Key Three Skaters
Evander Kane (SJ)
Over the last month, Kane has been one of the most lethal and aggressive scorers in the league. Over the past 11 games, Kane has eight goals and five assists on 54 shots, that’s 4.90 shots per game. The Canucks have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to left-wingers over the last four weeks and I expect Kane to continue to shoot, shoot, and shoot some more on his way to lighting the lamp at least once.
Anze Kopitar (LA)
Over his last six games, Kopitar has been on fire with four goals and five assists in 20 plus minutes of ice time in each contest. The Capitals have been horrific against centers over the last month allowing the most fantasy points to the position over that span of any other team in the league including 28 goals and 26 assists over the 11-game stretch. Kopitar has fared well against the Eastern Conference over his career averaging nearly a point per game and has 15 points in 16 career games against the Caps. I expect him to produce tonight in a spot where most won’t consider him, even on such a short slate.
Sidney Crosby (PIT)
While the Pens can be very frustrating to roster at times they can be incredibly frustrating to fade as well. Crosby faces a red-hot Flyers team tonight but has burned this team over his entire career. In 64 regular season games against Philly, the Pens captain has 39 goals and 55 assists for a total of 94 points. While I may like Carter Hart tonight (spoiler alert), on a short slate, it’s hard to not like Sid and his proven track record in this matchup.
Favorite Line Stacks
Flyers
Voracek – Couturier – Lindblom
Over the last six games, this line has combined for nine goals and 12 assists as the Flyers are the hottest team in hockey. While the salaries of Couturier and Voracek has spiked a bit, Lindblom continues to be a good value option here. I expect the Flyers to push the pace in this game and for it to work in their favor on home ice as they’ll look to avenge a poor showing against their state rivals in the playoffs last season.
Canucks
Goldobin – Pettersson – Boeser
I like this game a lot tonight and expect scoring from both sides. With the said, the scoring from San Jose can be scattered around at times as they have talent from top to bottom and thus are one of the better teams in the NHL. The Canucks have two of the brightest young players in the league skating on this line in Pettersson and Boeser, have Bo Horvat centering the first line, and some nice role players but that’s about it. If Vancouver is going to score, and I think they will, it’ll have to come through this line. Along with Pettersson (points in six of his last seven games), Boeser (points in seven of his last eight games), Nikolay Goldobin, a great value, skates on this line at left-wing and correlates on the top power-play unit as well making for some serious upside from this line.
Sharks
Kane – Hertl – Donskoi
Much like the Flyers above, there is some value on this line with Donskoi who has points in back to back games. Kane, who I touched on above, and Hertl have been out of their minds of late. Hertl has six goals and four assists over his last five games and has had recent success against the Canucks. Over his last seven games against Vancouver, Hertl has five goals and four assists.
Top Positional Plays
Center
Claude Giroux (PHI) – The Pens have allowed the second-most fantasy points to centers over the last four weeks and Giroux has multiple points in two of his last four games.
Logan Couture (SJ) – 10 goals and four assists in his last 10 games against the Canucks.
Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH) – On fire with points in six of his last seven games with five goals over that span.
Wing
Joe Pavelski (SJ) – Good pairing with Couture on the top line and top power-play unit.
Alex Ovechkin (WSH) – Hard to ignore on this slate. You’re either all in or fading completely in my opinion, I’ll be doing that latter.
Phil Kessel (PIT) – Hasn’t recorded a point in each of his last four games. As a result, he’s extremely underpriced on DK.
James van Riemsdyk (PHI) – Great value in a game that could go to the moon and skating back on the top line and top power-play unit.
Dustin Brown (LA) – Cheap winger to pair up with Kopitar at even strength and on the power play.
Patric Hornqvist (PIT) – Way too cheap at $4,700 on DK even skating on the third line. His ice time on the top power-play unit and his ability to generate high-danger scoring chances make him a valid option.. if not fading the Pens (I’ll get to that).
Tom Wilson (WSH) – I hate the guy with a passion, but on the first line, $4,600 is simply to cheap to ignore.
Defense
Brent Burns (SJ) – Very hard for me to fade Burns here, especially with all of the value at hand.
Kris Letang (PIT) – Points in four of his last six games and he’s so heavily involved on offense that if this game blows up it’s impossible to think that he won’t be involved.
Shayne Gostisbehere (PHI) – Love Ghost in this spot against the Pens who have allowed the most fantasy points to the position over the last four weeks, including six goals and 26 assists over the 10-game span.
Drew Doughty (LA) – The Caps have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to the position over the last four weeks. Doughty, who skates more than any other d-man in the league is $4,400 on DK, the cheapest he’s been since mid-November.
Ivan Provorov (PHI) – Good value pivot off of Ghost if you need the savings.
Ben Hutton (VAN) – Benefiting from extra ice-time with Al Edler still out.
Troy Stecher (VAN) – $2,500 on DK and seeing top power-play minutes.
Top Goalies
Carter Hart (PHI) – So, we talked (SD and I) last week about Hart and how the blow-up game will be coming, at some point. I don’t think, and really hope it’s not tonight against the Pens because chances are that I’ll be hitching my wagon to Hart and the Flyers at home and fading the Pens completely.
Jonathan Quick (LA) – In a spot where the Caps should be very popular, I think they’re frauds personally, I’ll consider taking the discount that Quick brings and look for him to come up big.
GOOD LUCK!!
