We have a short five game slate to kick off our weekend, but there are still plenty of options at each position. Stacking is going to be big tonight, so look for a bit of value, and pair that with some high priced guys to get you plenty of goal exposure. Play a good mix of cash and GPPs tonight, and diversify your stacks.

Vegas lines are big when it comes to picking games to target, and that's a good place to start for goalies. When it comes to skaters, goal totals is another main place to start. Usually 5.5 goals is average, so targets games at six, and can look for goalies in games with a total at five. Only a few games into the season, so not a whole lot of stats to work with, but plenty to get into as the season goes on.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/13/17. 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 @DFS_Tom. Let's get to it, shall we?

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DFS Forwards to Consider

Mika Zibanejad - C, NYR @ CLS (DK - $6,500, FD - $6,8000

Zibanejad is on a heater to start the season, and you never walk away from a heater. He has five goals in four games along with 20 shots over that same time. Tons of points coming from him each game, and he sees plenty of ice time which is my favorite thing to look for. He is the on the first forward line, and the first power-play unit, so the potential for points is huge. He is a great play in any format, and in hockey, I generally always have some sort of stack going in either cash or GPP, so pair him with other Rangers.

Cody Eakin - C, VGK vs DET (DK - $4,300, FD - $3,900)

Eakin is a super cheap option, who makes a great GPP play. He is the first line center and on the first power-play for the Golden Knights. The overall production hasn't been there for him to start the season, but you are getting a first line player, who will see 20+ minutes a game at a super low price. You could stack up his whole line, as one part of your roster, and then go super high priced guys because of the savings. A Vegas stack can fit very nicely if you want to pair them with the high priced Capitals, hint, hint.

Patrick Eaves - W, ANH @ COL (DK - $ 5,500, FD - $4,300)

Eaves is simply too cheap, especially on FanDuel, for a player who is on the first line and the first power-play unit. The Ducks are projected to be one of the teams from the West to be there at the end of the season, so we know they have plenty of offensive potential. Eaves has only played one game this season due to a minor injury, and in that game, he scored one goal on two shots. The Ducks are a -115 road favorite, so Vegas is projecting they will put up some goals. Too cheap to pass on today.

Johnny Gaudreau - W, CGY vs OTT (DK - $6,800, FD - $7,500)

If you are going to be paying up for a winger on a short slate like tonight, most people will look at Ovechkin, but Gaudreau offers a bit of savings, and generally the same point potential. This also leaves the chance for lower ownership, which is always beneficial in GPPs. Johnny Hockey six assists through four games, and only 10 shots on goal. We'd like to see the shots come up a bit more, but with playing on the first line and the first power-play unit, that will come with time.

 

DFS Defenders to Consider

Nate Schmidt - D, VGK vs DET (DK - $3,700, FD - $3,600)

You really can't beat the price on Schmidt today, that cheap and on the top defensive pairing and the top power-play unit. He is a solid play in any format, and the game presents an interesting spot. His opponent, the Red Wings are on the second game of a back to back, and we often see teams in that spot come out slow and have plenty of penalties. With his low price, and the potential for extra ice time on the power-play, he has plenty of value tonight.

Tyson Barrie - D, COL vs ANH (DK - $5,300, FD - $4,900)

Barrie has the most shots taken this season, 17, out of any defender on the slate tonight. He is firing the puck at the net any chance he gets, and as fantasy players, we love to see that. Not only is he getting very easy points, he is providing value, even though we don't expect his team to win. Solid cash game play tonight, and should come in at lower ownership in GPPs, just because most people don't expect the Avalanche to continue to succeed this season.

 

DFS Goalies to Consider

Mike Smith - G, CGY vs OTT (DK - $8,200, FD - $8,200)

Smith is one of the higher priced goalies on the slate tonight, and it's for good reason. He is at home and a -146 favorite, so in a spot to pick up the win. He is also against the Senators, who only have eight goals in three games. Their production has been very slow to start the season, and exactly the type of spot we want to target a goalie. The Calgary defense has also given up 43 or more shots in three of their four games this year, which is a good thing in DFS, because the more saves he can have, the more points add up, and even if he lets up one goal, the extra saves can balance it out.

Also consider: Marc-Andre Fleury - G, VGK vs DET (DK - $8,100, FD - $8,300)

 

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