Each day I will be providing my recommended player picks for your FanDuel daily fantasy hockey lineups.
My FanDuel NHL Plays will be broken down by player positions, and will include picks for cash games (50/50s/double-ups/head-to-head) and GPPs (guaranteed prize pool tournaments).
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Are you new to Daily Fantasy Hockey? Check out these strategies documents first for tips and recommendations to craft your winning FanDuel hockey lineups:
Introduction to Daily Fantasy Hockey: Breaking it Down
Winning Strategies for Cash Games (head-to-head, 50/50s)
Winning Strategies for GPP Tournaments
Advanced Tips for Winning by Utilizing Vegas Odds and Line Combinations
FanDuel Daily Fantasy Hockey Research and Strategy Tools
We have four games scheduled on this spooky Friday the 13th. The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins are your big favorites, while the Capitals, Calgary Flames and New York Islanders are each playing their second game in as many nights.
GOALTENDERS
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders NHL Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to game time.
Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins, $10,000 - Fleury has been outstanding this season (2.01 GAA, .931 SV%, 2 SO) for the Pittsburgh Penguins and he is the main reason why the Penguins have won eight of their last ten games. The Columbus Blue Jackets fire over 30 shots on goal per game, but have trouble burying their chances (ranking 21st in goals per game), making them the perfect matchup for our cash game goalie. Look for Fleury to make 25-plus saves in this game and come away with the win.
Other Goalies To Target (Cash Games) – Braden Holtby, Frederik Andersen
Other Goalies To Target (Tournaments) – Thomas Greiss, Martin Jones, Sergei Bobrovsky
CENTERS
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, $8,900 - With two assists in the Penguins’ 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, Crosby now has points in three of his last four games. The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to struggle, losing their last two games and allowing nine goals in the process. Crosby may be off to a slow start, but he is still one of the best players in the game and I love his potential in this matchup.
Other Centers to Target (Cash Games) – Evgeni Malkin, Ryan Getzlaf, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Henrik Zetterberg
Other Centers to Target (Tournaments) – John Tavares, Ryan Johansen, Sean Monahan, Joe Thornton
WINGERS
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals, $10,100 - If I am paying up for anyone tonight, it will be the “Great Eight”. The Calgary Flames have been a disaster in their own end and there appears to be no end in sight. It will be the Ovechkin show in Washington tonight.
Justin Abdelkader, Detroit Red Wings, $4,800 - Abdelkader is very appealing tonight. He will now play alongside both Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, who is making his season debut. This line will also be Detroit’s number one power-play unit. Abdelkader is cheap and he should see plenty of scoring chances playing with these two studs.
Other Wingers to Target (Cash Games) – Phil Kessel, Corey Perry, Joe Pavelski, T.J. Oshie, Patrick Maroon
Other Wingers to Target (Tournaments) – Gustav Nyquist, Johnny Gaudreau, Kyle Okposo, Jiri Hudler, Nick Foligno, Pascal Dupuis, Beau Bennett, David Perron
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, Washington Capitals, $6,000 - The Calgary Flames are not only a bad defensive club when playing five on five, they are also struggling on the penalty kill, ranking 29th in the league. Look for Carlson and the Capitals’ deadly power play to excel with the man advantage in this game.
Other Defensemen to Target (Cash Games) – Kris Letang, Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler
Other Defensemen to Target (Tournaments) – Brent Burns, Mike Green, Nick Leddy, Olli Maatta, Ian Cole