RADIO
Hockey in August continues! Wednesday has three scheduled Stanley Cup Qualifier games featuring Nashville-Arizona and Chicago-Edmonton, along with two other matchups, including a round-robin contest between Colorado and Dallas.
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 more offense in the league than ever before.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 8/5/20. 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 @awlenn. Let's go!!
DFS Forwards to Consider
Nathan MacKinnon - C, COL vs. DAL (FD - $8,600, DK - $8,400)
Colorado squeaked by with a late power-play goal to defeat St. Louis 2-1 in early round-robin play on Sunday. One of the league's elite players, Nathan MacKinnon, was held off the scoresheet until 0.01 seconds left in the third period. Nazeem Kadri was credited with the goal while Landeskog and MacKinnon picked up the assists. For the second straight regular season, MacKinnon has led the league in shots on goal with 318 in just 69 games. Sunday against the Blues, he had five shots on goal. This a massive shot on goal load can bring points to your DFS lineup. Colorado struggled against Dallas this year, but Mackinnon did still manage to have three points in four games. Mikko Rantanen MacKinnon's linemate battled injuries in the regular season, but he still managed to accumulate 41 points in 42 games. He also had an assist against St. Louis on Sunday.
Connor McDavid - C, EDM vs. CHI (FD - $9,000, DK - $8,700)
As expected, Oilers center Connor McDavid indeed had a bounce-back performance in Game 2 against the Blackhawks. Edmonton defeated Chicago 6-3. McDavid scored three of the six goals Oilers goals. His shot percentage is through the roof at 66.7%. With Edmonton scoring six goals, Leon Draisaitl unexpectedly contributed nothing to the scoreboard. Expect Draisaitl to contribute more offensively in Game 3.
Also Consider:
Sydney Crosby is always a safe pick. After two games against Montreal, Crosby has two tallies and nine shots on goal.
If the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to roll, forwards Jake Guentzel and Jason Zuker should be considered. They both play left-wing and play on the top two Penguins lines. Guentzel and Zucker will also get ice time on the team's power-play units.
The Bruins didn't play very well in their first round-robin game. They ended up losing to the Flyers 4-1. Regular season goal-scoring leader David Pastrnak was held scoreless. The Bruins will need goals in the bunches from him if they want to have a successful playoff campaign.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has five assists in two games for the Oilers.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Kris Letang - D, PIT vs. MON (FD - $6,800, DK - $6,500)
Letang still has zero points in the Penguin's first two games against the Habs. On the positive, Letang is averaging 28:18 of ice time a game. In just two games, Letang has nine shots on goal. It's only a matter of time before he breaks out in these cup qualifying games.
Roman Josi - D, ARZ vs NSH (FD - $7,4000, DK - $7,000)
Arguably the most offensively gifted defenseman in the league adding Josi to your DFS team is never a bad choice. In just 69 games this regular season, Josi had a career year with 16 goals and 49 assists for 65 points. On any given Nashville power play, you can bet Josi will be buzzing around the ice.
Other choices for Wednesday may include Miro Heiskanen, Shae Webber, Ryan Ellis.
DFS Goalie to Consider
Matt Murray - G, PIT vs MON (FD - $8,500, DK - $8,000)
Twenty-five year old Matt Murray is up for a tough bout against Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens in Game 3. Murray, through two games, has played quite well. He has a goals-against-average of 1.79 and a save percentage of .936. Murray now also has a healthy Penguins team in front of him.
Colorado's Philipp Grubauer may be a goaltender worth looking into. Grubauer stopped 31 of 32 shots versus the Blues on Sunday.
