Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 12/13/18

Welcome back hockey fans. Thursday brings us a solid eight-game slate with just one team(DAL) playing on a back to back and one matchup between the Leafs and Lightning with a giant 7.0 Over/Under. Let's jump in and take a look at some of the top plays at each position.

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GOALIE

Pekka Rinne FD - $9000 DK - $8400
Opponent - VAN
Proj Pts FD - 14.23 DK - 3.56

There are some good goalies in great spots tonight and it starts with the defending Vezina Trophy winner, Pekka Rinne. He has won three of his last four starts allowing two or fewer goals in each and continues to lead the league in GAA(1.91) and save %(.932) and has been a major factor in the Predators ranking #1 in defense on the season allowing just 2.48 goals per game. The Canucks beat the Preds in Vancouver a week ago and have won three straight but still rank near the bottom of the league in offense(19th) and the Preds are the biggest favorites(-210) on the slate with the game in Nashville. The only downside here is that Rinne doesn't face a ton of shots capping his upside so I will be using him in cash games only tonight.

Sergei Bobrovsky FD - $8400 DK - $7900
Opponent - LA
Proj Pts FD - 17.75 DK - 4.44

It has been a struggle for Bobrovsky this season as he sits with a sub .900 save % for the first time since the 2011-12 season. The good news is that the two-time Vezina winner has still flashed a ton of upside as he has allowed two or fewer goals in nine starts and gets one of the best matchups of the night. He and the Blue Jackets will face a Kings team that sit at the bottom of the standings(11-19-2) and rank dead last in offense and have been even worse on the road scoring just 1.7 goals per game. There is a ton of risk but Goalie Bob should be low owned and makes a perfect fit at his discounted price for GPP formats.

Also Consider: Carey Price(MON) who faces a Hurricanes team that has dropped five of their last seven games while scoring just 10 goals in that time

CENTERS

Jack Eichel FD - $7800 DK - $8000
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 13.75 DK - 5.54

Just like on Tuesday, the center position is absolutely loaded at the top especially considering the Leafs/Lightning game has a whopping 7.0 Over/Under. While I wouldn't talk you out of Matthews, Tavares, Stamkos, or Point I am going a different direction with Jack Eichel who is having a breakout season and that is saying something as he tallied a career-high 64 points last year. Not only does he have a ton of upside recording 14 points in his last 10 games(38 on the season) but he has provided an elite floor with 52 shots in that time and sits with 13.2 shots/60 and 19.6 iCorsi/60 on the season. To top it off, he and the Sabres get a terrific matchup against the Coyotes who have dropped three straight giving up four or more goals in each. He is my top center in all formats tonight, especially on FanDuel where he is the seventh most expensive option at the position.

Stack with: Jeff Skinner, Sam Reinhart

Eric Staal FD - $7100 DK - $5900
Opponent - FLA
Proj Pts FD - 10.79 DK - 3.85

You are obviously not going to be able to fit all the top centers in your lineup tonight so for value, I will be turning to Eric Staal of the Wild. His upside hasn't been quite on the same level as those other centers but he has been very solid for the price this season with seven points in his last 10 game and 21 total on the season. Looking at the advanced stats, he also stands out with an 11.3 scoring chances per 60 rating(5th highest at the position on this slate) and 6.1 high danger scoring chances per 60 rating(3rd highest on slate). Not only does his price fit the cash game model but he has the floor to back it up with 38 shots in his last 10 games with a 10.8 shots/60 rating for the season.

Stack with: Jason Zucker, Mikael Granlund

Also Consider: Aleksander Barkov(FLA) for GPP formats, Anthony Cirelli(TB) as a punt play

WINGERS

Timo Meier FD - $6100 DK - $7000
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 9.02 DK - 4.32

Meier made an impact in his first full season with the Sharks a year ago scoring 21 goals and it appears he was just getting started. Through 29 games this season the 22-year-old Meier has 16 goals and 30 points which is tied for the team lead with Brent Burns and his new linemate Logan Couture. Like I mention countless times in my articles, I am always looking for a high floor in cash games and Meier provides just that with 30 shots in his last 10 games and an 11.5 shots/60 and 19.6 iCorsi/60 for the season. The matchup against the Stars may not stand out but we can use that to our favor as he should also be lower owned.

Stack with: Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl

Andreas Johnsson FD - $3600 DK - $4800
Opponent - TB
Proj Pts FD - 6.85 DK - 3.64

With William Nylander in somewhat of a pre-season mode after a long contract holdout, the Leafs shifted him down to the third line which has given some opportunity to other players to step up. One of those is Andreas Johnsson who has been skating with Auston Matthews for three games now and has recorded two multi-point games with six shots on goal. In a game with the highest total(7) of the night, it makes sense to get some exposure and while Johnsson's price has gone up on DraftKings it is still in a generous range given he is skating alongside a superstar. On FanDuel, he is a near lock with a price tag that has remained in the mid $3K range tonight.

Stack with: Auston Matthews, Kasperi Kapanen

Also Consider:

DEFENSEMEN

Rasmus Dahlin FD - $4300 DK - $4300
Opponent - ARI
Proj Pts FD - 4.5 DK - 3.04

The Buffalo Sabres have easily been the biggest turn around story in the league this season going from the basement to having the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. It is in large part due to the emergence of their young players like Jack Eichel and last year's first overall draft pick, Rasmus Dahlin. The offensive upside hasn't completely come around yet(14 points in 31 games) but he has been solid defensively and for fantasy has provided a nice floor lately and still sits with a lower price tag on both sites. Over his last 10 games, he has tallied four points along with 27 shots on goal and 16 blocks good for an average of 3.0 DraftKings/10.2 FanDuel points per game. At these prices, he is in play in all formats.

Michael Matheson FD - $4100 DK - $4100
Opponent - MIN
Proj Pts FD - 6.7 DK - 3.01

Another player on defense in the value range of pricing that pops up tonight is Michael Matheson of the Florida Panthers. Like Dahlin, he doesn't provide a ton of upside but the opportunity is there as he skates on the second pairing and second powerplay unit but what stands out is his floor. In his last 10 games, he has provided a nice balance of shots(21) and blocks(17) for an average of 3.0 DraftKings/10.6 FanDuel points per game an while he is best suited in cash games, he can also be considered a GPP value with his opportunity on the powerplay.

Also Consider: Erik Karlsson(SJ), Ryan Ellis(NSH)

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