Welcome to the Tuesday edition of GPP plays presented by RotoGrinders. This article is designed to help you weed out the obvious choices and focus more on some of those possibly lower-owned plays of the night that could put you over the top on FanDuel and DraftKings.
With 12 games on the slate, there would appear to be a plethora of ways you could attack a GPP contest this evening. This leaves just eight of the 40 players that have attained the coveted point-per-game status out of the player pool for tonight’s contests. All this means is that you will have to choose the correct studs to slot into your lineup to get the edge on the competition.
Based on early Vegas lines, we have no less than five teams that have been inserted as a -200 favorite. Vegas must think that there will be a few blowouts tonight, so let’s take a look at those games first. As always, be sure to check out the DraftKings Sportsbook and/or FanDuel Sportsbook if you want to take advantage of any of the NHL sports betting lines mentioned below.
[[ad:athena]]
Detroit at Nashville (-235)
As you can see, the Nashville Predators have been inserted as the heaviest favorite this evening, and while they do not have any point-per-player games, there are a few good plays here. Namely the team’s top line of Viktor Arvidsson, Filip Forsberg, and Ryan Johansen, who have combined for 10 goals and 11 assists over the last seven games. Throw in defenseman Roman Josi and you have 80% of the team’s top power play unit that should get at least goal with then extra attacker this evening.
Arizona at Vegas (-230)
Vegas comes in at a hefty price here, and the team’s 16-7-3 record in front of the home crowd surely has something to do with this. Vegas is 4-6 over the last 10 games, with Jonathan Marchessault and Paul Stastny, who skate on different lines, leading the team with four points apiece over the last six games. Use caution here.
New Jersey at St Louis (-220)
Goaltender Jordan Binnington has almost single-handedly turned this St Louis team around, as he has gone 9-2 in his first 11 starts this season.
New York Rangers at Winnipeg (-210)
Although the Rangers top line has been doing well of late, they certainly can’t stack up to the Winnipeg top line that features Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. Both players have combined for 40 goals and 92 assists, though it’s Wheeler that has a slight 67-65 advantage over his linemate for the team lead.
Chicago at Boston (-200)
This one has a crazy vibe to it, as the Blackhawks come in as one of the hottest teams in the league thanks to their 7-2-1 record over the last 10 games. The tell-tale sign here may be that the Bruins have posted a sterling 20-7-3 record in front of the home crowd. David Pastrnak leads the team with 31 goals, though he has been shifted to the team’s second line.
Okay, now that that is out of the way, let’s take a look at a few of the top-tiered players this evening.
Patrick Kane - Chicago Blackhawks - ($9,300 FD, $7,800 DK)
Hopefully one of two things will happen this evening. First off, we hope that other DFS players will look at how heavily the Bruins are favored and make their plays from that side. Secondly, we hope that the lofty salary that Kane commands also is passed on here. Even if he gets shut out this evening, the logic is still there and I will tell you why: Kane has been at the epicenter of the recent surge that Chicago has had, as he has grabbed four goals and seven assists over the last six games. If you need any more nudging, just take a look at the 14 power play goals the team has scored over the last month and compare that to the nine goals the Bruins have given up in the past 12 games while killing a penalty. You will have to pay up for him, but it may be worth it here.
Vladimir Tarasenko - St Louis Blues - ($8,300 FD, $6,700 DK)
The Blues, as mentioned above, are not only one of the heaviest favorites of the evening but they are also on quite a tear of late. Their 7-2-1 record coupled with good goaltending and a sudden penchant for scoring goals has elevated the team into seventh place in the Western Conference. This looks like a case of getting things going at the right time, as St Louis is in the middle of a nice six-game winning streak. This is the longest streak of its kind since early last month, when they had their only three-game winning streak of the season. Tarasenko and his linemates in Brayden Schenn and Ryan O’Reilly have been a big part of the team’s recent success, as they have combined for nine goals and 14 assists over the last six games. Tarasenko is the sniper here however as six of those goals came off of his stick, which has helped him light the lamp for a team-leading 22 times this season. St Louis has scored at least three goals in seven of their last games, and that is a trend that should continue tonight on home ice.
Now that we have looked at a few of the higher-tiered players that may go under the radar, let’s take a look at a few players that could help you get some salary relief to make room for some of the higher priced studs into your lineups this evening.
Ryan Johansen - Nashville Predators - ($6,300 FD, $5,900 DK)
The Predators come into this one just one point behind the Winnipeg Jets for the Central Division lead. Detroit should be an easy mark for the home team this evening, as the Red Wings have given up a whopping 11 goals over their last three games. Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg skate with Johansen on the top line, and Johansen’s price is way too low here for a guy who leads the team with 39 assists and 50 points.
Kyle Connor - Winnipeg Jets - ($5,700 FD, $6,300 DK)
Connor has done an admirable job in filling in for the injured Nikolaj Ehlers on the team’s top line. Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele can work with anyone, which is why it is no surprise that Connor has grabbed 22 goals and 21 assists so far this season. His price seems a little soft here, especially since the team plays on home ice against the New York Rangers this evening.
Tom Wilson - Washington Capitals - ($4,600 FD, $4,500 DK)
Although he doesn’t get to skate on the team’s top line, Wilson should see his production go up, considering he has been placed back on the top line with Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. He also has notched 14 goals in the 37 games he has suited up for, with a lot of those coming while skating on the top line in the past.
Last but not least, let’s take a look at some guys that are priced in the lower tier but may have some value based on who they skate with.
Roope Hintz - Dallas Stars - ($3,100 FD, $2,500 DK)
Hintz should have plenty of chances given he’ll skate on a wing with Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov this evening.
Danton Heinen - Boston Bruins - ($3,700 FD, $3,900 DK)
Heinen has shown that he can hang with the big boys since being placed on the Boston top line alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
Zach Hyman - Toronto Maple Leafs - ($4,400 FD, $4,300 DK)
Although Hyman doesn’t get any of the team’s power play minutes, he is still priced too low when you consider that his linemates are John Tavares and Mitch Marner.
That should about do it for another Tuesday around the NHL. Follow me on twitter @elctrceye and as always, good luck in your contests this evening.
