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Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks article for January 6th of the 2015/2016 NHL season. Each day we'll be providing you with a handful of forward, defensemen, and goaltender picks for FanDuel and DraftKings GPP and cash games.
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NHL DFS Picks for Wednesday, January 6th
Tonight's lineup features players from five games, one game consisting of two teams (Penguins and Blackhawks) who have won a total of four Stanley Cups combined in the past seven years. The Devils and Canadiens also face off in an Eastern Conference showdown, while others look to take advantage of penalty-kill deficiencies, and other weaknesses on the ice. For updated confirmations of starting goalies, check out www.leftwinglock.com.
From my colleague and fellow Hockey DFS writer, Chris:
A couple strategy notes. For cash game construction look for players who can contribute to your score when they are not providing offense. Examples are guys who take a ton of shots, defensemen who block a lot of shots(DraftKings). Also, look for guys who get powerplay time and especially Top 6 forwards. You can find value in players who join a new line due to an injury or just get a promotion and more ice time.
For large field tournaments (GPP's) you want to find payers who have multi point upside and can grab double digit fantasy points. To stack the most upside in your forwards a common strategy is to punt the defense position. This doesn't mean just grab anyone. Try and look for a D man who will be playing more PP time or might get a boost in overall playing time due to an injury.
Let's take a look at some solid plays for Wednesday's action.
Scott Darling - Goaltender, Blackhawks (DraftKings - $7,400 FanDuel - $8,400)
The Blackhawks host the Penguins in the second leg of a back-to-back home-and-home, where both teams will likely rest their starting goalies. Darling hasn't started between the pipes much this season, only eight times in 40 games, which shouldn't surprise anyone considering Corey Crawford is an absolute beast. Pittsburgh has come alive of late, scoring ten goals in two games, but they are still one of the lowest scoring teams in the NHL. Darling is a cheaper option, and a solid spot starter in both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Mike Condon - Goaltender, Canadiens (DraftKings - $7,300 FanDuel - $7,600)
After failing to record a W in almost a month, Condon has now won two straight starts where he only allowed four total goals and posted an average of 7.3 fantasy points. Wednesday he faces a Devils team that scores the third fewest goals a game. Condon has suddenly recaptured some of his early season success, and is one of the cheapest options at goalie, in both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Evgeni Malkin - Center, Penguins (DraftKings - $7,700 FanDuel - $9,800)
Malkin has picked up six points in his past two game, aiding in Pittsburgh's recent, yet overdue, scoring outburst. I know it's always difficult and counterproductive to pick players that your goalie is facing, but the odds of Darling shutting out the Penguins are slim. Four of Malkin's six points have also come on the power play, boosting his fantasy point production well above his season average in both DFS outlets.
Paul Stasny - Center, Blues (DraftKings - $4,900 FanDuel - $5,200)
Stasny has tallied a helper in four straight games, while simultaneously contributing a hefty amount of blocked shots to his stat sheets. He also sees plenty of action during power plays, while averaging close to 20 minutes of ice time a night. Stasny is a smarter option for DraftKings tournaments, because of the blocks, but can still provide decent production, for his low price, on FanDuel as well.
James Van Riemsdyk - Winger, Maple Leafs (DraftKings - $6,200 FanDuel - $7,700)
Van Riemsdyk is on a five game point streak, and has picked up at least one point in eight of his last nine. He has also been firing at will, collecting 38 shots on goal in that span; an average of a little over four a night. Van Riemsdyk leads the Maple Leafs in points and power play points. He's also scored seven goals in ten games, heating up in the latter part of the season's first half. Van Riemsdyk has performed near equally for both sites.
Teuvo Teravainen - Winger, Blackhawks (DraftKings - $4,200 FanDuel - $5,900)
Teravainen is a more expensive play on FanDuel, but can provide more value on DraftKings. I'm a fan of any Blackhawk for daily fantasy, but Teravainen is a cheap option that is capable of finding the back of the net. Chicago is versing the Penguins Wednesday, and will likely be shooting on Jeff Zatkoff, not Marc-Andre Fleury. Zatkoff has been relatively solid, but has also proven to be shaky as well, allowing six goals to Boston two weeks ago. Teravainen has eight goals on the season, playing on Chicago's third line and second power play unit.
Justin Faulk - Defense, Hurricanes (DraftKings - $6,400 FanDuel - $6,300)
Faulk has 14 goals on the season, 12 of which have come via the power play. He has cooled down a bit of late, failing to pick up a point in four straight games, but the NHL's second leading scoring defenseman heads into a favorable matchup Wednesday to get back on track. The Hurricanes face the Canucks, a team that has been short handed 135 times this season, fifth most in the league, and have surrendered 29 power play goals, fourth most in the league. Faulk is one of the top defensemen picks for both DFS sites, but can provide more production in DraftKings considering he also collects a bunch of hits and blocked shots as well.
Tyson Barrie - Defense, Avalanche (DraftKings - $5,200 FanDuel - $5,000)
Barrie is coming off a four point performance, scoring two goals and assisting on two other. Three out of the four points came on special teams as well. Barrie averages over 20 minutes of ice time a night, while consistently contributing in all DraftKings scoring categories. Barrie leads all Colorado defensemen in points, and is always a solid option for DFS.
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