Top Goalies
Mike Smith (CGY)
Ah, Smitty, my friend. The Ducks are playing in their second game in as many nights and are expected to welcome back Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Eaves, both slates to skate on the first line after missing quite a bit of time due to injury. The Ducks have yet to generate any consistent play this season, specifically on the offensive end of the ice and tonight Calgary comes in rested and with a 5-3 road record on the season. Anaheim is 29th in goals per game with 2.31 and have the 25th-ranked power-play. While they’re not generating a ton of shots to the net, Smith won’t need much work to pay off his bargain salary of $7,400 on both DK and FD.
Semyon Varlamov (COL)
Varly has a home matchup tonight against the dangerous Predators. This is a spot for the Avalanche to show that they’re for real in the Western Conference facing off against one of the best in the West and a team they lost to in the playoffs last season. Specifically, Varlamov has something to prove in this matchup after he missed that playoff series due to injury and has struggled historically with the Predators. Colorado (3-1-1) is a sizeable underdog at home while the Predators (6-0-0) have been one of the better road teams in the league. The shot volume should be there boosting Varly’s upside and the Preds will again be without one of their better players in Viktor Arvidsson. On a short slate like this, rostering Varly at home against the Preds, something I don’t see a lot of people doing as I think they go to the other side, could be beneficiary if he’s on in tournament settings.
Key Three Skaters
Sean Monahan (CGY)
Monahan has four goals and four assists along with 14 shots in his last four games and has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) on the season in 15 games. The Ducks are coming in off of a back to back and have struggled against the center position this season. Monny centers the Flames’ top line and top power-play unit and is worth locking in tonight, especially at a solid value on DK.
Evgeni Malkin (PIT)
Geno has uncharacteristically gone two straight games without a point but still leads all forwards (4.98) in points per 60 minutes. Additionally, Malkin averages 1.74 goals per 60 and has the luxury of taking on a Caps team that have allowed the sixth-most points to centers this season. Among the production allowed, pivots have 22 goals and 25 assists in 13 games.
Gabriel Landeskog (COL)
Over his last nine games, Skog has 10 goals manning the left wing on one of, if not the best line in the league. The Avs captain will look to victimize the Predators tonight just as he did last season in the playoffs lighting the lamp four times in six games. Landeskog is first among left-wingers in average ice-time per game (20:47) and second in goals per 60 minutes (2.27).
Favorite Line Stacks
Avalanche “420” Line
Landeskog – MacKinnon – Rantanen
Even in a tough matchup, you can’t overlook this line at home. Skog I already touched on above but what I didn’t mention is how good he is defensively, which goes un-noticed with the crazy amount of production these three generate but a lot of that is thanks to the defensive ability of Skog. MacKinnon is an animal at the center spot quickly ascending as one of the better players in the league. Rantanen trails just Evgeni Malkin in points per 60 minutes among forwards. He’s a big body with a ton of skill and vision like no other right-wing aside from maybe Blake Wheeler and it’s evidenced by his 3.90 assists per 60 minutes.
Calgary Flames First Line
Gaudreau – Monahan – Lindholm
With ice-time at full strength and on the top power-play unit, this line has been one of the more productive ones in the league. Monahan has been rolling, Gaudreau has points in each of his last five games, and Lindholm has nine goals and eight assists thus far in his first season in Calgary. Look for this line to take advantage of the Ducks skating in their second game in as many nights.
Others to consider:
Flames second line: Tkachuk – Backlund – Neal
Neal moves in with Frolik being bumped down to the third line. On DK, this is beneficial with Neal being priced at $3,400, where I would expect him to grab some ownership. He’ll skate on the second power-play unit with Backlund and they make for a nice two-player mini stack. I love Tkachuk here as part of this stack or even as a one-off, who I mention below.
Penguins second line: Hagelin – Malkin – Hornqvist
Horn replaces Kessel here as the Pens do their annual early season musical line chairs. He’ll skate with Malkin on the same power-play unit in a mini-stack that I really like in this spot. Hagelin, as usual, is a value option to throw in who can make a difference with his speed.
Capitals third line: Burakovsky – Eller – Connolly
Simply a stack that holds a ton of value making it easier to pay up around. If they combine for a goal, you’ll be happy given their salaries on both sites. Eller does a good job leading this line, Connolly shoots whenever he has a chance, and Burakovsky flashes now and again with a goal when you least expect it. Eller and Connolly skate together on the second power-play unit and woul be my preferred two-payer mini-stack if you decide to go that route.
Top Positional Plays
Center
Evgeny Kuznetsov (WAS) – His speed and ability to handle the puck can give the Pens serious problems.
Ryan Johansen (NSH) – Cheap and centers the Preds top line and top power-play unit.
Nicklas Backstrom (WAS) – I don’t love him as a one-off but paired up with a linemate, Nicky is in play.
Lars Eller (WAS) – On these short slates sometimes you have to get a little weird. Eller centers a very good third line for the Caps and has three points in his last three games.
Derek Ryan (CGY) – At less than 3K on DK, Ryan centers the third line and sees time on the second power-play unit.
Alex Kerfoot (COL) – Everyone thinks of MacKinnon at center when they see the Avs, and rightfully so, but Kerfoot has a goal and three assists in his last two game and is a bargain play tonight.
Wing
Alex Ovechkin (WAS) – No explanation needed.
Matthew Tkachuk (CGY) – Three goals and three assists in his last five games. Gets deep in front of the net and generates a lot of high-danger scoring chances.
Filip Forsberg (NSH) – Cold right now after a hot goal-scoring streak, but Forsberg had four goals and two assists as well as 24 shots in six playoff games against the Avs last year. In 20 regular season games in his career against Colorado, Forsberg has 13 goals and 11 assists for a total of 24 points to go along with 60 shots.
Craig Smith (NSH) – Smith is a great value option and one who is near the leaders among forwards in high-danger scoring chances and shots per 60 minutes. Smith has been a force on the power play over the last two seasons.
T.J. Oshie (WAS) – Oshie skates with Backstrom and is the primary goal-scoring threat on the Caps second line.
Phil Kessel (PIT) – He’ll be the go-to option on the third line, pretty much the only game in town after recent line shuffles. He’ll still see time on the power-play.
Michael Frolik (CGY) – Dropped down to the third line, nice value mini-stack dart throw with Derek Ryan.
Kevin Fiala (NSH) – Getting another opportunity to get his season going moved up to the first line replacing Arvidsson.
Chandler Stephenson (WAS) – Skating on the second line, could benefit from the playmaking ability of Nicklas Backstrom at $2,900 on DK and $3,300 on FD.
Sheldon Dries (COL) – Paired up with Kerfoot, Dries has goals in back to back games.
Defense
Kris Letang (PIT) – Had two goals and an assist in these two teams’ first matchup. The Caps have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to defensemen.
John Carlson (WAS) – He started the season off like a bat out of hell but has since cooled off. This is a good spot for him to get going against as he has three goals in his last five games against the Penguins.
Mark Giordano (CGY) – Has points in four of his last five games with 23 shots over that span.
Roman Josi (NSH) – He’s an animal. Over his last three games he has two goals, two assists, and 13 shots (10 in his last game). Josi is an offensive force with 45 shots in 14 games this season and averages more than three minutes of power-play time per game.
Ryan Ellis (NSH) – Pivot off of Josi. He skates with Josi at full strength and on the same power play unit. If Colorado shades toward Josi, Ellis will have offensive opportunities at a substantial discount off the Preds captain.
Cam Fowler (ANA) – One of the only Ducks I have any interest in tonight. The Flames have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to the position and Cam offers a ton of upside on offense with a solid floor blocking shots and getting pucks to the net.
Tyson Barrie (COL) – Barrie has points in each of his four games and correlates well with Colorado’s top line at even strength and on the power play.
Dmitry Orlov (WAS) – Tremendous value for a guy like him getting regular ice time and power play exposure.
Erik Johnson (COL) – A viable pivot off of Barrie.
Olli Maatta (PIT) – Sees a bump in upside skating on the Penguins top power-play unit after a revamping of both units.
Noah Hanifin (CGY) – Nothing more than a value dart throw here. This is a tough matchup, but Hanifin, who came over from Carolina in the offseason, has flashed offensive upside on the back end and has points in back to back games.
Brandon Montour (ANA) – Like the Hurricanes, the Ducks have a loaded crop of young defensemen. Montour is one of them with points in back to back games and is just $3,600 on DK and $3,800 on FD.
GOOD LUCK!!
