Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, right, of Russia, is congratulated by center Steven Stamkos after scoring against the Los Angeles Kings during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker)
Welcome back daily fantasy hockey fans. With a third big slate in four calendar days, we have no afternoon games today and instead of listing the teams playing on back to back nights it would take much less time to mention the three(MON, CHI, FLA) who are working on two days off and should be well rested. Let's jump right into the article and take a look at my 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.
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 15.31 DK - 3.83
Looking at slate, there are a ton of the top goalies who have been struggling lately so I chose the one who I feel has the best shot at bouncing back tonight. Allen has only posted a .906 save % over his last 10 games but on the back of the offense in front of him has been able to tally a 7-3 record and now sits in a prime spot Saturday night. Both teams could be fatigued playing in back to backs and a third game in four nights but the Wild are also playing their fourth game of the week as well. This could lead to a low-scoring game and with the Blues sparkling 8-2 home record, I feel it gives Allen a great shot at another win. I will be using him in all formats as my top goalie tonight.
Opponent - BUF
Proj Pts FD - 15.25 DK - 3.81
He's back! Price was removed from the injured reserve and will be making his first start for the Habs since the start of the month. He is definitely a GPP only play as there could be rust and he struggled early on but I want to buy low on this superstar goaltender before we see his price up in the elite tier. The Habs definitely need a boost after losing five straight and six of their last seven games and Price can provide that tonight with a solid effort and the good news is he gets a plus matchup vs. the lowly Sabres who sit at the bottom of the Conference standings and rank second to last in offensive output.
Also Consider: Jonathan Quick(LAK)
Opponent - PIT
Proj Pts FD - 17.69 DK - 5.21
The Lightning had a tough matchup last night vs. Washington who have been playing better and it was actually only the third time all season Stamkos has failed to record a point. Look for him to get back on the horse tonight as the Bolts head to Pittsburgh to face a struggling Pens team that has lost three straight, giving up 11 goals and rank 28th overall in defense this season. Not only does offer huge upside for GPP's as he leads the league with 36 points, but he makes it easier to pay up for cash games as well as he is averaging 3.2 shots on goal per game.
Stack with: Nikita Kucherov, Vladislav Namestnikov
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 14.67 DK - 4.23
Schenn has been the hottest player in the league lately and while the Blues are currently being shut down on Friday night, I am going right back to the well on Saturday. Going into Friday night's game, he had a whopping 20 points over his last 10 games including five multi-point games and has to be thrilled centering the top line with sniper Vladimir Tarasenko. Even though he is averaging around three shots on goal per game, he is more of a GPP play tonight as he gets another tough matchup at home to the Wild who have been a Top 10 defense this season but the good news is they have allowed 17 goals against in their last five games.
Stack with: Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 10.16 DK - 3.13
Backstrom is never in the safety zone for cash games with his ultra-low shot volume but when talking about value plays tonight, he is right at the top of the list at the center position. He has re-joined the top line with Alex Ovechkin and has been heating up with points in three of his last four games. More good news as the Caps will face a Leafs team that has been prone to the Vegas Over this season and ranks 18th overall in defense. With Tom Wilson at punt prices on both sites it makes it much easier to stack the top line in GPP's and for an even higher stack, throw in T.J. Oshie who joins Ovi and Backstrom on the top powerplay unit.
Stack with: Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson
Also Consider: William Karlsson(VEG)
Opponent - FLA
Proj Pts FD - 15.25 DK - 4.25
Despite heating up lately with points in five straight and seven of his last nine games, Kane's price has remained at a discount from the top options in Kucherov, Ovechkin, and Tarasenko and that alone makes him a top target at the position. Then you add the fact that he is averaging 3.5 shots per game on the season and has even seen an uptick lately(3.8 per game), you can most definitely consider him in all formats tonight facing a Panthers team that ranks 27th in defense allowing 35.7 shots and 3.43 goals per game.
Stack with: Artem Anisimov, Nick Schmaltz, Brandon Saad(PP)
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 15.69 DK - 4.56
I wrote about Hall for Wednesday's games and while he didn't pick a point in a 3-2 loss to the Bruins, he did give us the floor I talked about with six shots on goal. That is what makes him a constant target at the moment is that elite shot volume as he sits Top 10 in the league with 78 shots and has seen a big uptick lately averaging 4.3 per game. The offense is a bit inconsistent but don't mistake it for a lack of upside as he is averaging over a point per game and when he gets on the board it comes in bunches. He gets a nice matchup tonight vs. the Red Wings who before Friday night had given up 10 goals in their last two games and rank mid-pack in defense for the season. All things considered, Hall is a great play in all formats.
Stack with: Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt
Opponent - BUF
Proj Pts FD - 10.94 DK - 3.18
Gallagher is the definition of a GPP play as he has been very inconsistent and the Habs are set on a very balanced ice-time share between all four lines. The good news is that he is a goal scorer and leads the team with nine on the season and gets an elite matchup tonight vs. the Sabres who are playing on back to back nights and a third game in four nights and best of all rank 30th overall in defense allowing 3.55 goals per game. Gallagher missed practice on Friday but his status isn't in question as it was apparently a maintenance day according to the Habs Twitter account. He is in play in GPP formats on both sites but his best value comes on DraftKings where he continues to ride in the mid $4K range.
Stack with: Charles Hudon, Tomas Plekanec
Also Consider: Tyler Toffoli(LAK)
DEFENSEMEN
Opponent - TOR
Proj Pts FD - 13.85 DK - 3.75
If you are planning on paying up at the position tonight, you can't go wrong with John Carlson of the Caps who gives us a little bit of everything we are looking for from a fantasy perspective. He skates over 26 minutes per game on the top unit and is also a staple on #1 powerplay unit while giving us a high floor with an average of three shots per game and also does not shy away from blocking shots with 35 on the season. The upside is also there as Carlson has tallied nine points over his last 10 games including seven on the powerplay. With a price under $6K on both sites, he is safe in all formats.
Opponent - OTT
Proj Pts FD - 10.8 DK - 3.21
I seem to have this thing where I find a value D man and ride with him until he falls off completely and right now that player is Johnny Boychuk. Like I have said many times, he doesn't give us a ton of upside but has been on a nice run lately with five points in his last 10 games. What he does provide is some salary relief on both sites while giving a very nice balance of shots and blocks for a high floor. All things considered, he is safe in all formats tonight once again.
Also Consider: Alec Martinez(LAK), Aaron Ekblad(FLA)
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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NHL sheet for today:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pJnYu_HozTBiuxr3otK4_gnk0WHgbx0TeyIyK0y3ENE/edit?usp=sharing