Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 12/8/17

Hello hockey fans and welcome to another exciting day of NHL action here at DFSR. Today, we have five games in total, which isn't a big slate by any means, but there are some nice picks in store for us, so let's get started, shall we?

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

Cory Schneider FD - $8300 DK - $7900
Opponent - CBJ
Proj Pts FD - 16.42 DK - 4.1

Let's start off with a veteran tender who has always been a good and sometimes great goalie, but he's been a victim of playing on some awful teams for most of his career. This year has been a huge exception so far as the Devils just passed the Blue Jackets for first place in the Metropolitan Division after defeating them 4-1 in Columbus two nights ago with Schneider stopping 41 of 42 shots. Well, tonight is a rematch between these two teams and the Devils have a good shot of sweeping the home and home series as the Jackets are ranked 24th in offense(2.75 goals per game) and Schneider is 4-1-1 with only two goals allowed in his last two games and 11 in his last six. Lock him and load him in all formats folks.

Braden Holtby FD - $9100 DK - $8200
Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 13.82 DK - 3.45

While he is a great goalie playing at home this evening, Holtby has a very tough matchup as the Rangers are ranked 6th offensively while scoring 3.33 goals per game. This means that he should go under the radar today which makes him a very attractive GPP play as he is 4-1 in his last four games with a .932 save % in his last two victories. Look for the Capitals' surging offense to give Holtby some goal support this evening and he could help you win a tournament or two.

Also Consider: Anton Forsberg (CHI) who hasn't been great, but he faces Buffalo's league-worst offense(2.14 goals per game).

CENTERS

Jonathan Toews FD - $6300 DK - $6100
Opponent - BUF
Proj Pts FD - 10.31 DK - 3.03

This guy has been forever known as a superstar two-way player for the Hawks, but he has really stepped up his game from an offensive standpoint recently as he has two goals, an assist, and 10 shots in his last three games. Tonight, the lowly Sabres and their third-worst defense crawl into town, so look for Toews and company to score a few goals which make him a solid play in all formats.

Stack with: Ryan Hartman, Alex DeBrincat (PP)

Adam Henrique FD - $4800 DK - $4700
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 10.5 DK - 3.09

I recommended this guy last game and he made me look smart(I need all of the help that I can get) as he scored two goals on six shots which now gives him at least a point in his first four games with his new team(two goals, five assists). He centers the #1 line and the #1 powerplay unit for the Ducks and he has averaged 19.5 minutes of ice-time in his last four games, so we should take advantage of these cheap prices while we can. Fire Henrique up in all formats against an average Minnesota defense.

Stack with: Corey Perry, Rickard Rakell

Also Consider: Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH) GPP formats only

WINGERS

Alex Ovechkin FD - $8700 DK - $8000
Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 18.69 DK - 5.4

The Great Eight has burned me a couple of times this season, but I am going back to the well again which is an easy decision with a small slate on tap for us and the Russian superstar has been on fire lately with three goals, four assists, and a whopping 14 shots in his last three games. The Rangers are ranked 16th defensively with 2.96 goals allowed per game, so there is nothing to fear here for The Capitals offense. Ovechkin is an elite play in all formats and fade him at your own risk, which could end up being very dangerous.

Stack with: Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson

Viktor Arvidsson FD - $6000 DK - $6500
Opponent - VEG
Proj Pts FD - 13.79 DK - 4.06

After Ovechkin, the winger position isn't easy to figure out, but this guy stands out a little bit as he has two assists, nine shots and four blocks in his last three games and 19 points, 90 shots, and 26 blocks in his first 28 games of the season. I'm currently not a fan of any of the Predators forwards in cash games as their lines have been scattered all over the place, but one thing that has remained together has been their #1 powerplay with this guy playing a huge part of it, so fire him up in a few of your GPP lineups this evening against Vegas and their 20th ranked defense.

Stack with: Filip Forsberg(PP), Craig Smith(PP)

Jesper Bratt FD - $4400 DK - $4500
Opponent - CBJ
Proj Pts FD - 7.97 DK - 2.31

I like Taylor Hall, but he's too expensive tonight for my liking because of the fact that the Devils are squaring off against the Jackets and their third-ranked defense, which is held together by the great Sergei Bobrovsky. Like I said above, the Devils defeated the Jackets 4-1 last game and I believe that they will score a couple of goals again this evening, so enter Jesper Bratt who plays alongside Hall and Nico Hischier. The young winger had a goal and an assist last game and he has three goals and two assists in his last four and although he averages just under two shots per game, I think we can consider him in all formats at these cheap prices as a salary relief option.

Stack with: Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier

Also Consider: Patrick Kane (CHI) Cash game formats, Evander Kane (BUF), GPP formats. 

DEFENSEMEN

Mattias Ekholm FD - $4700 DK - $4900
Opponent - VEG
Proj Pts FD - 11.18 DK - 3.39

This guy is overshadowed by Roman Josi and P.K. Subban in Nashville, but he is cheap on both sites and he has put up some nice fantasy numbers lately. In his last two games, he has three assists, three shots, and seven blocks and he is first among defensemen with four powerplay goals and third with six goals while averaging 25 minutes of ice-time per game. Lock and load Ekholm in all formats.

Matt Niskanen FD - $4300 DK - $3700
Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 7.53 DK - 2.21

While this veteran workhorse doesn't offer much upside, he offers a ton of safety as he has two assists, 13 shots, and eight blocks in his last four games while averaging 22.5 minutes of ice-time, so make sure he's in your cash game lineups this evening my friends.

Also Consider: John Carlson (WSH)

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