Nine games make up the 3/27/18 NHL DFS slate with some massive contests over at DraftKings and FanDuel. 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
John Tavares @ OTT ($7.2 DK / $8.3 FD)
John Tavares had his five-game point streak snapped last night, which makes me like him even more. JT has points in eight of his last 11 games and hasn’t gone back-to-back games without a point over that span. He also has at least two shots on goal in all of those games and fired seven pucks on net last night. The Senators allowed 22 goals in their last four games.
Pierre-Luc Dubois @ EDM ($5.0 DK / $5.3 FD)
Pierre-Luc Dubois is expected back on a line with Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson tonight with the injury to Nick Foligno. Dubois responded well in two games away from the explosive duo as he picked up two assists. He has offensive upside, and it helps that his wingers have a combined 26 points over their last 10 games.
Derick Brassard @ DET ($5.3 DK / $5.2 FD)
With points in six straight games, it’s safe to say Derick Brassard has settled into his role with the Penguins. Brassard is not your typical third line center as most don’t have a sniper like Phil Kessel to play with. He’s not getting as much ice time in Pittsburgh as he did in Ottawa, but one of his two goals over the past week came on the power play. Rostering him not only saves you bit of cash but also differentiates you from those playing Sid and Malkin.
Others to consider: Ryan Getzlaf, Matt Duchene, Sebastian Aho, Nico Hischier
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Wingers
Evander Kane @ STL ($6.9 DK / $6.6 FD)
Evander Kane had a remarkable 10 shots on goal last night to give him 59 in his last 10 games. It’s like starting with three points on DK and nine on FD. Targeting volume shooters is a great tournament strategy as it comes with the upside of a hat trick, which he picked up last week. Kane enters tonight with seven goals in his last six games.
Jake Guentzel vs. DET ($6.0 DK / $5.5 FD)
Playing most of the Penguins will put a dent in your wallet, but there’s nothing wrong with piggybacking off their skilled players. Jake Guentzel has five points in his last three games playing alongside Sidney Crosby who has three straight multi-point games. Montreal scored four on Detroit last night, and they can’t score on anybody. The Red Wings have allowed four-plus goals in seven of their last eight games. Pittsburgh are strong home favorites tonight with the highest implied team total (3.6).
Bobby Ryan vs. NYI ($4.0 DK / $4.6 FD)
The Senators have the second-highest implied team total at 3.3, and that’s because the Islanders remain on top of the NHL in terms of goals and shots allowed. Ottawa is right there with them, so this game could go over the projected 6.5 total (highest of the night). Bobby Ryan has goals in back-to-back games now, plus 11 shots in his last four contests. He’s a low-risk, high-reward option thanks to his promotion to Matt Duchene’s line.
Ty Rattie vs. CLS ($5.3 DK / $4.0 FD)
It’s unsustainable, but given the price and the hot run, why not? Ty Rattie has four goals, seven points, and 12 shots in six games playing with Connor McDavid. Let’s be honest, that’s what it’s all about: number 97. Good for Ty Rattie, though. He’s benefiting, and you should too.
Others to consider: Anders Lee, Rickard Rakell, Blake Wheeler, Travis Konecny, Valentin Zykov
Defensemen
Ryan Pulock @ OTT ($5.0 DK / $4.4 FD)
As highlighted, this game could feature five-to-seven goals, and if it does, don’t be shocked if Ryan Pulock is involved. He has eight points in his last seven games and 19 shots in his last three. His 44 shots over the last 30 days are the fourth most among all defensemen going tonight (sixth overall). Pulock has a cannon from the point, and it’s resulted in two power play goals in his last three games. It’s the reason he’s more of a value on FanDuel given that there is a bonus for special teams points. New York’s 11 power play goals this month are the third most while Ottawa’s PK ranks 27th on the season.
Jaccob Slavin @ NJ ($4.8 DK / $4.7 FD)
If Justin Faulk sits this one out again, take a look at Jaccob Slavin. He has nine points (three goals) over his last 10 games and over six minutes of power play time in the last three games. It’s hard to find a defensemen in this price range who will play 20 plus minutes while getting PP time.
Darnelle Nurse vs. CLS ($4.3 DK / $3.9 FD)
Darnelle Nurse continues to lead the way on the Oilers’ blue line, both offensively and defensively. Nurse has three points, eight shots, and nine blocks in this last three games. He’s also getting power play time.
Others to consider: Shayne Gostisbehere, Kris Letang, Sami Vatanen
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Goalies
Matt Murray @ DET ($8.2 DK / $8.3 FD)
I get the price on DraftKings, but there are eight goalies more expensive than Matt Murray on FanDuel. It’s the safest bet for a win as you have the fifth-best offense in the league up against the 29th-ranked offense, who played last night in Montreal and only managed two goals. Detroit has scored two or fewer in seven of their past 10 games. PIT has at least three goals in eight of 10.
Others to consider: John Gibson, Sergei Bobrovsky
