Eleven games make up the 3/20/18 NHL DFS slate with some massive contests over at DraftKings and FanDuel. And of course, these picks and plays can be used in your daily fantasy hockey strategy at FantasyDraft.
If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on Twitter at @chrismeaney. I’ll be updating throughout the day as we hear about morning skates and get confirmation in goal.
Centers
Nathan MacKinnon @ CHI ($7.9 DK / $9.0 FD)
Nathan MacKinnon enters tonight’s contest on a 12-game point streak, which includes 13 goals and 24 points. He has multi-point showings in half of those contests and fired 11 pucks on net in his last game. MacKinnon’s league-high 79 shots over the last month are 14 more than the next closest skater. Even further, MacKinnon leads the NHL in points per game and has at least a point in 43 of his last 55 games. The MVP candidate is as safe as it gets if you’re playing Cash lineups. Add that to the fact the Blackhawks have allowed the most goals in March (44) and since Feb. 1 (86).
Nicklas Backstrom vs. DAL ($6.4 DK / $7.1 FD)
Nicklas Backstrom has had a disappointing season by his standards, but he should be on your radar. He has three goals and eight points over a current five-game point streak. Overall, Backstrom has 12 points in his last nine games with five of them coming on the man advantage. Not known to shoot the puck, Backstrom has 15 shots in his last four games and is back to playing alongside Alex Ovechkin with Evgeny Kuznetsov sidelined.
Nick Foligno @ NYR ($4.1 DK / $5.1 FD)
Nick Foligno was promoted to the top line last night and made the most of it with two assists and eight hits over 17:48. The total ice time is the most he’s played in five games. Columbus ranks 24th in goals but have scored at least four in six of its last eight games. They’ve also won eight straight. New York’s 3.14 goals allowed per game are the seventh most, and their 35.1 shots allowed a game are the second most. Keep an eye on warmups, if Foligno sticks with the big boys (Cam Atkinson & Artemi Panarin). My guess is, he does. Either way, power play time is guaranteed.
Others to consider: Evgeni Malkin, Mark Scheifele, Sebastian Aho, Valtteri Filppula, Travis Zajac
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Wingers
Nick Bjugstad @ OTT ($5.9 DK / $5.5 FD)
The Dadonov-Barkov-Bjugstad line is one of the best going right now as they have a combined 14 goals and 35 points over their last 10 games. They’ve put 25 pucks on net over the past two games which were favorable matchups, much like this one tonight in Ottawa. Bjugstad is much cheaper and has outperformed Evgenii Dadonov, and has kept pace with Aleksander Barkov from a fantasy standpoint over the last three weeks. Bjugstad leads the trio with 35 shots in his past 10 and has points in eight of those games.
Wayne Simmonds @ DET ($5.2 DK / $5.6 FD)
Detroit has allowed at least four goals in eight of its last nine games, and it’s added up to a league-high 39 over the last three weeks. Wayne Simmonds has points in six of his last nine games, and a total of three goals, six points, and 17 shots in his last five contests.
Bryan Rust @ NYI ($4.8 DK / $4.8 FD)
This is the cheapest way to get a piece of the Penguins as they take on an Islanders team that has allowed the most shots and goals this season. New York has allowed 17 goals over its last three games, and Bryan Rust will skate on a line with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel tonight. Stacking the Crosby line and the Hagelin-Malkin-Hornqvist trio in another contest isn’t a bad call. You also have the league’s best PP up against the NHL’s worst penalty kill.
Ty Rattie @ CAR ($4.0 DK / $3.5 FD)
In two games skating on Connor McDavid’s line, Ty Rattie has two goals, three points, and nine shots. He’s one of the bigger bargains of the night and has tremendous upside playing with McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has seven points in his last eight games.
Others to consider: Patrik Laine, Mikko Rantanen, Patric Hornqvist, Claude Giroux, Cam Atkinson, James Neal, Mitch Marner
Defensemen
Ethan Bear @ CAR ($3.1 DK / $3.5 FD)
After registering points in back-to-back games, Ethan Bear has gone scoreless over his last four. Now, with Oscar Klefbom sidelined, it should mean more ice time for Bear. The rookie was already quarterbacking the number-one power play unit in Edmonton, and his price tag is too nice to pass up.
Erik Gustafsson vs. COL ($4.0 DK / $4.1 FD)
Erik Gustafsson is worth a look as he has five points in as many games with two of them coming on the power play. Over those five games, Gustafsson 16 shots playing north of 18 minutes in each contest.
Dylan DeMelo vs. NJ ($2.9 DK / $3.6 FD)
Dylan DeMelo is your third value defenseman of the night. He has nine points in his last eight. Two of those points have come on the power play, and he enters tonight with four points in his last four games with a total of nine blocks. His production has resulted in a spike in ice time.
Others to consider: Keith Yandle, Zach Werenski, Justin Faulk
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Goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury vs VAN ($8.5 DK / $8.4 FD)
It’s a bit easy to pay up for Marc-Andre Fleury on FanDuel as opposed to DraftKings where he is the most expensive goalie on the board. MAF is coming off a 42-save shutout, his second in his last six games. The Canucks rank 27th in goals for, have been shutout in three of their last four, and have scored two or fewer in five of six.
James Reimer @ OTT ($8.2 DK / $7.5 FD)
James Reimer is in a decent spot against the Senators and is appealing with his low price tag on FanDuel. With Florida winning last night in Montreal, Reimer should get the start tonight. He’s won two straight and five of his last six. He also shutout Ottawa earlier this year on his way to 50 FD points. Also, no Erik Karlsson tonight.
Others to consider: Sergei Bobrovsky, Martin Jones
