NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 11/7
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
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 11/6
Top Goalies Frederik Andersen (TOR) Love this spot at home for Freddy against a Vegas team that have not fully hit their stride offensively just yet. We should see enough volume from Andersen and I would expect him to come away with a win. Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) Bobrovsky has been very underwhelming early on this season. He faces the Stars at home who just played into overtime last night in Boston before coming up short. I expect a good performance from Bob tonight at home where the Jackets are better as a team. Carey Price (MTL) Price is a great value tonight for the Canadiens as they take on the Rangers in Madison Square Garden. Price is looking to bounce back after allowing four goals in back to back games and I think we see a big night from the Canadien netminder. Others to consider: Jack Campbell (LA), Andrei Vasilevskiy (TB) Key Three Skaters John Tavares (TOR) While Auston Matthews continues to sit out, JT has seen an increase in ice time and has been productive. He has four points in his last four games with a goal and three assists over that span. Tavares leads the league in high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes and 13th in shots per 60. The Leafs are home where they have been sub-par, but they host the Golden Knights who are just 2-5 on the road. Toronto is seventh in goals per game (3.43) and has the fourth-best power play (30.8 percent success rate) in the league. Expect Tavares to be a factor in all situations tonight. Brendan Gallagher (MTL) He should have his way up front against the Ranger defense who decide to never hit anyone in front of the net. He’s generated 12 shots against the blue shirts in his last two games against them and is top-ten this season in high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes. Gallagher is the type of player that gives the Rangers trouble with a strong net-front presence and his ability to score in traffic. Jeff Carter (LA) Carter centers the “that 70’s line” once again as they’ve been reunited with the firing of John Stevens as head coach. In his last two games, Carter has a goal and an assist in each and has 10 shots in his last three games. The Ducks comes into tonight having allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to centers, including 17 goals, 21 assists, and 179 shots. With time on the top power-play unit, Carter’s value, ice time, and matchup have me liking him tonight. Favorite Line Stacks Blue Jackets First Line Panarin – Dubois – Atkinson PLD has been hot of late with four goals in his last five games. Unfortunately, Panarin and Atkinson have done nothing over that span leading one (myself) to believe that can only change. The Stars just played a hard-fought overtime game last night in Boston against the Bruins, a game in which they lost in the extra period. Now they fly to Columbus to face a Blue Jackets team that has been solid at home over the last two seasons. Panarin is too good to be held down (15 points in 14 games) much longer and as I’ve said, he’s gone pointless in each of his last four. Atkinson, similar to Panarin, is ice cold but that’s to say that he doesn’t have his opportunities. Atkinson averages 5.56 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes and is 10th with 12.55 shots per 60. I fully expect this line to show up tonight. Blues First Line Schwartz – O’Reilly – Tarasenko Ryan O’Reilly has been on fire of late with points in each of his last seven games tallying four goals and eight assists over that span. ROR moves up to the first line tonight with Brayden Schenn missing this game due to injury. Vladimir Tarasenko, as I mentioned a few days ago was due to start lighting the lamp and he has done so to the tune of four goals in his last five games with 18 shots over that span. With 14.07 shots per 60 minutes (third-most in the league) and an average of 18:49 ice time per game, Vlad should see plenty of chances to keep his hot stretch up tonight. Jaden Schwartz adds some good value to this line at $5,100 on DK and $5,300 on FD. Sharks First Line Evander – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski Kane, Thornton, and Pavelski come in as a great value line, especially Thornton and Pavelski who skate on the top power-play unit. Kane is a high volume shooter facing the Wild who have allowed an average of 33.4 shots per game. Thornton, recently back from injury, had a goal in his last game and Pavelski, who moved over to wing with the return of Thornton has points in three of his last four games against the Wild. Others to consider: Devils first line (Hall – Hischier – Palmieri), Lightning first line (Miller – Stamkos – Kucherov) Top Positional Plays Players not mentioned in “key three” or “favorite line stacks” sections. Center Connor McDavid (EDM) – He doesn’t suck. Nico Hischier (NJ) – The Senators have allowed the second-most fantasy points to centers this season and Hischier is among the leaders in high-danger scoring chances. Dylan Larkin (DET) – Two goals and six assists over his four-game point streak. Elias Pettersson (VAN) – Bursting on the scene as the favorite right now to win the Calder trophy. He has 10 goals and nine assists on the season and four goals with three assists in his last three games. William Karlsson (VGK) – In a high-paced game against Toronto who allows a lot of scoring chances, Wild Bill is underpriced on DK at $5,000. Logan Couture (SJ) – He’s a score-first type of center with points in each of his last nine games. Brayden Point (TB) – Quietly has eight goals
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 11/5
Top Goalies Darcy Kuemper (ARI) Kuemper has been good in his last two starts and faces a team in the Flyers that have been underwhelming to start the season, to say the least. On FanDuel where pricing is never
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 11/1
Top Goalies Semyon Varlamov (COL) Varly has been great to this point for the red-hot Avalanche with a .950 save percentage and a 1.62 GAA. Colorado is 4-2-1 on the road this season and Varly has allowed just six
NFL Week 9 DK Secret Stars
The Secret Stars weekly article isn’t suggesting the lineup you should use this week, rather its purpose is to identify players who represent extreme value at their current salaries for the week. Selecting these players will give you an opportunity to use such players as Todd Gurley and Patrick Mahomes in your lineups. Here are our Secret Stars for Week Nine: QB Jared Goff $6,000 @ NO – Heavy exposure to the likely shootout between the Rams and Saints is a must in Week 9 lineups. There is a huge 60-point Over/Under assigned to this game and both teams should attack via the pass against struggling secondaries. New Orleans ranks 30th in DVOA pass defense and second against the run, so the Rams should attack through the air with Todd Gurley doing damage as a receiver once again. Cooper Kupp (knee) is expected to return and Goff averaged 345.5 passing YPG over his first five starts this year with Kupp in the lineup. The Saints have given up 331.3 passing YPG and a 130.1 passer rating over 3 home games this season and Drew Brees is sure to produce on the other side, forcing Goff to log more pass attempts. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick $5,500 @ CAR – In just over a quarter of play, Ryan Fitzpatrick produced 194 yards, two TDs and posted a nearly perfect 154.9 passer rating last Sunday. He’s earned the starting job over a struggling Jameis Winston and should have a decently long leash in a road game at Carolina. Despite solid play from top CB James Bradberry, the Panthers rank 26th in DVOA pass defense. They rank 25th in DVOA pass defense against No. 2 receivers and 29th against opposing TEs, while Fitzpatrick’s favorite targets have been speedster DeSean Jackson and breakout second-year TE O.J. Howard. Mike Evans will tangle with Bradberry and could get neutralized to a degree, but FitzMagic will find a way to produce in this divisional matchup. RB Adrian Peterson $6,000 vs. ATL – We’ll have to watch the Redskins injury report this week with both Chris Thompson (ribs) and Kapri Bibbs (shoulder) very much questionable for a juicy matchup at home. One of those backs will serve as a great option in PPR formats if the other is inactive, but Adrian Peterson is looking at an increased workload regardless. The Falcons league-worst defense can be attacked at all levels, and is giving up the most receptions (70) and receiving yards (619) to opposing RBs this season. Atlanta’s also coughed up seven rushing TDs to backs and Peterson is the unquestioned focal point of a run-heavy Washington offense. With the Redskins defense playing great, positive game flow could allow AP to see 20-plus carries as he has the last two weeks. RB Latavius Murray $5,100 vs. DET – Provided Dalvin Cook (hamstring) remains out in the Vikings’ final game before a Week 9 bye, Latavius Murray will be a great mid-tier option. Minnesota used several ball carriers in a loss to New Orleans on Sunday night, but Murray maintained a stranglehold on goal-line work, punching in his fourth TD over his last three appearances. With the Vikings hosting arguably the worst run defense in the league (Detroit ranks 30th in DVOA rush defense), Murray is in line for another solid outing in terms of yardage and another potential score or two. He’s averaging 5.38 YPC in his last three starts and deserves to be a focal point in this matchup. WR D.J. Moore $4,300 vs. TB – The Panthers offense has “weapons all over the field” in the words of Cam Newton, and those weapons could all produce against the Bucs league-worst pass defense. Tampa has allowed the most passing TDs (20) with just one interception and ranks dead last in DVOA pass defense. The Bucs’ Tampa 2 style defense leaves them vulnerable over the middle and they lost slot CB Vernon Hargreaves (shoulder) for the season. M.J. Stewart was starting in the slot, but he’s questionable now. D.J. Moore continues to see more work in the Panthers offense and his individual matchup is superior to that of Devin Funchess on the outside. WR T.J. Jones $3,000 @ MIN – Because of their struggles in run defense, Lions games have followed a similar script. Minnesota should help this game turn into a back-and-forth passing affair considering the Vikings average the third-most pass attempts (42.6) per game. Minnesota is allowing the third-most pass plays of 20-plus yards (34) this season and Detroit has a better bet of hitting explosive plays over the middle, provided Xavier Rhodes is back on the outside to contain Kenny Golladay or Marvin Jones. With Golden Tate traded to Philadelphia, T.J. Jones should step in as the Lions primary slot receiver. The Vikings lost rookie slot CB Mike Hughes (knee) for the year and Jones should have little trouble hitting value if this contest follows a negative game script. TE O.J. Howard $4,300 @ CIN – As mentioned above, the Panthers are vulnerable in coverage of TEs with LB Thomas Davis approaching retirement. Tampa has two capable TEs and with Fitzpatrick at the helm, O.J. Howard is looking at a more accurate passer when receiving his usual 5-10 targets. The athletic second-year Alabama product is getting healthier each week as he works back from an MCL tear and caught the second of Fitzpatrick’s two TDs to produce a nice 16.8 DK points last week, hitting double-digit DK points for the third consecutive game. FLEX Duke Johnson Jr. $3,800 vs. KC – With HC Hue Jackson and OC Todd Haley fired, the Browns offense could look a lot different this week. Running backs coach Freddie Kitchens has been promoted to OC and he obviously has familiarity with what Duke Johnson can bring to the table as a pass-catching back. The Chiefs (-8.5) are almost certain to lead throughout this contest and their defense has been far worse on the road this year. In comeback mode, Johnson should catch his fair share of targets against a KC defense that’s allowed the second-most receiving yards
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 10/30
Top Goalies Joonas Korpisalo (CBJ) Korpi has won each of his last three starts despite allowing four goals in each contest. I don’t see him allowing four goals tonight but I do see him picking up a win. Korpi
NFL DFS: Primetime Slate Week 8
Quarterbacks Kirk Cousins (MIN) – My top QB on this slate. The Saints run defense has been solid whereas their pass defense has been getting better, but it’s still a weak spot. Drew Brees (NO) – Brees is always in play and I like him to bounce back somewhat after a poor showing last week. Expect a productive, efficient day out of Brees, even if he doesn’t have the same volume that Cousins does. Running Backs James White (NE) – I love White in this spot with a banged up Michel. Even if Michel goes, White has seen enough volume in the passing game for me to feel comfortable rostering him in all formats. Mark Ingram (NO) – With a substantial discount from Kamara, Ingram is where I would lean in this spot even in a tough matchup with the Vikings. Alvin Kamara (NO) – Even though I prefer Ingram, there’s no way you can ignore some Kamara exposure in tournaments, especially paired up with Brees. Wide Receivers Adam Thielen (MIN) – You’re paying for Thielen if you roster him, but he’s been as sure of a thing that we’ve had in the league this season. His consistency at the receiver position has been unparalleled and he walks into a great matchup here. Michael Thomas (NO) – Thomas’ target share is insane and his talent is off the charts. He’s discounted a great deal compared to what you’ll have to pay to get Thielen and the matchup against that loser Xavier Rhodes (Florida State) doesn’t bother me. Stefon Diggs (MIN) – Diggs has seen double-digit targets in five of his last six games and his salary is the lowest it’s been since week two and week three on FD and DK respectively. Marshon Lattimore, who may be on Diggs for the majority of this game, has regressed a ton since last season making this a matchup I’m not afraid to go after. Tre’Quan Smith (NO) – I love the upside of Tre’Quan with his big-play ability and the increased role he’s expected to see with Ted Ginn injured. Josh Gordon (NE) – Gordon is probable and I’d expect him to be a factor here early on in the game. He draws a very tough matchup with Tredavious White, but we’ve seen that Gordon can hold his own with some of the best corners in the league. His targets have been going up as he’s become more acclimated to the offense with nine and seven targets over the last two weeks respectively. Zay Jones (BUF) – Ideally Buffalo will be trailing early in this game and will have to air the ball out. Because Kelvin Benjamin sucks (Florida State), expect Jones to see some looks. Tight Ends Rob Gronkowski (NE) – Gronk is questionable but I expect him too play. He returns to his hometown where he’s killed the Bills over his last three games in Buffalo. Ben Watson (NO) – He’s seen 10 targets in his last two weeks and is a viable salary saving option. Kyle Rudolph (MIN) – Rudolph has seen at least four targets in every game since week 2 and should get some red-zone looks here. Defense Patriots Vikings My Core Cousins – Ingram – Thielen – Patriots defense
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 10/26
Updates are highlighted in RED Top Goalies Phil Grubauer (COL) I was hoping we would have Semyon Varlamov in net here but with Grubauer getting the start, he’s a plus-option as well. On the season, he’s 2-1-0 with a
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 10/25
Top Goalies Tuukka Rask (BOS) Rask has won each of his last four starts against the Flyers and has allowed more than two goals just once over that stretch. After a rocky start to the season, he bounced back
NHL DFS: The Point Shot – 10/23
Top Goalies Juuse Saros (NSH) Expect Saros to be in net tonight as Pekka Rinne is out injured. At $8,000 on DK and $8,100 on FD, Saros presents nice value at home for a team that plays very well