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HOCKEY IS BACK!!! Sunday features five more games with Columbus versus Toronto from Toronto and Vancouver against Minnesota from Edmonton along with three other matchups including a round robin contest between St. Louis and Colorado.
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 has a split slate with an early (two game slate) an evening main, and an all-day slate as well.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 8/2/20. 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
Auston Matthews - C, TOR vs. CBJ (FD - $8,600, DK - $8,100)
Some lessons from day one revealed included finding players who can get pucks on net. Matthews excels at that and Columbus is a team that can bleed shots at times. Toronto is also at home and even without a crowd, the top Toronto line has something to offer which the Blue Jackets may not be able to completely contain. One of the biggest matchups in this series will be the Columbus penalty kill/goaltending versus the top Toronto power play led by Matthews. Elias Pettersson can scare the opposition in a different way than Matthews and draws a good matchup as well in Minnesota.
J.T. Miller - W, VAN vs. MIN (FD - $7,000, DK - $6,100)
The forward was an absolute surprise all season with 27 goals and 72 points during the season. Miller and Pettersson meshed well, particularly on the man advantage. Also, Minnesota was one of the worst teams on the road as far as giving up scoring chances and goals. Players like Miller must move the puck fast and get in position to be set up from playmakers like Pettersson to be successful. That will be vital in the second season and was in their regular season matchups as well.
Also, Consider:
It is a prudent idea to consider Taylor Hall against the Predators and even Filip Forsberg against the Coyotes.
David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand are good albeit chalky owns on Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Watch for the third lines again. Take a look at value players that have been pushed down the lineup on Sunday. Mats Zuccarello from Minnesota will be one to watch as his speed and playoff experience are assets that cannot be undervalued.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Alex Edler - D, VAN vs. MIN (FD - $4,300, DK - $5,100)
This is a floor option on Sunday with a little offensive upside. Edler had 33 points in 56 games. The Vancouver defenseman blocks shots and gets some shots on net too. This makes him valuable on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He gets some special teams play on both the power play and penalty kill which boosts his point potential. DraftKings does have the shots and blocked shots bonuses but that does not mean Edler carries value on FanDuel. Ryan Graves from Colorado may be a cheaper version of Edler against a St. Louis team that looked a little slow in their exhibition game last week.
Cale Makar - D, COL vs STL (FD - $5,700, DK - $5,200)
Easily, Makar represents the new, young order among youthful defensemen. He is big, strong, and mobile. Makar possesses an above average shot and an ability to throw his weight around while staying in position. He plays on the top units in all phases. The fact that he is given a green light at any time to attack is significant. Makar had points in three straight contests before the pause and is 100% after injury. St. Louis will have their hands full trying to slow down the defenseman on Sunday.
Charlie McAvoy has a good matchup against Philadelphia's bottom lines on Sunday.
Other choices for Sunday may include Ivan Provorov, Ryan Ellis, and even Jakob Chychrun.
DFS Goalie to Consider
Darcy Kuemper - G, ARZ vs NSH (FD - $7,500, DK - $7,300)
Kuemper played two periods last week in their exhibition and looked like the goalie he was early in the season before injuries. In 29 appearances, Kuemper had 16 wins with a 2.22 goals-against average and .928 save percentage. What was more impressive was the fact that the Arizona goaltender does not face a ton of shots either. Despite that, his numbers are very good against a Nashville team that can pile on shots with volume.
Take a look and who does start for Columbus. There is an increased upside for Elvis Merzilikins no question. Jacob Markstrom is slotted at a reasonable price on FanDuel at $7,700 and can thrive under a higher volume of shots. Vancouver's middle of their defense is quite porous as Markstrom faced 35+ shots in eight of his final ten starts. That included a highlight reel 49 save shutout versus Chicago. If he gets in a rhythm, then look out!
