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 a solid eight games schedule in the National Hockey League on this Thursday evening. The New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators are big favorites tonight, and none of the 16 teams in action are playing on consecutive nights. With quite a few home teams in plus matchups, we should have a high scoring night.
GOALTENDERS
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders NHL Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to game time.
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers, $9,200 – The New York Rangers are the biggest favorite on the board tonight and that means Lundqvist should be a lock for the win. King Henrik has looked great to start the season, posting a 2.16 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. The Rangers are a dominant team on home ice and I expect them to control this game from puck drop. If safety is what you look for in a cash game goalie, Lundqvist is your guy.
If King Henrik is a little too pricey for you, I am perfectly fine with Devan Dubnyk at a discounted price.
Other Goalies To Target (Cash Games) – Devan Dubnyk, Corey Crawford, Andrew Hammond
Other Goalies To Target (Tournaments) – Cory Schneider, Frederik Andersen, Roberto Luongo, Jonathan Quick
CENTERS
Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars, $8,600 - We are almost at the point whereSeguin is a must play in cash games.Seguin has been lighting it up in his last three games (4 G, 8 PTS, 11 SOG) and I doubt the Pittsburgh Penguins shut him down in this game. At $8,600, I will easily find a way to get him in my lineup.
Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild, $4,900 – Granlund has fit in nicely on the Wild’s top line and he is also centering Minnesota’s number one power-play unit. Granlund is one of the best value plays at center tonight, as he and his linemates (Zach Parise and Jason Pominville) should have a productive night versus the winless and defensively challenged Columbus Blue Jackets.
Other Centers to Target (Cash Games) – Sidney Crosby, Derek Stepan, Jonathan Toews
Other Centers to Target (Tournaments) – Jason Spezza, Kyle Turris, Jeff Carter, Aleksander Barkov
WINGERS
Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild, $8,700 – I expect the Minnesota Wild to be all over the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight, which means we definitely want exposure to sniper Zach Parise. With five goals and 19 shots on net so far this season, Parise looks to be in mid-season form. Parise has a plus matchup on home ice this evening, and he is my top overall player.
Rick Nash, New York Rangers, $8,100 – Nash is off to a slow start, but I expect things to turn around for him starting tonight against the Desert Dogs. The Arizona Coyotes got off to a nice start, but have since lost three in a row, allowing 12 goals in the process. Nash is due to bust out and I think he notches his first goal of the season tonight.
Artemi Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks, $3,400 - The Chicago Blackhawks are another team we want to have some exposure to in cash games tonight. Panarin has looked terrific (7 PTS, 16 SOG in 6 GP) so far in his young career and he gives us cheap exposure to superstar Patrick Kane. As a bonus, Panarin has been promoted to the Blackhawks’ number one power-play unit, making him a steal at $3,400.
Other Wingers to Target (Cash Games) – Patrick Kane, Jason Pominville, Jamie Benn, Filip Forsberg
Other Wingers to Target (Tournaments) – Chris Kreider, Mike Hoffman, Jaromir Jagr, Daniel Sedin
DEFENSEMEN
Keith Yandle, New York Rangers, $5,800 - We have a lot of offensive defenseman in play tonight, but Yandle is my top guy. With his matchup against the Arizona Coyotes, Yandle is not only a safe play, but he also has big upside. I think the New York Rangers score three to five goals tonight, including two power plays goals, and you can bet Yandle will be heavily involved.
Other Defensemen to Target (Cash Games) – Erik Karlsson, John Klingberg, Kris Letang, Shea Weber
Other Defensemen to Target (Tournaments) – Aaron Ekblad, Sami Vatanen, Trevor Daley, Ryan Murray