NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Thursday 11/29/18
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
Pekka Rinne ($9,100): The Nashville Predators' goalie will be the highest-owned net-minder of the night, as the opposing Arizona Coyotes may be down to their third-string goaltender. Few goalies have been confirmed yet, however, Rinne looks like he will be tending the crease for the Predators. Nashville features the highest-projected total and has a 73% chance of winning, according to our models. The problem with trusting a high-priced goalie like Rinne on this medium-sized slate is the fact that options become scarce elsewhere. Still, Rinne may be considered a cash option in some circles because Arizona averages just 1.8 goals per game over their last five contests with shot output well below league average. Riskier options include Connor Hellebuyck ($8,300) and Craig Anderson ($7,800).
High-Priced Skaters
David Pastrnak ($8,300): Pastrnak will go lower owned than usual because of the potential star power on this slate. For starters, Tampa Bay, Nashville, and Winnipeg are all on this schedule, so Boston could fall to a secondary scoring option depending on the tournament. The forward snapped out of a five game goal-scoring drought with two goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Furthermore, the New York Islanders allow 3.08 goals per game on the road and have yielded 19 goals in their last 5 games. Boston carries a 3.34 implied goal total on Thursday night as well. Pastrnak is expected to produce a high floor as far as shot total. However, if one does not feel safe with Pastrnak, there is Patrik Laine ($8,400) and Cam Atkinson ($7,200) at the ready with solid opportunities for at least a goal or two.
Brayden Point ($7,700): Yes -- the Tampa Bay center has become almost an automatic play of late, whether it be for cash or tournament lineups. He has topped 20 FanDuel points in 3 straight contests and has 13 real-world points over his previous 7 contests. That is a big reason why his price tag on the site has climbed to the level of an elite center (third=most expensive on the slate). Buffalo's luck has been running high and they have been getting cratered possession-wise. Can their goal-tending hold up? Point will put that to the test along with Tampa's entire top-six core. Other center choices feature Connor McDavid ($9,200) and Matt Duchene ($6,600) for their goal-scoring possibilities.
Value Skaters
Alex Chiasson ($3,600): The Edmonton Oilers' winger plays with Connor McDavid, which is always a major selling point. He has played 16 or more minutes in three straight contests, so he is seeing enough power-play time. Chiasson generated seven shots on net and six scoring chances in that time. There are more value plays than usual on Thursday night, and some of those include Drake Batherson ($3,400), Austin Watson ($3,600) and Matt Luff ($3,300). Watch out for last-minute line shifts as well, which could bolster some forwards' ice time.
Gustav Forsling ($3,500): Forsling provides a reasonable floor (two shots per game and one block per night) and still is at a value because honestly so few have played or even noticed him. The Chicago Blackhawks' defenseman has five real-world points in seven contests this season. He has averaged just over 21 minutes a night in his last 3 contests as Chicago's coaching staff is trusting him to play in more obvious scoring situations. This team allows 3.92 goals per game on the road, but they do play at a high pace, which means opportunities as far as Forsling's floor and production. Jakob Chychrun ($3,500), and John Moore ($3,500) are nice minimum-priced defensive options on Thursday night. Due to injuries in Boston, Moore is in a particularly prime spot once again.
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.
