Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, right, of Russia, is congratulated by center Steven Stamkos after scoring against the Los Angeles Kings during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker)
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends but it's time to get back to the grind of the NHL season with a huge 13-game slate tonight. Let's jump in and take a look at some of the top plays at each position.
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Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 19.31 DK - 4.83
The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is having a solid start to the season with a 14-8-1 record while leading the league with a 2.15 GAA and his .925 save % is fifth best. The Predators open up after holiday break as -170 home favorites against the Dallas Stars who went into the break struggling losing six of their last eight games and rank 28th overall in road offense. Rinne is best used in cash games as the upside is somewhat capped as he only sees just over 28 shots per game and is in play on both sites but his best value most definitely comes on DraftKings where he is the 12th most expensive goalie.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 20.97 DK - 5.24
If it's upside you are after, Matt Murray is exactly what you are looking for tonight. He missed nearly a month with a lower-body injury and since his return, he has won three straight starts while facing an average of 3.3 shots per game with a terrific .964 save % and a shutout. Tonight, the Penguins are huge -260 home favorites against a Red Wings team with a sub .500 road record(7-8-3) and went into the break losers of six of their last seven games overall. I do slightly prefer Rinne in cash games but could definitely make the case for Murray as well.
Opponent - PHI
Proj Pts FD - 17.15 DK - 5.05
The Tampa Bay Lightning went into the Christmas break winning 11 of their last 12 games while scoring four or more goals 11 times. They rank #1 overall in offense as the only team in the NHL averaging over four goals per game and a huge part of that has been the play of their centers. Brayden Point is slightly cheaper and does have the edge in points to this point but Stamkos has a higher floor averaging 10 shots/60 on the season backed up by an 18.1 iCorsi/60 and he has been red-hot lately with 12 goals and 16 points(six on the powerplay) in his last 10 games. The Bolts also get a top matchup against a Flyers team that ranks 29th overall on defense and have been worse on the road allowing 3.8 goals against per game. Stammer is in play in all formats tonight.
PP Stack with: Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 13.91 DK - 4.02
Dipping down into the value range at the center position we find Eric Staal for the Minnesota Wild. The upside is nothing to write home about as he has 23 points in 34 games this season but what he does provide is a nice floor with a 10.8 shots/60 and 15.8 iCorsi.60 on the season and comes in with 36 shots over his last 10 games. The good news for his upside is that the Wild get a fantastic matchup against a surprisingly bad Blackhawks team that has given up four or more goals in nine of their last 15 games and rank 30th overall on defense.
Stack with: Jason Zucker, Mikael Granlund
Also Consider: Patrice Bergeron(BOS) who is back in the lineup for the Bruins gets an elite matchup against a Devils team that ranks 29th in road defense allowing four goals per game or Dylan Larkin(DET) who has provided a sky-high floor with 46 shots in his last 10 games with a 17.8 iCorsi/60 on the season.
Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 18.82 DK - 5.41
No matter the price, I just can't get enough of Cam Atkinson this season as he checks off every single box. He went into the break red-hot with four goals in his final three games and has 11 points in his last 10 games for an average of 5.7 DraftKings/20.0 FanDuel points per game. He is so much more than just upside, however, as he has tallied 47 shots in those last 10 games and has a sky-high 12.6 shots/60 and 19.9 iCorsi/60 on the season. He has also been equally as good on the road and gets a terrific matchup against a Rangers team that has given up 39 goals in their last 10 games and rank 25th overall in defense on the season. Atkinson is in play in all formats on both sites tonight but his best value comes on FanDuel where he is the 14th most expensive winger.
Stack with: Pierre-Luc Dubois, Artemi Panarin
Opponent - SJ
Proj Pts FD - 15.46 DK - 4.43
I get that the Ducks have the second-worst offense in the league scoring under 2.5 goals per game but the value is just too much to pass up with Ondrej Kase, especially on FanDuel where he remains in the mid $4K range. Despite being held off the scoresheet in his final two games before the break, Kase still recorded 11 points in his last 10 games with 36 shots on goal. His sample size is slightly smaller than others as he has just 20 games under his belt this season but he has provided an elite floor with a 13.3 shots/60 and 22.6 iCorsi and has also averaged just below 14 scoring chances per 60 minutes. With his price tag on DraftKings, I would reserve for GPP formats but on FanDuel is a near lock in all formats.
Stack with: Ryan Getzlaf, Pontus Aberg
Also Consider: Timo Meier(SJ) who has outperformed his salary, especially on FanDuel, all season with 34 points in 35 games with an 11.8 shots/60, 20.5 iCorsi/60 while averaging 14.5 scoring chances per 60 minutes as well or Andrei Svechnikov(CAR) with his elite line of 11.6 shots/60, 18.0 iCorsi/60, 12.3 scoring chances/60 and 7.9 high danger scoring chances/60. On top of that, he is now on the top line and powerplay unit
Opponent - STL
Proj Pts FD - 14.47 DK - 4.29
There are a lot of terrific options at the top of the salary on defense tonight but I will take the savings with Rasmus Ristolainen who has been equally as good or better than most lately. He went into the break with nine points(four on the powerplay) in his last 10 games but what stands out the most is the floor he has been providing with 33 shots and 24 blocks in that time. Put it all together and he has been averaging 4.8 DraftKings/16.9 FanDuel points per game which is well above his season average. He is my top PTS/$ defensemen tonight and safe in all formats.
Opponent - CAR
Proj Pts FD - 10.4 DK - 3.05
If you are looking for value in cash games, Michal Kempny tops my list tonight as his price never seems to go up despite the consistent fantasy points he provides. The upside is somewhat capped as he has just 11 points on the season but the floor has been sky-high as he has tallied multiple blocked shots in 10 straight and 18 of his last 19 games with three or more blocks 11 times in that timeframe. He is a lock for me in cash games and I will even consider him a salary relief option in FanDuUel for GPP formats.
Also Consider: Ryan Ellis(NSH), Jake Muzzin(LAK)
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View Comments
Hey Chris, any chance you could post your spreadsheet again? It is really helpful. We all thank you!