Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 12/27/17

Hello hockey fans and welcome to an exciting day of NHL action here at DFSR. After a three-day Holiday break, we have a massive 11-game slate this evening and obviously all teams will be well rested, so it should make for a lot of fast-paced action. We have a few weak defenses to pick on as well as some high-scoring offenses to target, so let's not waste any more time and dive right into the picks 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

Tuukka Rask FD - $8400 DK - $8400
Opponent - OTT
Proj Pts FD - 14.35 DK - 3.59

The former Stanley Cup Champ has been nearly equivalent to a brick wall lately as he has reeled off three wins in a row while allowing only four goals and he has a magnificent 8-0-1 record in his last 10 games. After a terrible start to the season, he has now brought his GAA all the way down to 2.28 which is fifth best in the league and I simply cannot see the Senators and their 23rd ranked offense(2.75 goals per game) having much of a chance this evening against a talented Bruins squad. With all of these things considered, Rask is an elite play and my top goalie in all formats.

Semyon Varlamov FD - $7600 DK - $7600
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 14.11 DK - 3.48

If we want to win a tournament or two(I think that is the idea), then we need to separate ourselves from the competition and choose a goalie who is in a good matchup but should be lower owned. Enter "Varly" who is a very talented goalie that plays on a team who has had a lot of growing pains, but finally seems to be heading in the right direction. The Russian tender is 3-0-1 in his last four games while allowing only seven goals and a matchup against the Coyotes and their 30th ranked offense(2.18 goals per game), is a very juicy one. While I will be using Rask in 100% of my cash game lineups, Varlamov is a great contrarian play for your tourney lineups this evening.

CENTERS

John Tavares FD - $8800 DK - $7800
Opponent - BUF
Proj Pts FD - 17.28 DK - 4.93

When analyzing a slate on any given night, there are guys who we can consider playing and guys who we would be crazy to fade. "Johnny T" falls into the latter category tonight as he has been playing like a man possessed lately(it just happens to be his contract year). The superstar center has 30 points in 17 home games this season and he is on an impressive seven-game point streak with four goals, 11 assists, and 27 shots and he is first amongst centers with 21 goals. What makes my mouth water, even more, today is the fact that the Sabres allow a fourth-worst 3.32 goals per game, so look for a high-scoring game in New York and Tavares is an elite play in all formats.

Stack with: Josh Bailey, Anders Lee

Patrice Bergeron FD - $7400 DK - $7000
Opponent - OTT
Proj Pts FD - 14.8 DK - 4.48

Not only do the Senators struggle offensively, but they also struggle defensively as they allow 3.28 goals per game(fifth-worst in the league). The veteran Canadian center has 10 points and a whopping 42 shots in his last 10 games and two goals and 13 shots in his last two. The Bruins' top line is one of the most dangerous in the league and Bergeron also centers the #1 powerplay unit. I will try my best to fit both him and Tavares into my cash game lineups on both sites and fire this guy up with his line-mates in GPP formats.

Stack with: Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak

Leon Draisaitl FD - $6400 DK - $5000
Opponent - WPG
Proj Pts FD - 14.32 DK - 4.01

The young German star has been playing well lately as he is on a four-game point streak with seven assists to go along with 13 shots on goal. Superstar Connor McDavid took a 100 MPH slapshot off of the foot last game and he looks doubtful to play against the Jets this evening, which makes this guy a very attractive play especially over at Draftkings where is way too cheap. The Jets have allowed 11 goals in their last three games and they are still without their top point man Dustin Byfuglien. If McDavid misses this game(which is very likely), then Draisaitl is an elite play on Draftkings in all formats and a solid play over at FanDuel in all formats.

Stack with: To be decided

Also Consider: Jack Eichel(BUF), Matt Barzal(NYI). Both in all formats at different price points. 

WINGERS

Taylor Hall FD - $7400 DK - $7100
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 15.69 DK - 4.56

A big reason why the Devils are atop of the Metropolitan division is because of this young superstar who seems to be more than willing to carry the young Devils squad on his back. In his last two games, Hall has a goal and an assist and has 14 shots in his last three, and the offense runs through him on the top line and the #1 powerplay unit. The Red Wings are tied for seventh-worst defensively as they allow 3.20 goals per game, so look for Hall to find the score-sheet this evening and fire him up in all formats.

Stack with: Nico Hischier, Kyle Palmieri

Mikko Rantanen FD - $6000 DK - $5000
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 13.65 DK - 3.42

Draftkings is just simply under-pricing a few players and this guy easily falls into that category as he's $1,000 cheaper there than on FanDuel. The young Finnish winger is on a lengthy six-game point streak with a goal and six assists, and he also has 17 shots on goal during that time. It is a smart idea to roster players against the Coyotes who are ranked 30th in the league defensively while allowing 3.47 goals per game, and Rantanen plays on the #1 line and the #1 powerplay unit for the Avalanche, so he is a great play on Draftkings and a solid play on FanDuel in all formats.

Stack with: Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog

Nikolaj Ehlers FD - $5700 DK - $5900
Opponent - EDM
Proj Pts FD - 13.92 DK - 3.56

Here we have a guy who is priced too cheap on FanDuel and still reasonable on DraftKings as he was promoted to the top line three games ago. In those three games, the Danish winger has two goals, two assists, and 12 shots on goal, and he also sees time on the #2 powerplay unit for the Jets. The Oilers are ranked 21st in defense while allowing 3.11 goals per game, so at these cheap prices and his recent promotion, lock and load Ehlers in all formats.

Stack with: Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele

Also Consider: Daniel Carr(MON) Punt play, Vladimir Tarasenko(NSH) GPP formats. 

DEFENSEMEN

Johnny Boychuk FD - $4500 DK - $4800
Opponent - BUF
Proj Pts FD - 10.67 DK - 3.17

Chris and I have been saying the word value over and over again this season, but we can't stress how important it is so that we can save money here and spend up at the forward positions. The veteran work-horse recorded an assist last game, but where his value lies is in his peripheral stats where he has 25 shots in his last six games and 12 blocks in his last four, and he averages 23 minutes of ice-time per game. Fire Boychuk up in all formats this evening against an awful Sabres defense.

Cody Ceci FD - $3800 DK - $3300
Opponent - BOS
Proj Pts FD - 8.78 DK - 2.83

I know that I recommended Rask today, but Ceci is just way too cheap on both sites to pass up as he has been a human machine on the ice lately. Even if Rask shuts the Senators out tonight, this guy can still produce for us as evidenced last game where although he didn't record a point, he still fired eight shots on net and blocked six shots which easily exceeded his value over and over again. In his last five games, Ceci has two goals, 19 shots, and 15 blocks, so he's as safe as they come at these prices and start your cash game lineups tonight by locking this guy in and then spend up at other positions.

Also Consider: Kris Russel(EDM) Cash game formats, P.K Subban(NSH) GPP formats only.

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.