RADIO
Thursday features a larger ten-game main slate with Carolina in New Jersey, Philadelphia in Tampa Bay, and a gong show clash between Nashville and Toronto.
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 3/12/20. 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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Sidney Crosby - C, PIT vs CLB (FD - $8,300, DK - $7,800)
Crosby is going up against the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight He has two assists and two shots on goal in their only matchup and typically averages over a point a game against the Blue Jackets in his career. Columbus just has all sorts of issues matching up against Pittsburgh's top-six so even Evgeni Malkin can be a play on Thursday. Even Pittsburgh's power-play historically does well against Columbus. They are one of the few teams that can boast that fact. Even Bo Horvat can be used tonight with Vancouver's top-six fully healthy.
Anthony Mantha - W, DET vs WSH (FD - $6,300, DK - $6,300)
The forward gets shots on net to the tune of nearly three shots per contest and has 11 points in his last ten games. He has 17 points in 21 road games while averaging 3 shots per game. It is a decent road matchup against a Washington team that has yielded 3.33 goals per game since Jan 15 at home. Yes, Detroit cannot even muster two goals a game on the road but overall, they have played better of late. That includes Mantha. The over has hit in two straight contests and expects to again.
Also, Consider:
- It is still a good time to look at Jesper Bratt and Nikita Gusev against the Carolina Hurricanes.
- Sebastian Aho and oddly enough Jake Gardiner are good owns on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils.
- Watch for third lines on Thursday night as well. Washington's and Nashville's are ones that will get some of the spotlights.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Dakota Mermis - D, NJD vs CAR (FD - $3,600, DK - $4,100)
This is a solid option on Thursday night with some high-priced players in not so good situations. Mermis will get plenty of chances to block shots against a Carolina team eager to pepper MacKenzie Blackwood with shots from everywhere. It was clear that something was off with Blackwood and teams saw it. Mermis can occasionally chip in offensively and has a knack for when to join in a rush and when to stay back. He has great floor value tonight.
Jake Gardiner - D, CAR vs NJD (FD - $4,100, DK - $2,700)
Simply, Gardiner is a nice punt play and is like an open square on DraftKings. That price is just so low one has to put him in just to see what happens. He has five points in his last two games and had looked better previously. His floor has improved slightly and maybe he is finally getting used to his role in Carolina. He only plays about 15 minutes a night but his sheltered role does include some power-play time. New Jersey's penalty kill is shaky and only goaltending has kept that afloat.
- Kris Letang has a great matchup against Columbus
- Other choices for Thursday include Filip Hronek, Ben Chiarot, and Rasmus Dahlin.
DFS Goalie to Consider
Petr Mrazek - G, CAR vs NJD (FD - $7,800, DK - $7,700)
Mrazek likely gets the start against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. Yes, the goaltender has not been very good, to say the least, but did get the win against Detroit on Tuesday. Expect him to see more than 26 shots versus the Devils. Mrazek has won two of his previous three starts and looked alright after returning from a concussion against Toronto.
- The other good GPP choice on Thursday night may just be Matt Murray. If he starts, he would face a Columbus team that he has historically enjoyed a ton of success against. Some other matchups to look at may include seeing who starts for Minnesota and Arizona.
