3 FanDuel NHL Studs to Target on 10/9/19
Spending up in any Daily Fantasy lineup is how to get the superstars and the highest upside players in your lineup. In NHL DFS, it’s different than paying up in sports like NBA or NFL. Someone can be one of the highest-priced players at his position a put up a total dud of a performance, and paying that much for him would be a huge mistake. Let’s make sure we are paying up in the right spots when building our lineups tonight.
Only three games are on tap for Wednesday's slate as the NHL season still eases back into the swing of things. Let's look at some of the best high-dollar plays on this condensed slate.
Sean Couturier, Center, Philadelphia Flyers
FanDuel Price: $7,000
For a long time, Sean Couturier was a much better player in real hockey than fantasy hockey, as he would dominate possession for his team but not score enough points to be considered a top play in DFS. That changed in the 2017-18 season when Couturier got a consistent role as a center on the top two lines. That season he got 31 goals, and he followed it up with another stellar season in 2018-19. He leads the Flyers in even-strength ice time for forwards and goals per 60 minutes at even strength, per Natural Stat Trick.
Couturier is now playing with Travis Konecny at both even strength and on the power play, who picked up two goals and an assist in the Flyers opener and looks like he could have a breakout season. If they can form chemistry when playing together, they would make a dangerous line for opposing teams to try to shut down. The Philadelphia Flyers face the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, the same Devils who have allowed eleven goals in just two goals this season. Questions over their defensive depth and goaltending persist, and the Flyers will look to Couturier as one of the players who can exploit those potential weaknesses.
Taylor Hall, Wing, New Jersey Devils
FanDuel Price: $7,800
This Flyers vs Devils game seems like the best one to target on Wednesday. So our next stud will be a star on the other side in Taylor Hall. Hall picked a new linemate for this game in Nikita Gusev, a talented rookie who came over from Russia this season. He is the Devils go-to guy for everything offensive, and he showed how capable he is of putting the team on his back during his 2017-18 MVP season. He leads the team's forwards in ice time through the first two games and leads the whole team in power-play ice time. Hall carries numberFire's best fantasy point projection on the slate as well. The Devils may need to lean on Hall and company to help keep them in the game if the defense and goaltending let them down again, and this game could turn into a back and forth offensive affair. Hall is a great way to spend up on Wednesday night and should be a priority in cash games.
Brendan Gallagher, Wing, Montreal Canadiens
FanDuel Price: $7,200
Brendan Gallagher isn't often priced among the studs, but he is on tonight's small slate. What makes him such a valuable fantasy asset is his love for shooting the puck. Of players who played at least 200 minutes last season, Gallagher leads the entire league in shot attempts per 60 minutes at even strength last year with a whopping 26.28. He leads by a very wide margin too, as the next closest player to him was Ondrej Kase of Anaheim with only 21.32. Taking tons of shots gives Gallagher a high floor, as he can still provide some value without getting any points in the game if he can get enough shot volume.
Gallagher isn't just an empty shooter as well, he was third in goals per 60 minutes last year. Tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, Gallagher will skate on the first line and first power-play unit for the Montreal Canadiens. The only thing holding Gallagher back from being among the elite players in fantasy hockey was ice time, but if he continues in these roles, that could change. Gallagher's 5 on 5 ice time in the early part of the season has jumped up from 13:12 to 15:22. The floor combined with the upside with this added ice time -- if it sticks -- makes Gallagher worth spending for on this slate.
Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
