NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 10/16/18
A good chunk of you probably already play daily fantasy football, and I'd be willing to bet a significant portion have also tried out daily fantasy basketball and baseball. But hockey? Hockey?
It's time to give it a try over on FanDuel, because it's a ton of fun. And our analysis and projections can help you win.
To help, let's take a look at some goalies, high-priced skaters, and lower-priced players to target for today's slate.
Goalie to Target
Devan Dubnyk ($8,600): The Minnesota Wild are modest favorites (-145 on the moneyline) against the Arizona Coyotes. Dubnyk has faced an average of around 40 shots per game this season and is well-rested, which is important in the early going. Minnesota does carry some risk because they're playing on the second half of a back-to-back, but Dubnyk's price-tag makes him viable in both cash games and tournaments. There are a few other options -- like Keith Kinkaid (low-priced), and Andrei Vasilevskiy (stronger in cash games) -- but there will be more clarity on the slate's goalies once the other starters are confirmed.
High-Priced Skaters
Taylor Hall ($7,800): The Devils' forward is also in a prime spot against a Dallas Stars team that is playing on no rest. Hall has not scored a goal yet this season, but he ranks top 10 in the league in scoring chances. Also, the forward created three High-Danger opportunities against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday. The total cost of the New Jersey top line is $19,500, which is a bit expensive but not-cost prohibitive like the Dallas stack. There is a way of sneaking in a power-play stack to save a little bit of money, but Hall is the crown piece, as goals are often what you need to win GPP's. Kyle Palmieri may be higher owned in some tournaments which may sound crazy at first, but wouldn't be surprising.
Evgeni Malkin ($8,600): Malkin is the other crown choice on Tuesday, with the Vancouver Canucks yielding nearly five goals per game since their season opener. Malkin and Phil Kessel racked up ten combined scoring chances in their last game, and the potential exists for another big night against Vancouver's lesser defensive pairings. Malkin has gone for more than 20 FanDuel points in each of his last two contests. The Penguins' second-line forward will have an excellent chance to extend his good run tonight as Vancouver's penalty kill yields a high rate of chances despite a good penalty kill percentage (88%). The speed and puck-possession ability of Pittsburgh makes them a good choice here. However, do not sleep on the cheaper options of Vancouver -- even some of the higher profile ones like Bo Horvat ($6,200). Claude Giroux ($7,500) is also one to watch from Philadelphia, as their first unit power play remains among the best in the league.
Value Skaters
Antoine Roussel ($3,700): Roussel scored in his first game, despite just playing a little over eight minutes. He did create a few scoring chances with his tenacity toward puck battles and a little flash of speed. An increase in ice time is likely for tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Vancouver could put him in a top-six role here as his play style matches up well with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins' top line. Roussel has showed an ability to average a point every two games in the past. Other inexpensive wing options include Brandon Tanev ($3,600), who has three points in his previous four games, and Warren Foegele ($3,900), who has been a part of the Carolina Hurricanes scoring and chance creation machine (top three in the NHL).
Robert Hagg ($3,800): Hagg has been decent in his own end for the Philadelphia Flyers and yet his offense has been a pleasant surprise. His balance consists of two plus shots per game and two blocked shots per contest, creating a decent fantasy floor. His shot is above-average, and Hagg has lit the lamp twice already on the young campaign. Connor Carrick ($3,800) and even Mirco Mueller ($3,500) present themselves as low risk punt options on Tuesday night. As always, watch for late injury news and last-minute line shifts for potential high-value options.
Chris Wassel is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Chris Wassel also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username chriswassel. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
