RADIO
Thursday features a large ten-game main slate with Chicago in Tampa Bay, Toronto in Florida, and a gong show clash between Calgary and Nashville.
Remember, when looking around for plays, an over/under of 6 dictates offense, but an over/under of 5 or sometimes 5.5 tilts towards the goalies. There are several games at 6.5, as that has become the new norm in hockey now.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 2/27/20. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @ChrisWasselDFS. Let's get to it, shall we?
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DFS Forwards to Consider
Auston Matthews - C, TOR vs FLA (FD - $8,500, DK - $8,000)
Matthews is an easy pick here because of who they are playing. The Florida Panthers arguably got worse with the Vincent Trochek trade and are a defensive albatross. Expect 70+ shots combined on goal here and many ways to go when stacking. The Florida penalty kill has plummeted in recent weeks as well making a Toronto power-play stack plausible. On the flip side, Aleksander Barkov will be owned at an elevated rate for the same reasons. This game expects to put the goalies to work and often.
Alex Ovechkin - W, WSH vs WPG (FD - $8,900, DK - $8,400)
The winger gets shots on net to the tune of nearly five per contest of late and that includes 46 shots in his previous ten starts (4.6 per game). Though he has just six goals in that span, Ovechkin has 35 scoring chances including 16 high-danger opportunities. Winnipeg has been defensively out of it all season. Add in a few injuries and one more fact. Ovechkin has 48 goals and 92 points in 66 career games against the Winnipeg Jets / Atlanta Thrashers.
Also, Consider:
- Mika Zibanejad has scored a goal in five straight games and nine of his last 11 contests. He just keeps finding ways to score right around his DFS average.
- Patrik Laine is a moderate-risk option on the wing but Nikita Kucherov has the prime matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Victor Hedman - D, TAM vs CHI (FD - $6,200, DK - $6,800)
This is a solid option on Thursday with the Chicago defense a total mess and now no Robin Lehner in net (traded to Vegas on Monday). The higher price from DraftKings may scare some off but do not let it. Chicago is that much of a mess and the move will leave many wide-open shots from the point. Hedman just has to get it on the net. It is that simple on Thursday night. Offering up Connor Murphy as a value, contrarian play from Chicago is not a bad idea either.
Alex Edler - D, VAN vs OTT (FD - $4,500, DK - $5,900)
Edler's FanDuel price is amusingly low. Pounce on that quickly. Even his DraftKings price is not awful. He has seven points in his last nine games and can average 2+ shots a game while blocking 3+ shots a night. That is enough to hit some bonuses and make him a worthwhile play. Quinn Hughes is a bit more of a gamble but with 12 assists in his last ten games, Hughes is getting harder and harder to ignore.
- Simply if Ben Chiarot stays at that price, one might as well keep playing him.
- John Carlson against a weak Winnipeg penalty kill may be worth to spend up for.
- Yes, Mathew Dumba against a Detroit team that is historically bad is not a bad idea.
DFS Goalie to Consider
MacKenzie Blackwood - G, NJ vs SJS (FD - $7,700, DK - $7,300)
The goalie has gone 7-1-1 over his last ten starts and has a .939 save percentage over his previous ten outings. He has faced 35+ shots in seven of his last ten starts and overall has faced over 35 shots per 60 since the All-Star Break. It is part of the reason why his load has been managed a bit of late. He was rested against Detroit for that very reason. Blackwood figures to see a San Jose team much like the one he shut down last week.
- Devan Dubnyk is a good choice as far as looking for a win against the lowly Detroit Red Wings.
- Alexandar Georgiev is a crazy GPP pick but Montreal has averaged 40+ shots a game at home against the tri-state area teams (Islanders, Rangers, and Devils).
