Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 10/26/18

Welcome back hockey fans. Saturday starts with an early four-game slate(three on DraftKings) followed by a seven-game main slate starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. For this article, I will be concentrating on the main slate so let's jump in and take a look at some of the top plays at each position.

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GOALIE

Tuukka Rask FD - $8400 DK - $8200
Opponent - MON
Proj Pts FD - 14.38 DK - 3.6

It has been a rough start to the season for Rask who entered his last start with an ugly .875 save % but bounced back in a big way in Ottawa on Tuesday saving 38 of 39 shots picking up his third win of the season. He has already been confirmed for Saturday's tilt at home against the Canadiens who have been a surprise story early in the season with a 5-2-2 record but only sit middle of the pack in offense(3.2 goals per game) and don't have a ton of firepower after trading away Pacioretty and Galchenyuk in the offseason. The Bruins are big -180 favorites and Rask is my top goalie in all formats tonight.

Louis Domingue FD - $7600 DK - $8100
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 16.61 DK - 4.15

The goalie position is not very intriguing tonight and is the reason why I am taking the savings and rolling with Domingue despite the Lightning playing on a back to back and third game in four nights. It will be his third start of the season and he has been very impressive early on as the backup stopping 71 of 76 shots(.934 save%) and winning both of his starts against the Blackhawks and Hurricanes. He and the Bolts now go into Arizona to face a Coyotes team that ranks 30th in offense scoring just 2.00 goals per game. There is some risk here but with his price and matchup, I will be using Domingue in all formats tonight.

Also Consider: Corey Crawford(CHI) who has been terrific lately allowing just three goals in his last three starts

CENTERS

Jack Eichel FD - $7300 DK - $6300
Opponent - CBJ
Proj Pts FD - 11.87 DK - 4.5

There is a collection of superstar centers on this slate but I am going to go down the list into the second tier and roll with Jack Eichel as my top PTS/$ play at the position tonight. Despite the Sabres struggling on offense overall(25th), Eichel has been terrific with nine points in 10 games(three on the PP) and has provided a sky-high floor averaging 4.2 shots on goal per game on over 20 minutes of ice-time. The matchup also stands out as the Blue Jackets have been a near disaster on defense giving up four goals in each of their last three games and three or more goals in six straight. Fire up Eichel in all formats tonight.

Stack with: Jeff Skinner, Jason Pominville

Evgeni Malkin FD - $8700 DK - $7300
Opponent - VAN
Proj Pts FD - 15.11 DK - 5.75

Malkin hasn't provided the highest high floor with his shot volume early in the season as he is averaging under two shots on goal per game but the upside has been through the roof as he comes into tonight with a league-high 12 assists and 15 total points. He and the red-hot Penguins who have won three straight games scoring 18 total goals now face a Canucks team that has been up and down but have allowed four or more goals five times already this season. Even with the lower shot volume, I can think we can target Malkin in cash games if you have the salary left over to do so as the Pens are the biggest favorites on the board tonight.

Stack with: Phil Kessel, Carl Hagelin

Also Consider: Eric Staal(MIN)

WINGERS

Patrick Kane FD - $8600 DK - $7400
Opponent - STL
Proj Pts FD - 15.63 DK - 6.28

It was a sweat with Kane and Debrincat in Thursday's game against the Rangers as we had to wait until the final five minutes for both of them to get their goals. The good news for cash games is that Kane fired another five shots on net in that contest and continues to lead the league with 53(5.3 per game) on the season. It's another tough decision on what winger to build around tonight with Pastrnak, Kyucherov, and Kessel but I am leaning Kane with that shot volume and the matchup against the struggling Blues who have lost five of their last six games and rank 29th overall in defense allowing four goals per game.

Stack with: Brandon Saad, Artem Anisimov, Duncan Keith(PP)

Zach Parise FD - $6600 DK - $5800
Opponent - COL
Proj Pts FD - 11.72 DK - 4.99

If you are looking to go a more balanced approach tonight, Parise is a terrific option. Not only has he provided a high floor averaging over three shots and 19 minutes of ice-time per game but he has also shown his huge upside with 11 points in nine games for the Wild who have been just average offensively. The matchup may look great tonight against the league's #1 defense but the Avalanche are playing on a back to back, a third game in four nights, and fourth game of the week. With a price in the mid-range on both sites, Parise is in play in all formats.

Stack with: Mikko Koivo, Mikael Granlund

Also Consider: Cam Atkinson(CBJ) in all formats with his shot volume, Nikolaj Ehlers(WPG) under $5K on both sites and skating top line

DEFENSEMEN

Vince Dunn FD - $3900 DK - $5400
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 6.74 DK - 3.49

Dunn is coming off another strong performance where he tallied a season-high 24 minutes of ice-time and with an assist now has points in three of his last four games. The opportunity is everything we are looking for from a fantasy D-man as he is skating on the top even strength and powerplay unit for the Blues and averaging just under three shots on goal per game. The price has come up into the mid $5K range on DraftKings making the decision for cash games a little tougher tonight but on FanDuel he is still grossly underpriced under $4K and safe in all formats. 

Ian Cole FD - $3700 DK - $3900
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 5.9 DK - 2.72

Ian Cole is in no way a sexy play as he offers little to no upside with just three points through 11 games but what he does provide is a high floor at a sub $4K price tag on both sites. He is averaging over 19 minutes of ice-time and while almost none of that comes on the powerplay he is getting over four minutes per game on the top short-handed unit which is leading to a ton of blocked shots(31) and a very high floor considering the price tag. Most of all on a bigger seven-game slate, he helps us get to multiple studs at the forward position.

Also Consider: Josh Morrissey(WPG), Duncan Keith(CHI)

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