RADIO
Saturday features another medium six-game main slate with Tampa Bay in Boston, New Jersey in New York, and a gong show clash between Montreal and Florida.
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 3/7/20. 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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Mika Zibanejad - C, NYR vs NJ (FD - $8,400, DK - $8,400)
Zibanejad will be a chalk pick on Saturday but it is too hard to fade him at this point. There are other ways to stack with him that will save some money. One would be to use Artemi Panarin and one of the Rangers' cheaper defensemen as a stack. Another way is to utilize Pavel Buchnevich with him and maybe Adam Fox. Either way, the center has 14 goals and 20 points over his last ten games on 45 shots. This includes the five-goal game on Thursday against Washington. In three games against New Jersey, Zibanejad has four points and 14 shots on goal.
Leon Draisaitl - C/W, EDM vs CLB (FD - $8,700, DK - $8,600)
The forward had a bit of an off night versus Winnipeg but still had a shot, two scoring chances, and two assists on Thursday night anyway. That gives him ten goals and 18 points in his previous ten contests. In his only meeting against Columbus this season, Draisaitl had two goals, an assist, three shots on goal, and a blocked shot as well. Again, with a smaller than usual slate, his price is high so look to stack with players like Darnell Nurse, etc.
Also, Consider:
- It may be time to take a look at Jesper Bratt, who has nine points in his last nine games for New Jersey which includes five goals on his previous 21 shots.
- Logan Couture could be a good choice on Saturday against Ottawa or even an Evander Kane or Timo Meier who are not as high-priced as some of the chalk plays.
- Artemi Panarin is the other wing choice against a New Jersey penalty kill that is just 73% on the road since January 15th.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Dakota Mermis - D, NJ vs NYR (FD - $3,500, DK - $3,200)
This is a solid option on Saturday night with some high-priced players in not so good situations. Again, this is a lighter than usual Saturday slate so thinking outside the box may be helpful, Mermis since his call-up from Binghamton has been a dependable blueliner capable of carrying the play just enough. He gets shots on net and blocks a few shots here and there as well. He even scored against St. Louis on Friday night showing Mermis has an above-average shot. It is a question of utilizing that. Mermis is a punt play and little else but will allow one to spend up everywhere else.
Darnell Nurse - D, EDM vs CLB (FD - $4,000, DK - $6,000)
Nurse has one of the wildest price discrepancies between DraftKings and FanDuel ($2.000 or a 50% bump on DraftKings). There is some good reason for his price increase on DraftKings and that is because of his five-shot and blocked shot per game floor. He also has six assists in his previous three contests. Columbus is a tired team with quite a few missing regulars. Edmonton should be able to take advantage of this. Also, Nurse and Ethan Bear have established themselves as a nice first pair as Nurse can concentrate more on blocked shots, transition, and offense. He presents glaring value on FanDuel and expects to be one of the highest owned defensemen on Saturday night.
- Simply if Ben Chiarot will keep being priced where he is, then one almost has to play him given his ice time.
- Brent Burns is expensive but at 6.5 shots and blocked shots per game, his floor is back to being one of the best on the blueline for San Jose.
DFS Goalie to Consider
Aaron Dell - G, SJ vs OTT (FD - $7,300, DK - $8,200)
The goalie gets the likely start with Ottawa coming to town and an excellent FanDuel price. San Jose goalies have been better of late and again at home, the Sharks allow about 28 shots a game. That is not a lot but if one is giving up just two goals a game in their last seven home contests, then why not. Dell is a reasonable choice against a team that allows more than three goals a contest on the road. That provides a cushion in case Dell gives up a few easy shots.
- The other good GPP choice on Saturday night may just be Igor Shesterkin provided he starts. Monitor all New York Ranger news just to see if he is ultimately confirmed or not. This is a fluid situation and Alexandar Georgiev might be in the starter's net one more time.
