Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 2/19/18

Hello hockey fans and welcome to another day of NHL action here at DFSR. Today, we have six games in total with both sites splitting their slates into three games for each and Fanduel is offering an all day slate as well. The first game starts at 1 pm et. and it looks like it is going to be an interesting day, so let's take a look at some 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

EARLY
Braden Holtby FD - $8900 DK - $8400
Opponent - BUF
Proj Pts FD - 14.38 DK - 3.6
Philipp Grubauer FD - $7700 DK - $8300
Opponent - BUF
Proj Pts FD - 14.94 DK - 3.74

It is difficult to gauge who is going to start this game as this will be the Capitals' first game of a back-to-back, so make sure that you check who is starting tomorrow before you set your lineups. Either goalie hasn't been great lately, but the other options for this slate aren't pretty, to say the least. The Sabres don't really know how to score goals as they're ranked dead last in the league in offense with 2.40 goals per game and they're even worse at home with 2.25 per game. The Capitals are simply on a different level than the Sabres, so on a tiny-slate like this, the Capitals' goalie looks like the best option in all formats.

Also Consider: Jaroslav Halak(NYI) GPP formats

LATE

Pekka Rinne FD - $8800 DK - $8400
Opponent - OTT
Proj Pts FD - 20.1 DK - 5.02

I recommended this guy last game and the Predators started their backup, but it looks like they will be going with Rinne today as they are about to face the Senators, who are just plain bad at hockey and they own the league's 24th ranked offense. The veteran workhorse has been terrific this season with a 29-9-4 record to go along with a .925 save %, five shutouts, and a respectable 2.36 GAA. The Predators are listed as -235 favorites. so they should dominate this game from puck drop making Rinne an elite play in all formats.

Also Consider: Marc-Andre Fleury(VEG)

CENTERS

EARLY

Patrice Bergeron FD - $8200 DK - $7400
Opponent - CGY
Proj Pts FD - 17.65 DK - 5.11

Although the Bruins put up a stinker last game in Vancouver, the superstar center still has an impressive five goals, two assists, and 21 shots in his last five games to give him an exact average of one point per game so far this season, which gives him a high ceiling. Bergeron also averages 3.65 shots per game which gives him an elite floor, so lock him and load him in all formats against a Flames team who has given up 14 goals in their last three games.

Stack with: Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak

Also Consider: John Tavares(NYI)

LATE

Anze Kopitar FD - $7500 DK - $7100
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 13.66 DK - 3.97

This guy is one of the most underrated players around, but I don't know why as he keeps producing solid numbers year in and year out. In his last five games, Kopitar has four goals, two assists, and 17 shots and he scored two goals against the Sabres last time out, so fire him up in all formats against a Hawks team who has lost eight of their last nine while allowing 33 goals during that span.

Stack with: Dustin Brown, Aaron Iafallo

Also Consider: Jonathan Toews(CHI)

WINGERS

EARLY

Tom Wilson FD - $4700 DK - $4200
Opponent - BUF
Proj Pts FD - 7.44 DK - 2.1
Of course, we know that Alex Ovechkin is a great play, but he is very expensive, so let's talk about one of his partners in crime, Tom Wilson. The veteran winger is in a great spot lined up beside Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom and he has been hot of late with three goals and two assists in his last three games to go along with six shots and four blocks. What sweetens the deal today, is the fact that the Sabres own the league's fourth-worst defense, so we need exposure to the Capitals and fire up Wilson in all formats at these cheap prices.

Stack with: Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom

Also Consider: Jason Zucker(MIN)

LATE

Reilly Smith FD - $6400 DK - $6600
Opponent - ANA
Proj Pts FD - 9.34 DK - 2.72

This young man is on quite a roll lately as he is on a lengthy seven-game point streak with five goals and seven assists to go along with 12 shots in his last three. He most recently torched the Habs for two goals and an assist, so even though the Ducks own the league's 10th ranked defense, Smith looks unstoppable at the moment, so he makes for an elite play in all formats.

Stack with: Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson

Also Consider: Craig Smith(NSH)

DEFENSEMEN

EARLY

Matt Dumba FD - $4600 DK - $4900
Opponent - NYI
Proj Pts FD - 9.45 DK - 2.79

This early slate is a tough one today, but there are still a few decent plays and even though Dumba is pointless in his last three games, he has 12 shots and eight blocks during that span which give him a solid floor for cash games and he has 31 points in 58 games which gives him upside against the Islanders and their league-worst defense.

Also Consider: John Carlson(WSH)

LATE

Deryk Engelland FD - $3900 DK - $3700
Opponent - ANA
Proj Pts FD - 6.78 DK - 1.98

I like how this guy plays the game and any single team anywhere would be lucky to have him aboard. He is too cheap for what he provides as he has three assists in as many games to go along five shots and eight blocks, so lock and load the big fella in all formats folks.

Also Consider: Roman Josi(NSH)

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.