5 NHL FanDuel Values to Target on 3/18/21
Spending lower in any daily fantasy lineup is a way to incorporate some diversity into your lineup. In NHL DFS, there is typically more value in this strategy but also a good deal more risk. This is especially true on tonight's larger slate where there are lots of lower-salaried plays. Plugging in these options will afford more chances to play some studs as well.
Thursday night presents a big slate for DFS players. It is time to dig in!
Yanni Gourde, Center, Tampa Bay Lightning
FanDuel Salary: $3,900
So, we looked under the carpet and found Yanni Gourde who had *rubs eyes* nearly 50 FanDuel points against the Chicago Blackhawks in their last meeting. Chicago had no answers for the Gourde line with Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. Furthermore, Gourde gets some power-play time, too. He scored on the man advantage in that game.
Value centers are out there on Thursday night, but few play 18 minutes a night as Gourde has of late. He has 9 shots on goal with 13 attempts, 6 scoring chances, and a propensity for performing well in high-tempo games.
Carl Soderberg ($3,200) is a floor possibility from Chicago. He's at a very low salary and has played 17-plus minutes a night over his previous six games. One could stack Blake Coleman with Gourde, as well.
Miles Wood, Wing, New Jersey Devils
FanDuel Salary: $4,100
With the New Jersey Devils mired in an 11-game home losing streak, Lindy Ruff turned to Miles Wood and put him on the top line. The result was a goal on five shots and a helper in a win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.
Yes, the Pittsburgh Penguins are a step up in competition, but Wood has been good this year with nine goals, and he has hit five-plus shots on four occasions this year. Now, Wood may see more power-play time on Thursday in front of the net because of his agitating presence. That alone could create a few more opportunities.
The Devils struggle mightily to score two goals most nights at home with a power-play that ranks just 28th at 13.3%. Wood could give this unit a much-needed boost if utilized correctly. New Jersey's shooting percentage is 25th in the NHL despite averaging 31 shots per 60 at home. At some point, regression has to swing backward.
Brandon Tanev ($4,100) is the type of middle-six winger who gives New Jersey fits. The Penguin forward has double-digit FanDuel points in three of his last four outings.
Max Comtois, Wing, Anaheim Ducks
FanDuel Salary: $3,900
Max Comtois is an extremely dangerous option to roster on Thursday, but the Anaheim Ducks thrived playing against Arizona the last two games totaling over 20 FanDuel points in each of the contests.
The concern with Comtois is he can be shuffled down the lines faster than a "New York Minute." However, his ability to generate chances against an Arizona team that Anaheim matches well against should be noted. In those two games, Comtois had a goal, three assists, five shots, five scoring chances, and two posts hit.
Some low-salary possibilities on the wing may include Oliver Wahlstrom ($3,800) from the New York Islanders and Eeli Tolvanen ($3,600) from the Nashville Predators. Tolvanen has four power-play goals in limited time there.
Mattias Ekholm, Defenseman, Nashville Predators
FanDuel Salary: $4,100
With a bit of a stagnant salary structure, Mattias Ekholm is still a budget choice who must be used on Thursday night.
Playing against a Florida Panthers team that can give up three goals at a moment's notice does not hurt here. Nashville is shooting at 7.5%, which ranks 30th in the league. Ekholm is at a career-high 8.8% while averaging almost three shots a game on the road along with a couple of blocked shots.
Most forget he plays 25 minutes per night and in all situations, as Nashville's defensive corps has been rocked to the core without Roman Josi. They do allow the most unblocked shot attempts on the penalty kill and have the league's worst penalty kill at 68%, which means more chances to increase Ekholm's floor. Again, Florida overall averages nearly 35 shots per 60 at home, which is third-best in the NHL.
For a safer floor option, Mackenzie Weegar ($4,000) has been other-worldly of late for Florida with 15-plus FanDuel points in each of his last five starts.
Jonathan Bernier, Goalie, Detroit Red Wings
FanDuel Salary: $6,900
The goaltending position is interesting on Thursday, but Jonathan Bernier expects to start again for the Detroit Red Wings, and he does have eight of Detroit's nine wins on the season. That includes winning two of his previous three starts.
Also, one thing that Bernier typically sees is a good number of shots. In those three starts, Bernier saw 113 shots come his way. That is an average of nearly 38 a night. It does seem like the Detroit goaltender plays better on nights his team is badly outshot and outplayed.
If you want to go against the grain, Mackenzie Blackwood is also just $6,900, or one could see if John Gibson ($6,600) plays versus the Arizona Coyotes.
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/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.
