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’
The regular season is winding down and we are running out of days to play Daily Fantasy Hockey, so we should dive into this amazing 13-game slate tonight. The San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators are your biggest favorites and we have four teams (Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks) playing on the tail end of a back-to-back.
GOALTENDER
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders NHL Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to game time.
Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators, $8,300 - The Nashville Predators are a massive favorite tonight and they should be able to shut down the Arizona Coyotes, who are the second-lowest scoring team on the road. Rinne has not played his best hockey recently, but I expect a big game form him tonight. The win is a lock, and perhaps we see his fifth shutout of the season.
Other Goalies To Target (Cash Games) – Ben Bishop, Martin Jones
Other Goalies To Target (Tournaments) – Craig Anderson, Kari Lehtonen, Joni Ortio, Keith Kinkaid
CENTERS
Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers, $7,400 - Barkov has been on fire recently and he has another juicy matchup in Ottawa tonight. In his last five contests, the 20-year-old Finn has racked up five goals and seven points. Barkov should easily the score sheet again tonight versus a defensively challenged Senators squad.
Other Centers to Target (Cash Games) – Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron, John Tavares, Claude Giroux, Ryan Johansen, Joe Thornton
Other Centers to Target (Tournaments) – Derek Stepan, Tyler Johnson, Jason Spezza, Marcus Johansson
WINGERS
Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars, $8,100 - Benn has had another incredible season, sitting second in the NHL scoring race and he should have a very productive game tonight. The Colorado Avalanche have lost four straight games (allowing 16 goals against along the way), and they remain the worst possession team in hockey. Jamie Benn and the Stars’ top line should take over when they are on the ice and I think we see Benn have a multi-point game.
Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks, $7,700 - The Winnipeg Jets have been one of the most undisciplined teams in hockey this season taking the second-most minor penalties. They also struggle to kill those penalties, as evident by their 25th-ranked penalty kill. The San Jose Sharks’ top line is one of the best possession lines in the game and they should dominate when on the ice tonight. As the Sharks’ biggest scoring threat, Pavelski has multi-goal upside in this game.
James Neal, Nashville Predators, $7,400 - Neal is currently riding a four game point streak and he has been one of the game’s hottest snipers over the last month, producing 10 goals and 19 points in 17 games. The Arizona Coyotes have lost four of their last five games, allowing a whopping 20 goals against in the process. On the season, the Desert Dogs have been one of the National Hockey League’s worst defensive teams and they are the top team to pick on tonight. Look for Neal to keep rolling in this one.
Other Wingers to Target (Cash Games) – Alexander Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, Johnny Gaudreau, Loui Eriksson, Wayne Simmonds, Jonathan Huberdeau, Filip Forsberg
Other Wingers to Target (Tournaments) – Nikita Kucherov, Mats Zuccarello, Andre Burakovsky, Reilly Smith, Craig Smith, Jannik Hansen
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Weber, Nashville Predators, $5,500 - The Arizona Coyotes are a bottom-three team in both Corsi and goals against per game. The Desert Dogs also lead the league in minor penalties taken and they have done a lousy job killing them off (28th-ranked penalty kill). You have to pay up to get him, but Weber should be the highest scoring defenseman tonight.
Other Defensemen to Target (Cash Games) – Brent Burns, Kris Letang, John Klingberg, Mark Giordano, Shayne Gostisbehere, Aaron Ekblad, Roman Josi
Other Defensemen to Target (Tournaments) – Nick Leddy, Ben Hutton, Dan Hamhuis