NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 2/6
Key Two Skaters David Pastrnak (BOS) This is pretty clear cut. Pasta is the best scoring winger on the slate in terms of goal scoring. His floor is rock solid and is upside is a high as anyone on the slate. The Rangers have been middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to the right-wing position on the season and over the last four weeks. The Pasta play is more taking into consideration the ability of the actual player in this case. Pasta is eighth in the league in goals per 60 and fifth in goals per 60. Auston Matthews (TOR) Fresh off of a new contract extension, Matthews will come ready to play against the Sens who he’s had tremendous success against after a lackluster performance the other night. In nine career games against Ottawa, AM34 has eight goals and six assists. The Sens have had trouble stopping centers all season long and they won’t stop Matthews tonight. Favorite Line Stacks Bruins First Line Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak They controlled the game last night against the Islanders and I expect more of the same tonight. Whether or not you’re willing to pay up for them is the only question, but they’re as rock solid a line as there is in the league. Maple Leafs Second Line Marleau – Matthews – Kapanen There is value with Marleau and Kapanen while paying up for Matthews, who I mentioned above and love tonight. The Leafs are unpredictable at times in where the production comes from, but considering that the second line is less expensive than the Tavares line, I’ll lean here tonight. Senators First Line Dzingel – Duchene – Ryan If you’re picking one team to fade tonight and attack out of Boston and Toronto, Toronto would be the team for me. Because of the fast pace that they so often play at, they are more susceptible to allowing quality scoring chances. With the speed of Duchene, the Sens top line could see some opportunities. There’s power play correlation here as well with Duchene and Dzingel and considering Chabot on the back end in power-play situations would be worth looking at. If the Sens want to stay with the Leafs tonight this will be the line that needs to show up. Value Line Stacks Maple Leafs Third Line Brown – Kadri – Nylander This group came out and played really well in their last game and should look to carry that momentum tonight. If you want Toronto exposure but don’t want to pay up for the first or second line, the third line offers a lot, especially with Kadri skating on the top power-play unit. Bruins Second Line Debrusk – Krejci – Cehlarik I was surprised to see how cheap the wingers here continue to be tonight with Debrusk at $3,500 and Cehlarik, who scored a goal last night at $3,300. If you like the Tavares line from Toronto and are looking to pay up at a defense spot or two, the value here with Boston’s second line is very attractive. Top Positional Plays Center John Tavares (TOR) Kevin Hayes (NYR) Colin White (OTT) Wing Mitch Marner (TOR) Chris Kreider (NYR) Mark Stone (OTT) Zack Hyman (TOR) Brady Tkachuk (OTT) Defense Morgan Rielly (TOR) Torey Krug (BOS) Thomas Chabot (OTT) Value Jake Muzzin (TOR) Charlie McAvoy (BOS) Jake Gardiner (TOR) Dylan DeMelo (OTT) Kevin Shattenkirk (NYR) Top Goalies Frederik Andersen Jaroslav Halak GOOD LUCK!!
NHL DFS: The Slapshot – 2/5
The slapshot previews the NHL DFS slate for Tuesday, February 5th with stacks, goalies and locks of the day.
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 2/5
Key Three Skaters Patrick Kane (CHI) In the same game, I really like Patrick Kane and the matchup he has against Edmonton combined with the success he’s had against the Oilers. Edmonton has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points over the last four weeks to right-wingers and Kane has 14 points in his last 11 games against the Oilers. Kane is also riding an 11-game point scoring streak, a streak in which he’s recorded multiple points seven times. Connor McDavid (EDM) It’s not often that I look to McDavid, for whatever reason, but tonight I love this home matchup against the Blackhawks. McDavid has points in 10 of his last 11 games and eight points in his last eight games against Chicago. The Hawks have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to centers over the last four weeks putting McDavid in an even better spot to succeed. Sebastian Aho (CAR) Aho has solid numbers against Pittsburgh with three goals and four assists in eight career games, but he’s on fire of late with three goals and six assists in his last five games. The Pens have allowed the second-most fantasy points to centers over the last month including 23 goals and 21 assists allowed to the position over the 10-game stretch. Favorite Line Stacks Blackhawks First Line Caggiula – Toews – Kane Toews and Kane are back together once again making for a dynamic one-two punch in a game that should see some goals scored. Toews’ value will help offset the expensive salary that Kane carries in with him, as will the supreme value of Drake Caggiula who plays Edmonton for the first time since being moved to the Hawks at the end of December. Canadiens First Line Drouin – Danault – Gallagher The Ducks, playing their second game in as many nights have seemingly quit and that couldn’t be more obvious when looking at their play in their last three games as they’ve left John Gibson out to dry. They’ve lost those games 6-1 (at Toronto), 9-3 (at Winnipeg), and 5-1 (home against St. Louis) and have allowed a total of 107 shots in those games. On the opposite side of that, the Canadiens are surging going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. Drouin has four points in his last four games, Danault is a great value centering the top line and should have opportunities as the Ducks have allowed 12 goals and 19 assists to centers in their last 10 games. Gally is overdue for a goal or two with none in his last five games and has 21 shots over that span. With Chad Johnson expected to be in net tonight, the Canadiens should run Anaheim out of the Bell Center as Johnson comes in with a 2-9 record, 3.36 goals against average, and a putrid .886 save percentage. Predators First Line Forsberg – Johansen – Arvidsson The Preds have had a hell of a time playing against Arizona averaging less than two goals per game against the Coyotes in these teams’ last nine meeting. Crazy, I know, but I think this is a good spot to go after Arizona, a team that has been stingy defensively all year long. The Coyotes just played last night against the Stars and lost 5-4 after crumbling in the third period allowing four goals, three of which came in about a minute. Nashville has the firepower to put up a crooked number and Johansen, Forsberg, and Arvidsson have extremely productive over their last 10 games combining for eight goals as a unit. Keep in mind that Johansen had been suspended for two of those games. It’s a tough spot for the Yotes tonight traveling to one of the more hostile environments in hockey and likely sending Calvin Pickard to the crease. Pickard has struggled with a 3.78 goals against average and a .869 save percentage. Lightning First Line Palat – Stamkos – Kucherov This was the Lightning top line at practice yesterday with Brayden Point questionable to play tonight. As Stamkos continues to be hot with four goals in his last four games and points in eight of his last nine, he and Kucherov, the league leader in points per 60, should control the puck possession here for Tampa. Palat fits in well on the left wing at even strength and at the left point on the top power-play unit. Value Line Stacks Sabres First Line Sheary – Eichel – Okposo It’s very annoying to look at Buffalo and see them jumble lines around, especially when the top line of Jeff Skinner, Jack Eichel, and Sam Reinhart has been so damn good this season. Either way, Sheary and Okposo bring extreme value to the ice tonight making Eichel an easy high-upside play to pay for in a good matchup at home as the Wild have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to centers over the last four weeks. Sheary and Okposo do not see top power-play minutes with Eichel, but at their salaries, it won’t take much for them to pay off. Hurricanes First Line Niederreiter – Aho – Williams Niederreiter has made quite an impact since coming over from Minnesota and Justin Williams, who’s a great value at $4,700 is still someone that’s able to score the puck. With Aho likely opening up some room and attracting most of the attention, look for the veterans Niederreiter and Williams to find some scoring opportunities. All three skaters skate on the top power-play unit for the ‘Canes as well. Blue Jackets Second Line Bjorkstrand – Wennberg – Panarin There is tremendous value here with Wennberg and Bjorkstrand skating with the higher-priced Panarin. Wennberg will benefit from having a forward like Panarin skating with him who can create high-quality scoring opportunities and Bjorkstrand will have some more open ice to play with. Top Positional Plays Center Pierre-Luc Dubois (CBJ) – Underpriced considering his time on the top power-play unit and the
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 2/4
Key Three Skaters Auston Matthews (TOR) Matthews has a goal in each of his last three games and has a great opportunity to continue that trend tonight. The Ducks got smoked by the Jets the other night and John Gibson, who has stood on his head all season for this team, simply had no chance before getting pulled after allowing six of the goals. Unfortunately, I don’t expect things to get much better for Gibson and the Ducks and I like Matthews to continue to roll. Claude Giroux (PHI) The Flyers are suddenly red hot winning each of their last seven games and Giroux has come through with two goals and two assists in his last two games. The Canucks just played in Colorado on Saturday and now have to fly West to East to play the streaking Flyers in a tough spot and I like Giroux to keep his production going. Jamie Benn (DAL) Benn has a goal in three games out of the all-star break which is nothing to write home about, but, he’s had some great success against tonight’s opponent, the Arizona Coyotes. In his last 10 games against the Yotes, Benn has five goals and seven assists. Arizona has allowed 10 goals to left-wingers in their last 10 games and I like that trend to continue tonight for the Stars’ captain. Favorite Line Stacks Leafs Second Line Marleau – Matthews – Kapanen This line is back together it seems after skating together at the morning skate today. The one change made is putting Kapanen back with Matthews and Mitch Marner back with John Tavares. Marleau and Kapanen both offer good value to offset the hefty salary of Matthews and have been productive, especially Marleau with three points in his last two games. Flyers First Line van Riemsdyk – Giroux – Konecny JVR has eight shots in his last two games with nothing more than an assist to show leading me to believe that he’s due to bury one tonight. Giroux, who I mentioned above, is the glue to this line. Konecny has two goals in four games since the all-star break. This line is very affordable and should be heavily involved in the scoring tonight for Philly. Value Line Stacks Coyotes Second Line Galchenyuk – Cousins – Keller Ducks First Line Rakell – Getzlaf – Perry Leafs Third Line Brown – Kadri – Nylander Top Positional Plays Center John Tavares (TOR) – I like Matthews better, but it’s close. You also get a nice savings on DK going down to Tavares. Mika Zibanejad (NYR) – I don’t see any reason to pay for him on DK, but he may have low ownership especially for a shorter slate. Sean Couturier (PHI) – He may be a little pre-occupied trying to follow Pettersson around, however some scoring opportunities can come as they have for Couts since the second-half started. Jeff Carter (LA) – Good value and the type of player in front that gives the Rangers trouble. Tyler Seguin (DAL) – Not sure which center will match up with him but if it’s Derek Stepan, he may have five goals and 10 shots tonight. Kevin Hayes (NYR) – Nice value, seeing power-play time on the top unit, and has three points in his last two games. Wing Mitch Marner (TOR) – Reuniting with Tavares should get his game going again as he’s been as good a winger in the league this season while skating with JT. Brock Boeser (VAN) – The Flyers have allowed 10 goals to right-wingers in their last 11 games. Chris Kreider (NYR) – Paired up with Zibanejad, his $5,900 salary will help offset Zib’s overpriced number. Alex Radulov (DAL) – Steep price tag, worth a look paired up with Seguin, and has a goal in three of his last five games against Arizona. Jakub Voracek (PHI) – He and Couts make for a nice one-two punch at even strength and on the power play. Zack Hyman (TOR) – The value of Hyman works well with Tavares at even strength. Jakob Silfverberg (ANA) – Good value skating on the second line. Tyler Toffoli (LA) – Worth considering as a cheap pairing with Jeff Carter. Defense Morgan Rielly (TOR) – Points in each of his last two games with seven shots over that span and leads all defensemen in points per 60. John Klingberg (DAL) – Often finds himself in on the offense and has eight points in his last eight games against Arizona. Cam Fowler (ANA) – Toronto has really struggled with the defense position and Fowler offers a solid floor for his price with shots and blocked shots. Drew Doughty (LA) – Love the play tonight against the Rangers who have allowed 23 points to defensemen in their last 11 games. Oliver Ekman-Larsson (ARI) – Played 26 minutes in his last game, so health is no longer an issue. Expect him to be heavily involved in the offense at a good value. Jake Gardiner (TOR) – Good value and played very strong in his last game. I expect his strong play to continue through the end of the season and into the playoffs as he’s an unrestricted free agent this summer. Alex Edler (VAN) – Offers a solid floor as he’s fifth in blocks per 60 among defensemen, averages over five shots per 60, and sees over 23 minutes of ice-time per game. Miro Heiskanen (DAL) – Eighth in individual scoring chances per 60 among defensemen and is just $4,000 on DK. Top Goalies Carter Hart (PHI) – He’s still too cheap and he’s been great. I like him, even more, playing at home. Frederik Andersen (TOR) – Probably the highest owned goalie but I don’t think he sees enough work to pay off his price tag on either site. I’d rather save $500 on DK and $300 on FD for Hart. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) –
NHL DFS: The Slapshot – 2/3
Super Bowl Sunday and that means the Washington Capitals are home and should win the premiere NHL game of the day. They’ve had a TON of success in this spot over the years and they also draw Boston who they have dominated for the last 3-4 seasons. You could say a couple things are due here but we’ve also got a rested Ovechkin coming back and the Caps looked refreshed on Friday night in their first game off a much needed rest. None the less, lets dive into the slate to outline who the top overall lines are for this slate. With only three games I am mixing it up a little and rather than identifying the teams I am targetting, I’ll just rank the combo’s/stacks themselves. ELITE / High $ Plays Monahan, Gaudreau, Lindholm – Calgary This is a revenge game on both sides once again, but the Monny/Johnny line is the one to rely upon to score in a spot where they’re facing a team who doesn’t give up a ton of shots to begin with. I love this game for offense overall and thats why they rank top. Ovechkin, Backstrom, Oshie – Washington I noted the other night that I think Kuznetsov is about to get hot the second half of the season but you should try to get Ovechkin in your lineups today no matter what. One thing I would consider is doing more of a PP stack with Kuzy-Ovi and Carlson. MID RANGE PLAYS Aho, Niederreiter – Carolina Krejci, DeBrusk – Boston Danault, Gallagher – Montreal ONE OFFS Evgeny Kuznetsov – Washington Leon Draisaitl – Edmonton VALUE Jakub Vrana – Washington …. Obviously the much better scorer than Stephenson. Good play with Eller on the third line if Eller skates Chandler Stephenson – Washington DEFENSEMAN Dougie Hamilton – Carolina John Carlson – Washington Shea Weber – Montreal Darnell Nurse – Edmonton VALUE: TJ Brodie, Matt Niskanen, Adam Larsson GOALIES Braden Holtby – Washington … He’s gonna win and at $7800 wont kill your cap. Mikko Koskinen – Edmonton … I changed my pick here, Koskinen at $7100 is FANTASTIC value for us to load up on the skaters today.
NHL DFS: The Slapshot – 2/2
Fresh off his third Single Entry win in 5 slates, Steve Renner is back to break down the NHL DFS action for this Saturday
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 2/1
Key Three Skaters Jack Eichel (BUF) Eichel should continue to produce in the second half as he recorded points in three of his last four games heading into the break. The Blackhawks have allowed a ton of production to all positions this season but specifically to centers. Jack is second among forwards in shots per 60. In a game where I see Buffalo scoring some goals, I’ll lean on Jack and his top line to do the damage as they’ve done all season for the Sabres. Auston Matthews (TOR) Often nights deciding between Matthews and Tavares from Toronto is a toss up as either player is in play on any given night. With that being said, I like Matthews in this spot for a couple of reasons. First I expect Dylan Larkin’s line to be matched up with Tavares’ and Larkin’s speed and skating ability can limit Tavares’ chances to a degree. Second, Mitch Marner and Patrick Marleau, Matthews’ linemates are much more dangerous and attract more attention, which will ideally open up some space for Matthews to operate than Zack Hyman and Kasperi Kapanen will skating on Tavares’ line. Lastly, Matthews has had great success in his career against the Wings with nine goals, five of which are game-winners, and five assists in 10 games against Detroit. Matthews has been more dangerous on the road this season (12 goals in 16 road games) and over his career (54 goals in 84) and I would expect some production in “Hockey Town” tonight. Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) “Johnny Hockey” has been money this season ranking second in the league in points per 60, seventh in assists per 60, and 13th in goals per 60. Much like Buffalo’s top line, Calgary’s top line is what drives the production for the Flames at both even strength and on the power-play. Gaudreau leads the Flames in points and power-play points and his production has been magnified on the road with 17 goals and 15 assists in 25 games in road games. Favorite Line Stacks Flames First Line Gaudreau – Monahan – Lindholm These three have been absolutely dominant this season and are the major reason why the Flames are 1st in the Pacific Division. Gaudreau, Monahan, and Lindholm have accounted for 77 of the Flames’ 185 goals, almost 42 percent of the total production. They rank right up there with the 420 line from Colorado as they all see time on the top power-play unit together, a unit that is much improved with a 23.6 percent success rate putting them eighth in the NHL which should see some chances against the Caps penalty kill which has struggled ranking 24th in the league. Sabres First Line Skinner – Eichel – Reinhart The top line for Buffalo has attributed for 42 percent of the team’s goals with Skinner (31 goals), Eichel (16), and Reinhart (12) accounting for 59 goals. All three skaters are together on the top power-play unit and you have to believe that they’ll get some prime scoring chances against the worst penalty kill in the league. Overall the Blackhawks have been brutal this season with an 8-14-3 record on the road and have allowed 3.71 goals per game, second-most in the NHL. Maple Leafs Second Line Marleau – Matthews – Marner I touched on why I like this line a lot above when speaking on Matthews and while pinpointing the scoring from Toronto can be tricky, I expect a lot of goals from the Leafs as they are near the top of the league in goals per game on the road. Marner has been great, the second-worst all-star snub behind Brayden Point, and Patrick Marleau provides excellent value with the high-priced Matthews and Marner. Value Line Stacks Wild Second Line Zucker – Koivu – Granlund Maple Leafs Third Line Brown – Kadri – Nylander Panthers Second Line Huberdeau – Trocheck – Bjugstad Predators Second Line Fiala – Sissons – Smith Top Positional Plays Center John Tavares (TOR) – Has 30 goals for the fourth time in the last five season and is ninth among forwards in shots per 60, fifth in goals per 60, and first in high-danger scoring chances per 60. Ryan Johansen (NSH) – Having his most productive season as a pro as he’s second on the Predators in points and skates nearly 20 minutes per game on the first line and top power-play unit. His price is way too cheap on DK. Brayden Point (TB) – The biggest snub from the all-star game continues to dazzle as the best center on Tampa, yes, better than Steven Stamkos. Even in a tough matchup, I have no problem looking to Point who is fourth among forwards in points per 60 and fifth in goals per 60. Matt Duchene (OTT) – While Ottawa doesn’t give a shit defensively, they can score goals and that’s where Duchene comes into play averaging 1.52 goals per 60 and he’s recorded three goals in his last three games against the Pens. Dylan Larkin (DET) – The projected high pace of this game plays really well in his favor, even in a tough matchup where he may see some Nazem Kadri following him around as well as John Tavares. Wing Nikita Kucherov (TB) – Has 11 points in his last eight games against the Islanders and is first in the league in points per 60. Patrick Kane (CHI) – The Buffalo native has 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 15 games against the Sabres. Mike Hoffman (FLA) – Leads the Panthers with 23 goals and averages 10.47 shots per 60. Phil Kessel (PIT) – Second on the Pens in points and leads the team with 23 points on the power play, a factor against the Sens and their 29th-ranked penalty kill. Anders Lee (NYI) – Four goals and an assist in his last four games against Tampa and are first among wingers in
NHL DFS: Feb 1st Podcast
FullTime Fantasy Sports PODCAST featuring Steve Renner and Rob Geriak – focused on the NHL DFS slate for Friday, February 1st
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 1/31
Key Three Skaters Mark Scheifele (WPG) The Jets came out of the break with back to back road games on the East Coast and looked like they were sleeping on their skates for the first game and a half or so. However, they picked it up late in their last game against the Bruins and look like they got their legs back. This is a great spot for the Jets at home where they are a completely different team and with Scheifele leading the charge against a shaky Columbus defense, production should be aplenty. Patrice Bergeron (BOS) Bergeron continues to be one of the better centers in the league and is someone who dictates the pace of the game extremely well, especially at home. Coming off a two-goal effort in his last game, look for Bergeron to continue the rock-solid play that he carried into and out of the all-star break. Artemi Panarin (CBJ) Heading into the all-star break the Jets were struggling with left-wingers and that’s continued in two games coming out of the break as Winnipeg has allowed a goal and three assists to the position over that span. Panarin came into the break goals on five of six games and added to his point total against the Sabres the other night with two assists. Panarin’s salary is more than manageable on DK in a game that could see some fireworks. Favorite Line Stacks Jets First Line Connor – Scheifele – Wheeler Very dangerous at home and after a lackluster game against the Flyers coming out of the break, they woke up late in their next game against the Bruins with a tremendous third period. Connor continues to be a major asset and net-front presence at even strength and on the power play. Blake Wheeler is one of the better playmaking wingers in the NHL once again this season averaging the second-most assists per 60 (2.96) in 21:30 of average ice-time which is also second-most among wingers. I spoke on Scheifele above and he’ll likely be tasked with matching up against Columbus’ first line center Pierre-Luc Dubois who still leaves a lot to be desired defensively. Winnipeg’s strong 18-6-2 record at home is worth noting here as they are often led by their top line in their own building. Bruins First Line Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak Speaking of being led by their top line in their own building, the Bruins are 17-7-2 at home this season and this line has done the bulk of the scoring as a whole. Even with Bergeron missing 16 games early on due to injury, he, Marchand, and Pastrnak has combined for 19 even strength goals as a unit. Furthermore, combined they have scored 63 of the Bruins’ 133 goals this season which is roughly 47 percent. Boston is 6-2-1 in their last nine against the Flyers and even with how good Carter Hart has been, it’s tough to bet against the “Dirty Water” line tonight. Top Positional Plays Center Claude Giroux (PHI) – Has 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in his last 11 games against the Bruins. Mika Zibanejad (NYR) – After laying an egg the other night, expect Zib and the Rangers to come out with a lot of energy against the lowly Devils. Pierre-Luc Dubois (CBJ) – Offensively, Dubois has quietly had a very good season ranking third on Columbus in points (45) with 18 goals in 49 games. Bryan Little (WPG) – Great value as always at the center spot for a dynamic offense. David Krejci (BOS) – Always overshadowed by Bergeron, but considering his value Krejci is as steady a second line center that you’ll find. Nico Hischier (NJ) – For a young player, his hockey sense is off the charts and his ability to make plays in deep makes him a play worth considering against the non-physical Ranger defense core. Wing Cam Atkinson (CBJ) – Cam continues to be a machine shooting the puck and scoring goals ranking in the top 10 in both shots per 60 and goals per 60. Patrik Laine (WPG) – Played less than 11 minutes in his last game, clearly an eye-opening scenario for one of the better young scorers in the game. Look for him to come out with a sense of urgency at home where he’s been unstoppable often early in his young career. Kyle Palmieri (NJ) – Points in six of his last seven games against the Rangers. Jake Voracek (PHI) – Clearly not the player he once was but he’s still a good playmaker and is a great value on DK at $4,700 on the top power-play unit. Nick Foligno (CBJ) – Positions himself in front of the net often skating on the second line and top power-play unit. Chris Kreider (NYR) – Skated extremely well in the Rangers’ last game and could’ve easily had a hat trick if not for being robbed on three occasions by Anthony Stolarz. Kreids has been solid all season long ranking in the top 10 among forwards in high-danger scoring chances per 60. James van Riemsdyk (PHI) – Has seven goals in his last seven games and is skating on the top line and top power-play unit. Jake Debrusk (BOS) – $4,100 on DK and $4,800 on FD skating on the second line making for a nice value pairing with Krejci and seeing time on the top power-play unit where he’s scored five of his 14 goals. Defense Torey Krug (BOS) – Efficient with his ice time as he’s in the top 10 among defensemen in points per 60. Seth Jones (CBJ) – As he was the other night, he’s the best all-around defenseman on the slate tonight. Whether or not you want to pay up for him is the tough call. Jacob Trouba (WPG) Logging time on the top power-play unit with the continued absence of Dustin Byfuglien. Value I love the value at hand on
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 1/30
Key Two Skaters Tyler Seguin (DAL) On a two-game slate provided the upside that Seguin brings and the matchup he has in front of him, I simply think he’s too cheap on both sites as the fifth-highest priced center. The first half of the season was not at all efficient for the ninth-year pro as he posted a shooting percentage of just 9.2 percent which would be the second-lowest of his career. Seguin ranks ninth in shots per 60 with 11.47 and I would expect some positive regression in the second half for him with more pucks going into the net. Over the last three season, Seguin has recorded 80 points (33 goals, 47 assists) in 86 games after the all-star break, including 17 goals over 32 games after last years star-studded event. I expect a productive second half from the Stars’ center and that begins tonight against Buffalo playing their second road game in as many nights. Phil Kessel (PIT) The Pens looked like shit the other night against the Devils who have oddly had their number all season long. In any event, in a game that should see plenty of scoring chances resulting in a good amount of goals, Kessel, who averages 3.60 points per 60 (16th in the league) should be involved. In his last two games against Tampa, Kessel has three goals and three assists and has points in 10 of his last 13 games, including playoffs (eight goals, 10 assists) against the Lightning overall. Favorite Line Stacks Penguins Second Line Rust – Malkin – Kessel I’m looking at the Pens second line primarily because they’re cheaper, mainly Malkin ($6,000 on DK, $8,400 on FD) and Kessel ($5,800 on DK, $7,500 on FD) compared to Sidney Crosby ($7,000 on DK, $8,800 0n FD) and Jake Guentzel ($6,000 on DK, $7,700 on FD) and both see power play time on the top unit. Rust is a nice value on both sites ($4,600 on DK, $4,800 on FD) and has goals in two of his last four games against Tampa. Stars First Line Janmark – Seguin – Radulov I spoke on Seguin and I really like pairing him up with Radulov at both even strength and on the power-play. Janmark offers a ton of value at $2,500 on DK and $3,600 on FD as a plugin play to fill this line out. Of course, you could fade Janmark here and grab someone like Jamie Benn or John Klingberg, who I’ll get to later, as a power-play stack in this spot. On the surface, though, Janmark’s value makes him an easy “punt” choice as someone who won’t need to do much to pay off. Sabres First Line Skinner – Eichel – Reinhart This line kept clicking along last night combining for two goals, an assist, and 13 shots. They all skate together on the top power-play unit and more often than not, the bulk of the Sabres forward production, with last night obviously being an outlier, comes from this trio. Top Positional Plays Center Brayden Point (TB) – Perhaps the biggest all-star snub, Point is coming in fifth in goals per 60, 15th in assists per 60, and second in points per 60. He has four goals and an assist in his last three games against the Pens and I expect him to pick up right where he left off prior to the all-star break when he came in with multiple points in four of his last seven games. Steven Stamkos (TB) – After a slow start, he came into the break with points in eight of nine games. He has two goals and four assists in his last four games against Pittsburgh. Derick Brassard (PIT) – Great value on both sites with five points in his last three games against Tampa. Casey Mittelstadt (BUF) – Was very active last night in 11 minutes of ice-time with four shots and an assist. He brings great value centering the second line at $3,100 on DK and $3,700 on FD. Wing Nikita Kucherov (TB) – Love the pairing with Point as Kuch has killed the Pens with four goals and five assists in his last five games against them. Patric Hornqvist (PIT) – Skating on the third line with Brassard. A good value combo to get exposure to this game and also skating on the top power-play unit. Jamie Benn (DAL) – The primary scoring option on the Stars’ second line, but seeing power-play time on the top unit. Ondrej Palat (TB) – Worth a look as a pairing with Stamkos or if you want some cheaper Tampa exposure. Palat is slated to skate on the top power-play unit and Palat came into the break with three goals in six games on 18 shots. Evan Rodrigues (BUF) – Red hot with goals in four straight games. Defense I think tonight, more than most nights you need to nail this position. Kris Letang (PIT) – Heavily involved in the offense and averages the third-most ice time of any defensemen in the league. His is rock solid and his upside is somewhere in the clouds. John Klingberg (DAL) – He’s basically a forward out there more often than not generating a ton of scoring chances and moving the puck as well as any defenseman in the league. Victor Hedman (TB) – Picks his spots offensively but he’s extremely efficient and is fifth in high-danger chances per 60, and 10th in points per 60 among defensemen. Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF) – Expect a similar effort to last night when he had four shots, a blocked shot, and an assist in 26 plus minutes of ice time. Miro Heiskanen (DAL) – Seventh among defensemen in individual scoring chances per 60 and a value pivot off of Klingberg. Let’s call him “Klingberg-Light”. Value/Punt Options I wouldn’t play more than one of these guys, as I said above, I think the defense spot is crucial
