(AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Welcome back hockey fans. After a quiet Wednesday on the ice, we get a monster 13-game slate on Thursday so let's jump in and take a look at some core plays at each position for DraftKings and FanDuel.
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Opponent - NJ
Proj Pts FD - 21.57 DK - 15.48
The Capitals open as massive -305 home favorites in this game which automatically puts the entire team on the fantasy radar. Let's start at goalie with Samsonov who has been arguably the best goalie in hockey since mid-November winning eight of his last nine starts with a very impressive .933 save % and an average of 16.9 DK/23.1 FD points per game. He now gets to face a Devils team that ranks 30th overall on offense scoring 2.7 goals per game and have been worse on the road scoring just 2.5 per game. Samsonov is my top goalie in all formats on FanDuel where he is the 10th most expensive option at the position and is second to only my next write-up on DraftKings.
Opponent - BUF
Proj Pts FD - 23.08 DK - 17.13
On DraftKings, it is more of a 1A/1B situation with Samsonov and Ben Bishop who also checks almost every box tonight. Like Samsonov, he has been very good lately winning four straight while stopping 140 of 146 shots(.959 save %). The Stars are also big favorites(-210) tonight at home where Bishop has been elite with a .939 save % while winning 11 of 16 games and now faces a Sabres team that has dropped eight of their last 10 road games. Bishop is in play in all formats.
Also Consider: Thomas Greiss(NYI) as a projected low-owned pivot who is in a plus matchup at home as a -170 favorite
Opponent - SJ
Proj Pts FD - 23.96 DK - 18.99
MacKinnon leads all skaters in raw points projections tonight as he seemingly checks every single box. It starts with the elite floor he provides as he has a whopping 49 shots in his last 10 games and that is backed up by the 5th best iCorsi/60 rate(shot att) in the league this year. He also gives us a ton of upside with 15 points in those last 10 games and he has 68 on the season in just 46 games. To cap it off, he and the Avs offense get a great matchup against the Sharks 25th ranked road defense. MacKinnon is not only my top center on this slate but also my favorite overall play.
Stack with: Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen
Opponent - LA
Proj Pts FD - 12.56 DK - 10.69
For value at the position, I will be looking to Vincent Trocheck whose price continues to hover in the mid $5K range on both sites despite that huge uptick in production lately. Over his last 10 games, he has tallied nine points with 34 shots for an average of 12.4 DK/14.3 FD points per game. He now faces a Kings team that has lost five of their last six overall and rank 19th in road defense. All things considered, Trocheck is my top PTS/$ play in all formats at the center position.
Stack with: Brett Connolly, Noel Acciari
Also Consider: Mathew Barzal(NYI) who has seen an uptick in shot volume lately(34 shots last 10 games) and gets a plus matchup at home vs. the Rangers 27th ranked defense and backup goalie
Opponent - ANA
Proj Pts FD - 14.47 DK - 11.78
It is normally FanDuel where we find the softer pricing most nights but one that stands out on DraftKings tonight is Filip Forsberg of the Predators. He is coming off a game where he tallied eight shots on goal and while we can't expect that every night, he backs up the shot volume with a 20.6 iCorsi/60(shot att). He also comes into tonight with points in three of his last four and gets a plus matchup against the Ducks who have dropped four straight and seven of their last eight games while allowing 3.8 goals per game. Forsberg is an elite play in all formats on DraftKings with the price differential tonight.
Stack with: Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund, Craig Smith(PP)
Opponent - PIT
Proj Pts FD - 11.55 DK - 9.44
There are a ton of value plays on this large slate but one that stands out the most, especially on DraftKings, is Jake DeBrusk. He comes in hot with nine points in his last 10 games while also seeing a big boost in shot volume as he has tallied three or more in a game in five straight. The Bruins are slight favorites(-138) in this one against a middle of the pack Penguins road defense(14th) and while they have been winning lately, they have given up 3+ goals in five straight and six of their last seven games. Skating on the second line and top powerplay unit, DeBrusk is my top value play and viable in all formats.
PP Stack with: Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak
Also Consider: Alex Ovechkin/Jakub Vrana(WSH) at two different price points in a plus matchup against the Devils 30th ranked defense
Opponent - ANA
Proj Pts FD - 19.45 DK - 15.91
The system absolutely loves Roman Josi almost every time the Preds play and I can't blame it when you start breaking down the numbers. He is a do-it-all D-man who contributes in every fantasy category starting with his high floor generated by his ridiculous average of 5.3 combined shots/blocks per game(2nd most in the league). And with his 15.8 DK/19.3 fantasy points per game, his price feels like a bargain considering the high floro and ceiling. Fire up Josi in all formats.
Opponent - NYI
Proj Pts FD - 11.28 DK - 8.92
If you sort the projections by PTS/$ tonight, you will find Brady Skjei right near the top on defense. It comes down to a mid $3K price tag on both sites that never seems to budge while he has produced a combined 40 shots/blocks and five points over his last 10 games for an average of 9.8 DK/11.0 FD points per game. Most of my exposure will come in cash games but he is viable in all formats.
Also Consider: Ryan Pulock(NYI) and Shea Theodore(VGK) as mid-tier options in all formats or Matt Dumba(MIN) on FanDuel with his mid $3K price tag
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