvious as to why that is so. He plays against the Arizona Coyotes today. Yee Haw!! They aren't good by the way in case you didn't know. Vlasic has a goal and an assist with four shots on goal in his last two games and is way cheaper than his team-mate Burns. Vlasic also has nine shots on goal in his last five games. We obviously need exposure to the Sharks tonight and Vlasic is a good play in all formats.

 

 

 

Victor Hedman FD - $6300 DK - $5800
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 14.39 DK - 4.6

This is reaching slightly into the upper tier of defensemen but I just could not ignore Mr. Hedman today. I tried to look past him, but he kept saying pick me, pick me. Like I said earlier, the Stars are ranked 29th on defense. Hedman plays on Tampa Bay's #1 PP unit and the Stars are ranked dead last in the league at killing penalties. In his last game, Hedman had a goal, an assist, five shots on goal and three blocked shots. He has eight goals and 36 assists this season which is unreal for a defenseman. He's a very tough fade today in a juicy matchup and is a great play in all formats.

 

 

Also Consider: Oscar Klefbom (Edm)

 

 

 

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.