Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8), from Russia, pauses on the ice in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Welcome back for another big night in the NHL. Saturday nights always take me back to when I was a kid watching Hockey Night in Canada with my dad. I can still hear that theme song in my head.
I can really tell I am getting old watching that video as it has been years now since CBC sold the rights to that song. Oh well, nothing better than a little dip back into the past. On to hockey.
We have 12 games on the NHL schedule this Saturday with two games in the afternoon and 10 games on the main slate starting at 7:00 p.m. ET tonight. That will be the slate we will turn our attention to for this article. With playoffs right around the corner, we can expect max effort from almost every team which should make it an excellent night to enjoy the good ole hockey game. 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.
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 19.93 DK - 4.98
When it comes to cash games tonight, Holtby is going to be the chalk and for good reason. He is having another fantastic season and sits top five in almost every statistical category. My problem with Holtby in the past was his shots against which really limited his floor but a peak into his recent starts tells a much more warming story. He has won three straight starts and has faced 29 or more shots against in each game. Tonight he faces the Coyotes and their 27th ranked offense. Look for Holtby to put up another elite performance as the Caps try and hold off a number of teams for the top overall spot in the entire league.
Opponent - CGY
Proj Pts FD - 17.59 DK - 4.4
If you are looking for some separation at the goalie position in tournaments tonight, Jake Allen should be 5-10% less owned than Holtby with very similar upside. He also comes at a big discount on both sites and has been just as hot lately as well. Allen has won three straight and seven of his last eight starts, allowing more than two goals just once and also recorded two shutouts in that time. He gets the much tougher matchup vs. the Flames but they are coming off a big winning streak and have now lost two straight on the road.
Also Consider: Carey Price(MTL)
**Note - Connor McDavid is an elite play from here on out. He leads the league in points and also has the top matchup of the night at home vs. the Avs. If you can afford him, get him in your lineups!**
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 15.5 DK - 4.61
And will be building lineups two ways tonight, when looking at the center position. I will be running lineups with a combination of McDavid and a low-end value or paying up for two mid-tier to top-tier guys. That strategy starts with Nicklas Backstrom who has been one of the players pushing to catch McDavid in the overall points race. He isn't known for his shot volume which normally limits him to GPP only but over the last 10 games, he has tallied 27 shots on goal to go with 14 points(six on the powerplay). He is safe in all formats against the Coyotes.
Stack with: TJ Oshie, Alex Ovechkin
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 16.92 DK - 5
Next up in the upper mid-tier is second-year player, Jack Eichel. When healthy, he is one of the best players in the league and comes a bit under the radar in Buffalo with so many other elite young players in today's game. Even on the 21st ranked offense, he has tallied 50 points in 53 games and provides a very high floor as he has recorded 43 shots on goal over the last 10 games. He is coming off a nine shot game and has tallied three assists in two games vs. the Leafs with 10 shots on goal.
Stack with: Sam Reinhart, Marcus Foligno
Opponent - OTT
Proj Pts FD - 8.38 DK - 2.44
I will turn to the Habs for my top punt play at the position tonight. Danault doesn't really stand out in any area but is skating on the top line with Pacioretty and Radulov and has recorded multiple shots in four straight games and has picked up five points in his last 10 games. The one thing that does stand out is his success vs. the Sens this season. In four games, he has a goal and three assists. Lock him into your lineups if you are paying up for multiple high-end players.
Stack with: Alexander Radulov, Max Pacioretty
**Note - Alex Ovechkin and Patrick Kane both have elite matchups and salaries and just like McDavid, if you can afford them don't hesitate to roster them.**
Opponent - CGY
Proj Pts FD - 14.93 DK - 4.41
If I a paying up at winger in cash games, I would like to pay up to Kane or Ovi but for GPP's I love Tarasenko. He never really exceeds 10% ownership in tournaments and has huge multi-point upside as the offensive leader of the Blues. Over his last 10 games, he has scored six goals(two on the PP) while firing at will with 41 shots on goal. The Flames have been a tough test over the past few months and rank 13th in defense. Another reason I will only use him in tournaments tonight.
Stack with: Alexander Steen, Jaden Schwartz
Opponent - COL
Proj Pts FD - 14.66 DK - 4.2
If you can't afford McJesus tonight, his linemate makes an elite play in all formats. Not only does he come in with a six-game point streak but all six of those games he has provided multiple points. That is incredible. He has 15 points over his last 10 games and while he hasn't produced many shots(15), he is safe due to the elite matchup vs. the Avs.
Stack with: Patrick Maroon, Connor McDavid
DEFENSEMEN
Opponent - LA
Proj Pts FD - 11.03 DK - 3.28
I will start off the defense section with a rock solid option for all formats. With 39 points this season, he is now just four points away from his career-high. That is not even the highlight of his fantasy value as he provides an elite balance of shots and blocks and skates over 24 minutes a game on the top pairing and top powerplay unit.
Opponent - COL
Proj Pts FD - 10.18 DK - 3
Sekera made me look like a genius last time out. He was around 3% owned in the tournaments I played and ended up with a goal and two assists. I wasn't particularly looking for that kind of offensive output but I will take it! Sekera is a great salary relief option with a mid $4K price tag on both sites who provides a high floor with blocks. He had none last game as he put on his offensive hero cape but in the two games prior to that he had tallied a total of 13 blocks.
Also Consider: Cody Ceci(Punt)
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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