Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) skates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
After a somewhat quiet Wednesday night, we are back with a very busy Thursday night that includes 11 games. Let's jump in and take a look at some of the top plays at each position and then be sure to grab a copy of my DFS NHL Cheatsheet where I highlight all my top plays with advanced stats(via naturalstattrick.com)
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Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 14.71 DK - 3.68
When breaking down the elite teams in the league to this point, the Leafs are most definitely in the discussion at the top and in large part to their goaltending. Sure, the offense that ranks #2 overall has been huge but Frederik Andersen is having a career year as he leads all goalies in wins with 16, sits 7th in GAA(2.32) and have moved all the way up to 3rd with a .931 save %. The other thing that really stands out for fantasy purposes is the shot volume as he has faced 41 shots in three straight and an average of 33.5 per game on the season. Tonight he gets a plus matchup against the Red Wings who have dropped five of their last seven and rank 21st overall on offense for the season. Fire up Andersen in all formats once again tonight.
**Update - Garret Sparks is starting for the Leafs. Pivot to Pekka Rinne in cash games
Opponent - WAS
Proj Pts FD - 15.48 DK - 3.87
For GPP formats, Adin Hill presents a ton of value for a couple reasons starting with the value price in the $7K range on both sites. After a disappointing start for Tucson in the AHL this season(3.22 GAA, .871 save %), he was called up to Arizona and has quickly turned things around leading the Coyotes to four straight wins while allowing just two goals on 86 shots. He will likely be lower owned tonight as the Coyotes face the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals but they are a -110 favorite and Hill has already beat some good teams including Nashville and Minnesota. There is risk here but also a ton of upside at a projected low ownership and price which would allow us to stack almost any team we wish.
Also Consider: Pekka Rinne(NSH) in all formats against a struggling Canucks team that has lost 12 of their last 13 games and ranks 23rd on offense.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 14.67 DK - 5.64
If you are paying up for one player tonight, Auston Matthews is at the top of list tonight. After missing a month with a shoulder injury, he returned to action a week ago and picked up right where he left off with five goals in three games and now has 15 goals and 23 points in 14 games on the season. Not only does he have elite scoring upside with his scoring(5.1 high danger scoring chances per 60)but also gives us a high floor as he has 12 shots in those three games since his return and is averaging just over 3.5 per game on the season with a 21.1 iCorsi/60. Lock and load with Matthews and the Leafs offense tonight.
Stack with: Patrick Marleau, Kasperi Kapanen
Opponent - NJ
Proj Pts FD - 8.98 DK - 2.98
The Kings offense has been pretty terrible this season but on the other side, the Devils defense has been equally as bad. They rank 28th overall(3.5 goals against per game) and have been even worse on the road allowing 4.3 goals against per game leading to an awful 2-10-1 record. Kopitar presents a ton of value on this big slate and comes in hot with 12 points in his last 10 games(average of 4.1 DK/ and while the shot volume isn't where I would like it for cash games, he has four in each of his last two games and with his price is playable in all formats.
Stack with: Alex Iafallo, Dustin Brown
Also Consider: Max Domi(OTT) who has four points in two games against the Sens who rank dead last on defense allowing over four goals per game
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 12.42 DK - 5.72
Atkinson's price has hit a season-high on both sites but it doesn't really matter as he has been one of, if not the most productive fantasy player in the league lately. Over his last 10 games, he has tallied 12 goals and 18 points while averaging over four shots on goal per game. For the season, he is only four points out of the Top 10 in the league and is on one of the most productive lines as all three players(Panarin, Dubois) have 25 or more points. To make the play even more enticing tonight is the fact Atkinson and the Blue Jackets face a Flyers team that ranks 29th in defense(3.52 goals against per game). Even with a price tag that keeps going up, Atkinson remains a top PTS/$ play in all formats.
Stack with: Artemi Panarin, Pierre-Luc Dubois
Opponent - VAN
Proj Pts FD - 9.04 DK - 3.01
Even without Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson who are out with injuries, the Predators have managed to stay atop the Western Conference in large part to their elite depth. One of those depth players who has stepped up has been Kevin Fiala who jumped from the third line to the top line and has scored in three of their last four games and has recorded a point in five of his last six games. He is another player that doesn't normally provide consistent shot volume but does have 27 shots in his last 10 games and at these prices, he is a terrific PTS/$ value in all formats against a Canucks team that has dropped 12 straight games and given up three or more goals in nine of those losses.
Stack with: Ryan Hartman, Ryan Johansen
Also Consider: Anthony Beauvillier(NYI) who is dirt cheap on both sites and has eight points in his last 10 games
DEFENSEMEN
Opponent - FLA
Proj Pts FD - 10.15 DK - 3.86
Barrie checks off all the boxes tonight and is my top D-man in all formats tonight. He comes in red hot with 10 points in his last 10 games with 29 shots and 12 blocks good for an average of 4.5 DraftKings/16.3 FanDuel points per game. Then comes the matchup against the Panthers who, despite coming off a shutout of the Bruins, have struggled defensively allowing 3.4 goals against per game(26th). If that wasn't enough Barrie comes at a discount on both sites as the 9th most expensive D-man on DraftKings and the 13th most expensive on FanDuel. Fire him up in all formats.
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 5.23 DK - 3.05
For value, I will be starting with Michal Kempny of Capitals who has been very consistent(for the price) lately. Over his last 10 games, he has tallied six points with 17 shots and 26 blocks good for an average of 3.6 DraftKings/12.5 FanDuel points per game(2.7 DK/9.1 FD season average). He gets little to no powerplay time so the upside is somewhat capped but he does get penalty kill minutes good for added blocks and skates on teh top pairing with John Carlson. He is a great play in all formats, especially on FanDuel in the mid $3K range.
Also Consider: Matt Dumba(MIN), Mike Matheson(FLA)
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