RADIO
HOCKEY IS ON FIRE!!! Friday features a five-game slate which starts at 2:00 pm ET with Dallas and Calgary locking horns once again. Basically, it will feature the back end of a back-to-back game with four other contests.
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 8/14/20. 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
Nathan MacKinnon - C, COL vs ARZ (FD - $8,600, DK - $8,500)
Let's make this easy. MacKinnon had to be angered despite the win. He had two assists but no shots on goal and only one scoring chance created. That is not like the all-world center. The Colorado forward had some opportunities but just could not pull the trigger. Do not expect that to happen again. Much like Patrick Kane, MacKinnon should enjoy a good Game 2 and ranks higher in projections again.
Some other choices might include Sean Monahan, Nazem Kadri, and Sam Bennett. Bennett is a punt play that just happens to only be $3,200 on DraftKings.
Anthony Beauvillier - W, NYI vs WSH (FD - $5,200, DK - $4,300)
The forward remains the most vital cog of New York's offense as he just keeps finding ways to score. His price is rising out of the value range and yet still provides good return. His DraftKings price is a little better but he now has six points in five postseason games. Washington's defense is still very porous down the middle and only will be more so with Nicklas Backstrom out (concussion protocol). His floor is reasonable enough and Beauvillier is seeing more and more time with the power play. Washington's penalty kill has been in the bottom third over its last 15 games.
Also, Consider:
It is a prudent idea to go exploring for secondary scoring on Friday. With five games, there is more than enough variety to go around. The Dallas and Calgary game is one to look at because of the back to back nature. Will as many goals be scored as on Thursday night? That is an unknown but expect lots of scoring chances at the very least.
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, Josh Bailey is just $3.900 on DraftKings. How? No one understands pricing algorithms. Just take advantage of this while you can along with some other unusual values.
DFS Defenders to Consider
John Carlson - D, WSH vs NYI (FD - $6,800, DK - $6,300)
This is a consistent high-priced choice on Friday because of New York's penchant to take penalties much like Washington. Special teams should see enough chances which makes Carlson more of a play even with Backstrom out. Actually, Carlson becomes the power play quarterback and he showed plenty of ability to do that throughout the season. There is some risk with the defenseman but that is only because he is the highest priced blueliner on the slate.
He only finds ways to get points and will tend to shoot a lot when things break down. For Washington, that has occurred often lately which is to your DFS benefit. Go figure!
Troy Stecher - D, VAN vs STL (FD - $3,800, DK - $3,100)
Easily, this all comes down to riding the wave. Stecher has played steady defense but his goal in Game 1 should provide him with a little more ice time than he was seeing. The risk is that the defenseman likely only will play 14-16 minutes but in that time, his price is that of a true punt. His floor per 60 is better than most expect. He just again needs that little boost in ice time.
Other choices for Friday may include Ryan Graves in the lower tier and then Ryan Pulock in the middle tier (Beauvillier and Bailey connector), and Victor Hedman for his cheaper DraftKings price (just $5,600).
DFS Goalie to Consider
Carey Price - G, MTL vs PHI (FD - $7,600, DK - $7,200)
This is all about taking a pick with nice upside and a low price. The expectation is that Price will easily see 30-35+ shots on Friday against a motivated Philadelphia team who nearly got beat in a low scoring affair in Game 1. Both goalies can save plenty of pucks but Price's price is a good deal lower.
Price's risk is low because of that drop and that 35-save bonus on DraftKings has a decent chance of being in play for Game 2. That is a great equalizer in the case that the Montreal goalie does not get the win.
Semyon Varlamov is an intriguing alternative as well against Washington because of venue pricing. The Islanders goalie has been pretty good this postseason and could provide a slightly better chance at a win even on Friday night.
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.
