Daily Fantasy Hockey Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings 12/17/18

Welcome back hockey fans. Tuesday brings us a huge 11-game slate that includes three teams(ANH, NSH, NYI) who are playing on a back to back and third game in four nights. Let's jump in and take a look at some of the top plays at each position and then make sure to grab a copy of my DFS NHL Cheatsheet where I highlight all my top plays and stacks.

Now’s your chance to get DFSR PRO, which will give you access to our MLB optimizer and our new player lab! Get started for free by clicking the button below.

First time with MLB? Be sure to read our free MLB Ebooks on building lineups, general strategy and more. We've got you completely covered.

GOALIE

Mikko Koskinen FD - $8600 DK - $8100
Opponent - STL
Proj Pts FD - 17.56 DK - 4.39

There are only two games on this big 11-game slate with a Vegas total of 5.5 so targeting a goalie in one of those matchups makes a ton of sense. It starts with Mikko Koskinen who after five years in the KHL returned to the NHL and signed with the Oilers and has been a key to their success. He comes into tonight with an 11-4-1 record, 2.18 GAA, and an impressive .928 save % with three shutouts. Tonight, the Oilers are -160 home favorites facing a Blues team that sits near the bottom of the conference standings and ranks 29th in road offense scoring just 2.17 goals per game away from St. Louis. All things considered, Koskinen is my top goalie in all formats tonight.

Connor Hellebuyck FD - $8600 DK - $7900
Opponent - LA
Proj Pts FD - 17.04 DK - 4.26

I would normally have Hellebuyck as my top goalie of the night but he hasn't been as sharp this season. He is still racking up the wins(15-8-1) as the Jets lead the Western Conference standings and despite giving up four goals against the Lightning last start he still hit value making 43 saves against the Eastern Conference leaders. Tonight, he and the Jets are on the road both looking to extend win streaks(team at five straight and Helle at three straight) in Los Angeles against the league-worst Kings offense that is scoring just 2.18 goals per game overall. I am currently leaning Koskinen in cash games tonight but could definitely make the case for Hellebuyck in this spot as well.

CENTERS

Jack Eichel FD - $7800 DK - $8000
Opponent - FLA
Proj Pts FD - 22.29 DK - 6.4

Once again there are a ton of options at the top of the salary at the center position and once again I will be starting with Jack Eichel. He checks every single box and it starts with a sky-high floor as he enters tonight with 49 shots in his last 10 games with an elite 19.9 iCorsi/60 on the season. Then there is the enormous upside as he has 17 points in those last 10 games and now sits 6th overall in the league with 45 on the season. Finally, the Sabres are at home tonight in a terrific matchup against the Panthers who have given up 22 goals in their last five games and sit 28th overall on defense for the season. Eichel is a top center in all formats tonight with his best value coming on FanDuel where he sits as the 5th highest priced center and $1,100 cheaper than McDavid.

Stack with: Jeff Skinner, Sam Reinhart

Dylan Larkin FD - $6700 DK - $6000
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 16.17 DK - 4.67

From a PTS/$ value perspective, Dylan Larkin is right at the top of the list as his price continues to sit in that second tier despite the production. He has put up a solid 11 points in the last 10 games and he and linemate Gustav Nyquist has carried the Red Wings offense this season with 32 and 30 points respectively. What stands out even more for cash game purposes is Larkin's high floor as he has tallied 41 shots in those last 10 games and for the season, sits with an elite 10.02 shots/60 and 17.36 iCorsi/60. Like Eichel who I listed above, Larkin also gets a plus matchup facing a Flyers team that has dropped four straight allowing 22 goals and rank 29th overall on defense. Larkin is in play in all formats.

Stack with: Gustav Nyquist

Also Consider: Mark Scheifele(WPG) facing a Kings team that has given up 15 goals in their last four games or Eric Staal(MIN) who has been better at home this season and also provides a high floor with 37 shots in his last 10 games and 3.2 per game on the season

WINGERS

Patrik Laine FD - $8400 DK - $6800
Opponent - LA
Proj Pts FD - 17.41 DK - 5.2

The Jets are on the road tonight but that hasn't slowed down their offense as they are one of six teams who rank inside the Top 10 in both home and road offense. While they are loaded up front one player that stands out tonight is Patrik Laine who provides a very high floor with a 12.6 shots/60 and is fourth overall with a 22.3 iCorsi/60. He has also made the most of those shots as well as he sits third in the league behind Ovi and Skinner with 23 goals on the season. The should be able to keep it going tonight as they face a struggling Kings team that has lost four straight while giving up 15 goals against. Laine is in play in all formats tonight and his best value comes on DraftKings where his price is back in the $6K range.

Stack with: Kyle Connor, Bryan Little

Ondrej Kase FD - $4600 DK - $5400
Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 16.6 DK - 4.81

I normally wouldn't be targeting a team playing a back to back on the road and third game in four nights but there is a lot to like about the Ducks tonight. They are coming off a big win a night ago in Pittsburgh and now travel to New York to take on a Rangers team that has given up four or more goals in six straight games and rank 25th overall on defense. What stands out more than anything with Ondrej Kase is the price as he continues to be underpriced, especially on FanDuel in the mid $4K range. He added a goal last night and now has 12 points in his last 10 games. The floor is also very high as he has tallied a ridiculous 13.7 shots/60 and 23.5 iCorsi/60 in his first 16 games of the season and is now on the top line with Ryan Getzlaf. Normally in this situation I would say GPP only but all things considered, he is a full go in all formats until he cools off or the sites adjust his price accordingly.

Stack with: Pontus Aberg, Ryan Getzlaf

Also Consider: Vladimir Tarasenko(STL) in GPP formats as his price has dropped off as he has just three points in his last 10 games but sits with an elite 12.14 shots/60 and 20.38 iCorsi/60 on the season.

DEFENSEMEN

Darnell Nurse FD - $4000 DK - $5700
Opponent - STL
Proj Pts FD - 11.89 DK - 3.46

Nurse has been in absolute beast mode lately averaging just over 29 minutes of ice-time over the last four games and has points in four straight and six of his last seven games. He has also been providing a stable floor for cash games with a nice balance of shots(29) and blocks(18) over his last 10 games. DraftKings has caught up with the performance as he is now $5,700 and best used in GPP but on FanDuel he is a ner lock with a price tag in that remains in the low $4K range.

Alexander Edler FD - $4500 DK - $4700
Opponent - TB
Proj Pts FD - 11.12 DK - 3.48

I talked about Edler early in the season when he was blocking a ton of shots and providing a high floor. His price then hit a season-high making him nothing more than a GPP target and that was followed up by an injury that caused him to miss a month of action. He returned near the end of November and was slow out of the gates forcing his price back down in the mid $4K range on both sites. He has really started to heat up lately with 20 shots and 21 blocks in his last 10 games and the time to jump back on board is now before the price hits the $5K range once again. He has minimal upside, especially in this matchup against the Bolts, but is a terrific cash game option with a high floor.

Also Consider: Josh Morrisey(WPG) who has been red-hot lately with 11 points in his last 10 games with a nice balance of shots(23) and blocks(18)

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.