DRAFT is back for another season of quick and exciting daily fantasy action. Their DFS platform offers poolies with a chance to participate in a format that most of us have grown very accustomed to over the years. You can compete in a live snake draft in which the participants take a player with each pick. Unlike other DFS games, this gives you the opportunity to use your knowledge to craft a team that no one else will have because the players you select cannot be chosen by your competition.
The draft is quick as you are allotted just 30 seconds per pick and you take five players. Your team is comprised of three forwards, a defenseman and a goalie.
Your strategy can be dictated by the positions being selected ahead of you. For instance, if you are going last and everyone else has a goaltender then you can wait until your last pick to make that selection. Of course, selecting players going up against weaker competition or players who are riding hot streaks are always popular strategies as well.
Remember, there are new pools available to play in but the players in my rankings will fall off the table as soon as the puck drops in their respective game.
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Familiarize yourself with the rues and enjoy! It’s a great game! Thursday’s three-game slate features plenty of three-person drafts. There are also head-to-heads to participate in.
Don’t forget, for everything NHL, check out Rotoworld’s Player News, and follow @Rotoworld_ HK and @CoreAbbott on Twitter.
Forward Rankings:
- Mark Stone
- Max Pacioretty
- Alex Ovechkin
- Mark Scheifele
- Kyle Connor
- Vladimir Tarasenko
- T.J. Oshie
- Sebastian Aho
- Logan Couture
There are some great pairings to target for Thursday night’s slate with Stone and Pacioretty, Scheifele and Connor as well as Ovechkin and Oshie. You could also go with Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. The second line of the Golden Knights has been all over the scoresheet against the Sharks, while the top unit of the Jets has been heating up. Oshie is projected to play on the first line with Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.
Defense Rankings:
Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Burns were hard to keep off this list, but they are both very good options for Thursday night. Karlsson started shooting in Game 4 and he has five helpers in four postseason outings. Hamilton was on fire in Game 3 with two power-play goals. He has two goals and two assists during a three-game playoff point streak. Pietrangelo has earned at least one point in each game of the series versus Winnipeg with five helpers in four contests.
Goaltender Rankings:
Hellebuyck heated up in Game 4 and earned an impressive win overtime win over Jordan Binnington, who was also excellent in the contest. Holtby will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing Game 3 performance for just about everyone in a Capitals’ uniform. Petr Mrazek had a shutout in the game, but he only had to make 18 stops. Fleury is also coming off a shutout and even though he should face a determined Sharks team, it’s hard to bet against him with a struggling Martin Jones at the other end of the rink.
Check with Rotoworld regularly today for confirmations on goaltender starts.
Now, let’s also look at some players to consider for FanDuel and DraftKings.
Keep in mind that FanDuel allows you to roster nine players (2C, 4W, 2D, 1G) with a salary cap of $55,000, while DraftKings has a cap of $50,000 for nine players (2C, 3W, 2D, 1G, 1UTIL).
Jordan Staal (CAR) - C - $5,100 (FanDuel), $4,500 (DraftKings)
Warren Foegele (CAR) - $3,500 (FanDuel), $2,900 (DraftKings)
Shea Theodore (VGK) - D - $5,200 (FanDuel), $5,100 (DraftKings)
Joe Thornton (SJS) - C - $5,500 (FanDuel), $3,900 (DraftKings)
The production that Carolina got from the second line makes Staal and Foegele an intriguing and inexpensive stack play. Staal has one goal and two assists in the last two games, whole Foegele has two goals and two helpers in his past two outings. Theodore has been all over the scoresheet in Round 1, which includes one goal and four assists in the last two contests. Thornton will be back from a one-game suspension and the veteran center could be a factor if San Jose is going to extend the series.
