NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 12/28/18

Chris Wassel  —  @ChrisWasselDFS Dec 28th, 2018
There are just three games on Friday night, including a clash between Toronto and Columbus. Who can we target in DFS?

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

Robin Lehner ($7,500): The New York Islanders are likely to start Lehner on Friday against the Ottawa Senators. Lehner has bounced back nicely in his last two starts while topping 20 FanDuel points in each outing. One was an unexpectedly easy road win (19 saves, 1 goal allowed) against Dallas. The other was a 36 save clinic against Arizona. Risk is inherited tonight for one main reason -- how much does New York look ahead to Toronto on Saturday? If they stay focused, this should be an easy win given the 64.6% probability. Roberto Luongo ($7,700) is another good option on Friday against a Montreal Canadiens team that is fourth in the league when it comes to shots (34.4 per game).

High-Priced Skaters

Auston Matthews ($8,500): Matthews is a great play against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night. Columbus is on the back end of a back-to-back facing one of the most talented offenses in the league. This game is an interesting study in contrasts, as Toronto has scored 26 goals in their last 5 games while Columbus has yielded just 7 in that same time. The last two meetings have seen the teams average around 35 shots each, so Matthews should have plenty of scoring chances. This all comes down to execution, especially on the man advantage, where Toronto converts at almost 24%. Matthews will be highly-owned (at least 20-30% due to the short slate). Other choices include Aleksander Barkov ($7,400) and Matt Duchene ($6,500).

Cam Atkinson ($7,400): Atkinson is a nice tournament option again versus Toronto. He had a bit of an off night yesterday, with just two shots, but he did get an assist and hit a post. His opponent allows the eighth-most shots in the league, at nearly 33 per 60. Even strength against top lines is their biggest issue, as they lead the league in discipline (6.8 penalty minutes per night). Atkinson's speed out wide should be a huge asset tonight as pace of play should favor high-event. Mitchell Marner ($7,900) will be the trendy option for daily fantasy, but keep an eye on Evgeni Dadonov ($6,300), who will save a little bit of money and can produce like an Atkinson.

Value Skaters

Devon Toews ($3,500): Toews is getting second-pairing minutes at even strength and will be up against an Ottawa team that yields the third-most unblocked shots from the point in the league. Toews had three shots in his season debut before the Christmas break and could easily replicate that total again. With Thomas Hickey out until New Years Eve, Toews gets another chance to show what he can do. Ottawa allows 4.76 goals per game on the road, which should lead to elevated assist potential from Toews. The defenseman can block a couple shots as well. Michael Matheson ($3,900) and Johnny Boychuk ($4,000) are solid defensive options for their floor on Friday in the event you are looking to spend down.

Frank Vatrano ($3,900): Vatrano keeps thriving in Florida thanks to injuries. He has topped 16 FanDuel points in three of his last four outings. He has seen just about 15 minutes of ice time a night over the previous four starts, too. Vatrano draws a great matchup against a Montreal team that will allow opportunities. Florida is fourth in the league, at almost 34 shots generated per 60, and Vatrano is averaging 3.25 shots per game in December. Oliver Bjorkstrand ($3,700) and Andreas Johnsson ($3,800) are easy choices tonight based on line matchups.


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.