3 NHL FanDuel Studs to Target on 2/14/20
Spending up in any daily fantasy sport 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 and 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.
The NBA All Star Break always brings bigger contests in the NHL as players flock to hockey to get some DFS action in, and this year is no different. The first day of the break kicks off with a four game slate, so let's see if we can get a leg up on some of the fantasy players that may be newer to NHL DFS.
Evgeni Malkin, Center, Pittsburgh Penguins
FanDuel Salary: $8,400
Even after the return of Sidney Crosby to the Pittsburgh Penguins' lineup, Evgeni Malkin has been their standout performer. Malkin has points in five straight games and 14 points in his last 10 games. He is third in the NHL in points per 60 minutes and first in assists per 60, according to Natural Stat Trick. Malkin has played 19 minutes or more in all but one game since Crosby has returned, so the fact that Sid is back has not eaten into Malkin's ice time.
Malkin and the Penguins are at home tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal has been around an average team defensively this season but will be without number one defenseman Shea Weber for four to six weeks. This has pushed Pittsburgh's implied goal total above three, according to our daily fantasy matchup heat map. Malkin is the most expensive center on FanDuel tonight, and his play throughout the season has warranted that price. He is worth considering in all formats.
Sebastian Aho, Center, Carolina Hurricanes
FanDuel Salary: $7,600
Sebastian Aho quietly has 31 goals this season, above the likes of Connor McDavid, Artemi Panarin, Nikita Kucherov and Patrick Kane. Maybe the fact that he plays for the smaller market Carolina Hurricanes makes him fly under the radar, but he certainly shouldn't go overlooked. Aho has eight goals in his last 10 games, and 36 shots on goal in that span. He is numberFire's highest projected skater on tonight's slate but is only the fourth-most expensive center.
The Hurricanes are facing the New Jersey Devils, who are traveling to Carolina for the second half of a back to back. The Devils allow the second-most goals per game at 3.39 per contest. In net for the Devils tonight will be Louis Domingue, who has really struggled this season. He has a save percentage of .882 and a goal saved above average of -9.0, per Hockey Reference. This has given the Hurricanes an implied goal total of 3.89, the highest on tonight's slate. Aho doesn't have the name brand that some of the other players on the slate have, but he is a great play in this spot tonight.
Kyle Connor, Wing, Winnipeg Jets
FanDuel Salary: $6,600
He may not get the same headlines as other Winnipeg Jets teammates, but Kyle Connor has been just as good as them, if not better. He leads the team with 28 goals and is tied for the team lead in points. He had seven points in two games last weekend before putting up zero points on Tuesday. He still was able to get four shots on goal and two blocks, though, while playing a whopping 26 minutes. These are good trends for Connor, and if he plays the same way in this game on Friday, he should be a good option.
The Jets are playing the San Jose Sharks in Winnipeg tonight. The Sharks are having a nightmare season, as they are seventh in the Pacific Division. They have been getting bad goaltending all season, which has resulted in them allowing the fourth-most goals per game. The Jets have the second-best implied goal total tonight, with 3.49. If Connor and his linemates can approach anything close to the minutes they played in their last game, they all make for great plays with lots of upside tonight.
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.
