RADIO
HOCKEY IS ON FIRE!!! Thursday features a four-game slate which starts at 3:00 pm ET with Tampa Bay and Columbus locking horns once again. Basically, it will be what Tuesday's slate was supposed to be.
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. Also, note that FanDuel and DraftKings have split options for those who do not want to play the all-day slate.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 8/13/20. 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
Patrice Bergeron - C, BOS vs CAR (FD - $7,300, DK - $7,400)
Some rules are simple to follow. If it is not broken, then why change now? Just keep doing it. Bergeron is simply a playoff performer and his clutch game-winner on Wednesday was an illustration of his perseverance and execution. He had a goal and assist along with several quality scoring chances and the Boston top line drove possession play against anything Carolina could throw at them. It was not an accident how Boston dominated the late stages of Game 1. It started with Bergeron's line and cascaded from there.
Some other value choices might include Kirby Dach, David Krejci, and even Boone Jenner. All of them are punt priced on DraftKings for all intents and purposes.
Patrick Kane - W, CHI vs VGK (FD - $7,700, DK - $7,400)
The forward remains the most vital cog of Chicago's offense and he was beyond invisible in Game 1 versus the Vegas Golden Knights. Does anyone think he will be held to just one shot on goal again? Kane will risk even more defense just to play on the offensive side of things in Game 2. This is a player who routinely hits 5+ shots a night. Vegas, for how good they are, still allow opportunities. Expect Kane to put a lot more rubber on whomever starts for the Golden Knights. Finally, his price even dipped a bit making him that much more enticing.
Also, Consider:
It is a prudent idea to consider Ondrej Kase and even David Krejci as secondary scoring on Thursday. They played very well against Carolina and were able to expose their bottom lines repeatedly. If both stay healthy, they will be in quite a few lineups as their production should exceed value (at least until their prices go up). Hint: those prices have not yet.
Exploring the second and third lines (see Milan Lucic -- yes we said Milan Lucic) this time of year has to be done more than the top power-play units, etc. Typically, games feature less penalties on average as the playoffs move along. Even strength play develops more and more importance (unless you are a team like Washington).
Finally, Andrei Svechnikov could have a nice Game 2 for Carolina. He is a quick learner and will exploit some of the missed chances he had in Game 1 on Wednesday.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Shea Theodore - D, VGK vs CHI (FD - $6,100, DK - $6,600)
This is a consistent high-priced choice on Thursday as Theodore's floor should elevate a bit due to Chicago. The Blackhawks looked almost downright defeated in Game 1 and few expect that for Game 2. Chicago is a team that keeps fighting typically and that should make for a more wide-open brand of hockey. Vegas will have to be ready to counter and Theodore is one of those defensemen who can go from defense to offense at breakneck speed.
He only continues to get better and is used in all phases of the game. Also he has hit or exceeded value in every game this postseason so far. Why expect anything different?
David Savard - D, CLB vs TAM (FD - $3,900, DK - $4,100)
Easily, this all comes down to Savard's floor. He gets a ton of shots and blocked shots (18 combined in the five overtime marathon on Tuesday. Tampa Bay has made it no secret that they will attack the Savard pairing with all they have. After all, Tampa Bay has the last lineup change. The idea will be for the Lightning to keep hammering their top line against Savard.
The twist in this is that Savard held his own to a point and generated several opportunities on his own as well. For better or for worse, his price is still just low enough to be a value play on Thursday.
Other choices for Thursday may include Connor Murphy in the lower tier and then Duncan Keith in the middle tier (Toews and Kane connector), and Victor Hedman for his cheaper DraftKings price (just $5,600).
DFS Goalie to Consider
Joonas Korpisalo - G, CLB vs TAM (FD - $7,400, DK - $7,300)
This is all about taking a huge swing at a reasonable price. The expectation is that Korpisalo will not see 88 shots against again in a game this postseason. However, a high volume of shots is quite likely. The key to all of this is if Steven Stamkos misses Game 2 again. If that is so, Tampa Bay will still be formidable but not quite as much on the man advantage. Shots were still up in regulation for Tampa and that is good for any Korpisalo owners.
Korpisalo's risk is at least moderate as he has been pulled once this postseason but he bounced back to shut out the Maple Leafs in Game 5 of their play-in series. The goaltender has a way of shrugging adversity off from all angles. Even as tough of a loss as Game 1 was, Columbus and their goalie should both be ready.
Robin Lehner, if he starts, is a good choice. The likelihood of Chicago only firing 20 shots on net again is minuscule at best. Other possibilities include Ben Bishop, if he is able to go.
We will be in the slack chat throughout the afternoon and evening. Also, if there are any other questions, the expert chat will be open through Saturday. Good luck today.
