New Jersey Devils' Taylor Hall passes the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Welcome back hockey fans. Tonight we have an eight-game slate with some tough matchups as six of the Top 10 defenses are in action but that doesn't mean there aren't some great plays for DFS. Let's dig in and take a look at some of them 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 - CAR
Proj Pts FD - 15.11 DK - 3.75
With both Brian Elliott and Michael Neuvirth going on the IR recently, the Flyers made a trade last week for Petr Mrazek. So far it has proved to be a terrific move as he has been stellar in three starts with his new team allowing just four goals total(.950 save %) and is coming off a shutout of the Canadiens in Montreal last time out. He hasn't been facing a ton of shots as the Flyers defense has been playing well but he does get a nice matchup tonight vs. the Hurricanes who have dropped six straight games scoring just nine total goals. Fire up Mrazek in all formats.
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 14.41 DK - 3.6
I don't think we have to pay all the way up for Dubnyk tonight if Mrazek is confirmed between the pipes for the Flyers at a discount but if you have the salary to do it, he is safe in all formats. Dubnyk has won four straight starts and is 7-1-2 in his last 10 with a .929 save % and while the Wild have struggled on the road, they get a plus matchup vs. the Coyotes and their 30th ranked home offense.
**Update - Alex Stalock will start for the WIld and is a GPP consideration**
Opponent - TB
Proj Pts FD - 15.94 DK - 4.67
We have some tough matchups at the to of the center position tonight so lead things off I will go with a guy who provides elite shot volume. Seguin sits fourth in the league in shots with 247(3.9 per game) and with goals in three straight games, now has 32 on the season with 55 points. He has also been much better on home ice this season with 36 of his points have come away from Dallas with an average of 4.2 shots per game. The matchup is not the greatest as the Lightning are a Top 5 defense on the road but Malkin, Crosby, and McDavid also have tough matchups and less safety. Considering the tough matchup, I will only be using Seguin in GPP formats tonight.
PP Stack with: Jamie Benn, Alexander Radulov
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 16.29 DK - 4.62
Next up, I will roll out a center who has not only been red hot lately but also gets the best matchup on the board. Over his last 10 games, Staal has tallied 10 goals and 16 points and is averaging a point per game on the season as he leads the Wild with 64. He has also seen an uptick in shots lately with 31 in those last 10 games which gives him some safety for cash games. To top it off, he gets a plus matchup vs. basement dwelling Coyotes and their 27th ranked defense. Staal is safe in all formats.
Stack with: Jason Zucker, Mikael Granlund
Opponent - CBJ
Proj Pts FD - 11.09 DK - 3.25
The price is going up fast, especially on FanDuel, as Carter has made his return from the injured reserve but if you are looking for some value at the position he provides it tonight. He has now scored in back to back games and in three games since his return to the lineup, Carter has tallied 18 shots on goal giving him a monstrous floor. While the matchup doesn't seem ideal consider that the Blue Jackets drop from a Top 5 defense on home ice to a middle of the pack defense(16th) on the road. I will have exposure to Carter in all formats tonight, especially on DraftKings where he is still in the mid $5K range.
Stack with: Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson
Opponent - FLA
Proj Pts FD - 17.9 DK - 5.19
I thought I would try and be smart last game and fade Taylor Hall against the 3rd ranked home defense of the Penguins and got burned as Hall extended his streak to an incredible 22 games in a Devils 3-2 win. During that streak, he has tallied nine multi-point games for 32 total points and is averaging just over four shots per game which gives him a sky-high floor and ceiling. Tonight he gets a much better matchup to try and extend that streak to 23 against the Panthers who have actually been worse defensively at home ranking 27th in that area. All things considered, Hall is a player you should be trying to jam into your lineups in all formats.
Stack with: Kyle Palmieri, Nico Hischier
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 12.93 DK - 3.85
Kane looked good in his first game with the Sharks since coming over in a trade as he tallied two assists in just over 16 minutes of ice-time. He skated on the top line with Joe Pavelski and also got over two minutes on the top powerplay line. The best part about him, in my opinion, is the safety he provides as he has tallied 35 shots in his last 10 games and sits fifth overall with 229 shots on the season(3.7 per game). Normally this matchup would be somewhat fadeable but not this season as the Blackhawks have been bad and even worse on the road as they drop from 12th to 17th in defense. At these prices, I will be using him in all formats tonight.
Stack with: Joe Pavelski, Joonas Donskoi
Opponent - EDM
Proj Pts FD - 11.98 DK - 3.45
Despite coming into tonight with an eight-game point streak, Craig Smith's salary remains in the mid $5K range on both sites giving him elite PTS/$ value. I am not too concerned that he has been better on home ice this season as he is coming off a terrible matchup vs. the Jets 5th ranked home defense where he scored two goals and is now playing an Oilers team that ranks 30th overall in home defense allowing 3.53 goals per game. What always grabs my attention the most with Smith is the near-elite shot volume he provides as he averages right around three shots per game on the season. Fire him up in all formats.
Stack with: Kyle Turris, Kevin Fiala
DEFENSEMEN
Opponent - TB
Proj Pts FD - 9.22 DK - 2.72
I am going back to a dual value play strategy at the defense position tonight and it once again starts with Stephen Johns. He has exhibited his high floor in recent performances as he has managed to average 3.3 DraftKings/10.7 FanDuel points per game over his last three games with 11 blocks and nine shots while failing to record a point. With minimal upside, he is best used in cash games but also works as a salary relief option to get multiple top forwards in your lineup.
Opponent - BOS
Proj Pts FD - 8.1 DK - 2.34
Ryan has mentioned this guy multiple times over the last week or so and tonight I will dip my toes in the water. While Johns gives us a high floor with a balance of shots and blocks, Dumoulin gives us upside for GPP formats as he comes in with points in four straight games while skating on the top pairing with Kris Letang and getting over 20 minutes of ice-time per game. With a price in the sub $4K range on both sites, I think he makes a nice option in all formats, especially on DraftKings at $3,200.
Also Consider: Shayne Gostisbehere(PHI) in GPP formats if you are looking to pay up at the position
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 Thursday. Odds and highlighted plays will be updated in am.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1V6J3NC31ZC46b6GygDCokPAj9m5URk1n5Arq1QJrLrg/edit?usp=sharing
This is… without a doubt the worst daily fantasy site. I have put your lineups in at least 3 times a week and have done horribly. A retarded cat could pick better players than you can