Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 10/29/17

Welcome back hockey fans. Sunday brings us a very small three-game slate with three of the six teams(ANH, PIT, WSH) playing on back to back days on the road. Let's jump in and take a look at some of the top plays at each position.

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 lineups with a single click, or research as deeply as your heart desires, click the button below to test out yourself.

GOALIE

The goalie position is where the toughest choice is going to come on Sunday and we may not have a clear indication of who is starting for most teams until late morning so I am going to give you a quick rundown of the possibilities. The first game gives us the only confirmed goalie thus far in Scott Darling of the Hurricanes but he is nothing more than a deep GPP option as he has struggled early in the season with a .899 save % as he has given up three or more goals in three straight starts. For the Ducks, it was John Gibson getting the start on Saturday night and picking up the win but playing on back to back days it is very likely we will see Ryan Miller making his season debut as he was activated off injured reserve on Saturday. For cash games, I would feel more comfortable if Gibson was starting as he has been solid thus far with five wins and a .921 save %.

The next game also has some question marks as the Penguins are also playing on back to back nights on the road and it was Matt Murray getting the start and the loss last night. If he is back in goal, he would be right up at the top of my list with Gibson as top cash game options but it is likely we will see rookie Casey DeSmith who has called up on Monday after Antti Niemi was put on waivers after his disastrous start vs. the Capitals. DeSmith has been solid for the Wilkes-Barrie/Scranton Penguins of the AHL this season winning all three starts he has made with a .98 GAA and .965 save %. It would be hard to trust him in cash games until we see how he performs at the highest level but with his low to mid $7K price tag, could make a solid GPP option. For the Jets, it's unclear who will get the start but early indications from some sources are Steve Mason getting another start after his best start of the season where he allowed just two goals in an overtime loss. It has been a disappointing start for the newly acquired goalie as before that last start he had allowed five or more goals in his first three starts. I won't be touching Mason but if Connor Hellebuyck gets the nod I will be considering him in all formats. Through his first five start, he has recorded four wins and an overtime loss with an impressive .931 save percentage.

In the Capitals/Flames game Sunday night, it is unlikely we see Braden Holtby back in net after starting in Edmonton last night and I won't be touching his backup, Philipp Grubauer, as he has been awful in his three starts losing all three and allowing 15 goals against. For the Flames, it is very likely we see Mike Smith between the pipes and overall he has been solid with a 5-5 record and .927 save percentage. The issue with him is that he has really struggled at home going 1-4 with a 3.16 GAA and poor .891 save percentage.

All things considered, the ugly goalie situation today has me leaning to play a few GPP lineups only and avoiding cash games altogether.

CENTERS

Ryan Getzlaf FD - $7200 DK - $6900
Opponent - CAR
Proj Pts FD - 14.1 DK - 3.91

On a small slate and with my eyes squarely on Alex Ovechkin tonight, I will be taking the slight discount off the Penguins Crosby and Malkin and rolling with Ryan Getzlaf. He started out the season dealing with an injury but is finally healthy and contributing in a big way for the Ducks. He is coming off a three-assist performance last night in a huge win over the leagues best team in the Tampa Bay Lightning and now has three multi-point efforts in his five games played.

Stack with: Corey Perry, Rickard Rakell

Mikael Backlund FD - $5600 DK - $4700
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 11.7 DK - 3.36

In the value range, I will be turning to Michael Backlund who will likely be facing the Caps backup goalie Philipp Grubauer. Backlund's fantasy game has been picking up steam lately as he has recorded three points and 15 shots over his last four games after recording just five shots total in the previous four games. He gets plenty of ice time as he is averaging just over 19 minutes for the season and skates on the second line and powerplay unit for the Flames.

Stack with: Matthew Tkachuk, Michael Frolik

WINGERS

Alex Ovechkin FD - $8600 DK - $7700
Opponent - CGY
Proj Pts FD - 16.39 DK - 4.8

Ovi didn't add to his goal totals last night but was very instrumental in a win over the Oilers in Edmonton. After going down 2-0 in the first period, Ovi assisted on Devante Smith-Pelly's goal with 18 seconds left to get the game close before the break. He then added two more assists in the game and also added five shots for a huge fantasy game. He has one of the highest floors in the league averaging over five shots per game and also has one of the highest ceilings as well with his elite goal scoring(10 in 11 games). He is my top overall player on the day and safe in all formats.

Stack with: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom(PP)

Jeff Skinner FD - $6700 DK - $5900
Opponent - ANA
Proj Pts FD - 15.4 DK - 4.41

Even on a small slate, there is enough value out there to be able to fit Skinner with Getzlaf and Ovi and that is just what I am going to do. His price continues to hover in the value mid-tier thanks to the Hurricanes overall offense that ranks in the bottom 10 in the league. It's Skinner that carries that offense, however, as he has tallied eight points in nine goals including at least one in four of his last five. He is also a safe play in all formats thanks to his shot volume as he is averaging over three shots on goal per game.

Stack with: Derek Ryan, Justin Williams

Also Consider: Phil Kessel(PIT) in all formats and Chris Wagner(ANH) as a punt play

DEFENSEMEN

John Carlson FD - $5200 DK - $5200
Opponent - CGY
Proj Pts FD - 12.28 DK - 3.74

Despite John Carlson's hot start to the season, he is still embedded in the low $5K range on both sites making him a top target, especially on a small slate. Not only does he have points in two straight and in eight of the Caps 11 games this season, but he has also provided us with an elite floor lately as he has recorded 24 shots over his last four games(6 per games) with 10 blocks.

Josh Morrissey FD - $3800 DK - $3500
Opponent - PIT
Proj Pts FD - 7.79 DK - 2.3

As I always do, I will be turning the second defense spot to save a ton of salary in an effort to pay up for multiple high-end players with big upside(ie. Getzlaf, Ovi). Today it's Josh Morrissey of the Jets who gives us little to no offensive upside with just three points on the season but he has been very consistent for the price averaging over two blocks per game and has also added 15 shots on goal.

Also Consider: Francois Beauchemin(ANH), Olli Maatta(PIT)

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.