Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane celebrates after scoring his goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oiler,s Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015, in Chicago. The Blackhawks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Welcome back hockey fans. Thursday brings us seven games on the schedule with just one team(BOS) playing on a back to back but they also join the Blues and Wild as teams playing a 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 fo my DFS NHL cheatsheet where I highlight all my top plays and stacks. After that, make sure to check out our all-new DFS NHL Optimizer tool where you can construct up to 50 lineups. Check it out today!
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Opponent - NJ
Proj Pts FD - 18.74 DK - 4.68
I never in a million years would have thought of leading off an article with an Islanders goalie but here we are. Lehner is having a tremendous season and has been a major reason why the John Tavaresless Islanders sit third in their division at the moment. He comes into tonight red-hot with a 9-1 record over his last 10 games with an elite .951 save % and with that now leads the league in both GAA(2.16) and save %(.928) and only sits further down the list in wins(13) as he splits time with Thomas Greiss. Tonight, he and the Isles get a terrific matchup as -150 home favorites against a Devils team that is 5-16-3 on the road while scoring just 2.5 goals per game. The decision is a bit closer on DraftKings where Lehner is the most expensive option but on FanDuel he is a lock for me in cash games as the sixth most expensive option at the position.
Opponent - ANA
Proj Pts FD - 19.52 DK - 4.88
I will preface this write up by saying Dubnyk is not having his best season as he is currently sitting with his lowest save %(.911) since the 2013-14 season. What brings him into the fold tonight is the matchup as the Wild are -180 home favorites as the struggling Ducks come to town having lost 12 straight games while scoring just 20 total goals(1.7 per game). As the third most expensive goalie on FanDuel, Dubnyk is easily just a GPP option tonight but on DraftKings if you wanted to load up with high-end skaters, Dubnyk could be considered a cash game play in teh sub $8K range.
Opponent - NJ
Proj Pts FD - 16.48 DK - 4.77
This isn't the first and definitely won't be the last time I target anyone against the Devils away from New Jersey. I wrote up Atkinson and Panarin on Tuesday against them and they both went off for multiple points and tonight it is the Islanders turn to feast. The good news is that Mathew Barzal comes at a discount from the other top centers and has been red-hot lately with 14 points in his last 10 games with four multi-point efforts and has also provided a steady floor with 27 shots in that time. You can fire up Barzal in all formats tonight.
PP Stack with: Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, Jordan Eberle
Opponent - ANA
Proj Pts FD - 10.85 DK - 3.16
Value is usually pretty hard to come by at the center position if we are looking for safety. Tonight, Eric Staal stands out for a couple of reasons and it starts with the fact the Wild will be at home vs. a struggling Ducks team that has dropped 12 straight games while giving up a whopping 43 goals(3.6 per game). Staal hasn't been at the top of his game lately with just five points in his last 10 games but does have some nice advanced stats with a 10.4 shots/60, 15.8 iCorsi/60 while averaging 10.4 scoring chances per 60 as well(5.5 of them coming in the high danger area). All things considered, Staal is my top PTS/$ play in all formats at the center position.
Stack with: Jordan Greenway, Zach Parise(PP)m Mikael Granlund(PP)
Also Consider: Steven Stamkos/Brayden Point(TB) in a potential high-scoring game
Opponent - NYR
Proj Pts FD - 22.53 DK - 6.53
It comes as no surprise that Kane leads all skaters in raw points projections tonight. He has been arguably the hottest star in fantasy(neck and neck with Kucherov) since the start of December as he has tallied 35 points in 22 while also providing a sky-high floor averaging over four shots on goal per game. The shot volume gives him a slight edge over Kucherov and it also helps that he gets the better matchup against a Rangers team that has given up 20 goals over their last five home games and rank 27th in overall defense. Kane is my top overall play and worth building around in all formats.
Stack with: Dylan Strome, Jonathan Toews(PP), Alex Debrincat(PP)
Opponent - STL
Proj Pts FD - 9.66 DK - 2.82
It has been an interesting sophomore season for DeBrusk who is well off the pace in assists(4) but will most likely set a new career high in goals this season as he already has 14(16 last year). The opportunity is most definitely there as he is averaging right around two minutes per game more than last year skating on the second line and getting time on the top powerplay unit. His advanced stats also stand out as he is averaging 15.6 iCorsi/60 with 5.5 high danger scoring chances per 60 as well. At these prices, I will have exposure to DeBrusk in all formats.
Stack with: David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron(PP), David Pastrnak(PP)
Also Consider: Alexander Radulov(DAL), especially on FanDuel in the low $6K range
Opponent - DAL
Proj Pts FD - 9.8 DK - 2.84
With Patrick Kane being so expensive and a core play, I will be going the value route on defense and it starts with Jake Muzzin. He doesn't provide a ton of upside with just six points over his last 10 games and 20 on the season but does provide a high floor and comes in with five or more combined blocks and shots in each of his last four games. The opportunity for upside is definitely there as he averages over 21 minutes of ice-time which includes run on the second powerplay unit. At these prices, he is in play in all formats.
Opponent - BOS
Proj Pts FD - 10.37 DK - 3.15
Right in that same price range, we have Colton Parayko and while he has little to no upside at all, he does provide a very high floor and is perfect for cash games. He has just two points over his last 10 games but has provided a very nice balance of shots(28) and blocks(25) for an average of 3.2 DraftKings/10.5 FanDuel points per game.
Also Consider: Ryan Pulock(NYI), especially on FanDuel in the low $4K range
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