Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid works for the puck against the Columbus Blue Jackets during an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, March 4, 2016. The Blue Jackets won 6-3. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
Welcome back hockey fans. Not our usual big Tuesday night slate with just five games on the schedule but there is definitely no shortage of good plays from a DFS perspective. Let's jump in and take a look at a few of them at each position. Then be sure to check out our all-new optimizer tool where you can create up to 50 lineups.
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Opponent - CAR
Proj Pts FD - 13.86 DK - 3.46
The goalie position is ugly tonight on this five-game slate but we can't just leave it blank so buckle up! The Flames are the biggest favorite(-180) on the slate and despite this being the highest total(6.5), David Rittich stands out as the top goalie option. He has been easily the best goalie for the Flames with an 18-4-4 record, 2.49 GAA, and .917 save % and has been even better on home ice from a win/loss perspective as he has yet to lose in regulation(8-0-4) in the Saddledome. Carolina has been better as of late winning eight of their last 11 games but do rank 27th in overall offense and have been slightly worse than .500 on the road. Rittich is my top goalie in all formats tonight but can't say I am in love it pushing me more in a GPP direction tonight.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 19.53 DK - 5.72
I haven't mentioned McDavid much this season as I have been on a value train at the center position as of late. Tonight with the lack of high-end goaltending and lack of high-end centers I think it is crucial to get McDavid in our lineups. He is an absolute beast and comes in with 14 points in his last 10 games and is one of just six players who have topped 70 points on the season. He has also seen a bit of an uptick in shots lately with 30 in those last 10 games and also leads all forwards on this slate with 22.8 minutes of ice-time per game on the season. To top it off, he gets a terrific matchup against the Red Wings who have given up nine goals in their last two games and rank 25th in road defense on the season allowing 3.7 goals per game. McDavid is my top overall player on this slate and safe in all formats.
Stack with: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl
Opponent - CHI
Proj Pts FD - 13.18 DK - 3.94
The time for Mathew Barzal in cash games has passed as he is back down around the 2.0-2.4 shots per game zone which we have been used to early in his career. I love the play for cash games, however, as he has huge multi-point upside and sits with 44 points in 48 games on the season. The matchup also lines up tonight as the Islanders go on the road to face a Blackhawks team that has lost seven of their last nine games while giving up 39 goals(4.3 per game) and rank 30th overall on defense this season. As far as stacks go, the Islanders are right near the top of my list tonight and I also like running it back with some Hawks for a full game stack.
PP Stack with: Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle
Also Consider: Dylan Larkin(DET) in all formats as he provides a high floor with a 10.5 shots/60 and 17.7 iCorsi/60 and big upside with 47 points in 50 games this season
Opponent - NYI
Proj Pts FD - 14.5 DK - 4.21
I talked about game stacking this matchup above with its high 6.5 total and for the Blackhawks, I will also be looking at Alex DeBrincat in cash games tonight. The price is up into the $6K range on both sites but it's justifiable as he has been red-hot with goals in six of his last seven games putting him up to 25 on the season. The advanced stats don't jump off the page(9.7 shots/60, 16.6 iCorsi/60) but are trending up as he does have 35 shots in his last 10 games. He is currently listed on the second line with Dominik Kahun and Dylan Strome but joins Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews on the top powerplay bringing with it a ton of upside. He is safe in all formats.
PP Stack with: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane
Opponent - OTT
Proj Pts FD - 12.14 DK - 3.62
Garland was not a highly touted prospect and after 2.5 seasons with the AHL Tucson Roadrunners was called up in December. He got off to a slow start with no points in his first seven games but has since come on strong with 11 points in his last 14 games while seeing his role in the offense grow. He is also providing a nice floor with a 12.6 shots/60 and 18.1 iCorsi/60 while also averaging just over 10.8 scoring chances per 60 as well. He skates on the third line with Galchenyuk and Cousins and is also listed on the top powerplay unit. DraftKings has made the adjustment to his price making him GPP only but on FanDuel, he is a near lock in the sub $4K range against a Sens team that ranks dead last in defense allowing 3.8 goals per game.
Stack with: Nick Cousins, Alex Galchenyuk
Also Consider: Evander Kane(SJ) who provides a sky-high floor with his advanced metrics(11.7 shots/60 & 19.5 iCorsi/60) and faces a struggling Caps team that has dropped five straight and now rank 21st overall on defense
Opponent - CAR
Proj Pts FD - 17.58 DK - 5.21
Tonight is a night where I will be spending up at one of the defense positions and the first name that stands out is Mark Giordano of the Flames. He has been an absolute beast this season and comes in with 15 points in his last 10 games with a nice balance of shots(28) and blocks(21) for an average of 6.1 DraftKings/22.3 FanDuel points per game. On DraftKings, I could definitely make the case for Brent Burns who has also been lights out and $100 cheaper but Gio stands out because of the big gap in price on FanDuel. Both have high floors and ceilings and great plays in all formats.
Opponent - OTT
Proj Pts FD - 9.44 DK - 2.83
This may be the first time this season I have recommended two Coyotes in one article but on the value side of things, I am looking at Jordan Oesterle tonight. He comes very cheap on both sites at $4K and has been very solid over the last 10 games with six points, 14 shots, and 28 blocks for an average of 3.5 DraftKings/12.4 FanDuel points per game. The opportunity is definitely there as well as he has seen his ice-time trend up into the 22-23 minute range and although he is listed on the third pairing, he is skating with the second powerplay unit. I will be using him in all formats tonight.
Also Consider: Michal Kempny(WSH)
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