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NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 10/17/16
Marc-Andre Fleury is a strong favorite at home tonight. Who else should you target in daily fantasy hockey?

A good chunk of you probably already play daily fantasy football, and I'd be willing to bet a significant portion have also tried out daily fantasy basketball and baseball. But hockey? Hockey?

It's time to give it a try over on FanDuel.com because it's a ton of fun. And our analysis and Marc-Andre Fleury ($9,100 on FanDuel): As of writing, the Pittsburgh Penguins have the highest win probability of any team on this slate. Fleury has won both of his starts this season and is sporting a .957 save percentage that ranks second among all goalies with at least two games this season. That includes holding the Washington Capitals, who finished second in the NHL last season with 3.02 goals per game, to only 2 goals on 41 shots in the season opener. Tonight, he draws the Colorado Avalanche, who finished 21st in goals scored last season, making Fleury the top option on this slate.

Petr Mrazek ($8,300): The Detroit Red Wings have had a rough start to the season, giving up 10 goals in their first two games. Tonight they'll return to Detroit for their first home game of the year with a 61.6% win probability against the Ottawa Senators, who have the second-lowest projected point total of any team on this slate. Mrazek has faced an average of 36 shots per game, giving him plenty of opportunity to add points from saves, and with the Red Wings so favored, he has a good chance at the 12-point win bonus. At $800 less than Fleury, Mrazek is a good option if you want to spend up elsewhere in your lineup.

High-Priced Skaters

Evgeni Malkin ($8,400): Without Sidney Crosby in the lineup, Malkin has three points and six shots through the Penguins first two games. As I mentioned earlier, the Penguins have the highest win probability of any team on this slate. Malkin plays on both the first line and the top power play unit that has already scored twice in the first two games. Tonight he'll be up against Calvin Pickard, whose 2.56 goals against average (GAA) last season ranked 36th among all goalies with 10 or more starts.

Brad Marchand ($7,300): Marchand finished sixth in the NHL with 37 goals last season, and he's off to a hot start already this year. He lit up the scoreboard with two goals, three assists, and seven shots in the Boston Bruins' first game this season and followed up with an assist in their loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Boston is only .4% less likely to win than Pittsburgh, and they have the highest projected point total of any team on this slate. The Winnipeg Jets have given up four goals in each of their two games this season, giving Marchand a prime opportunity to extend his season-opening point streak.

Kris Letang ($7,000): Letang racked up 51 assists last season to rank sixth among all players and second among all defensemen. This season, he has only assisted one goal, but he's been very active with at least four shots in each of his first two games. Tonight, he'll be up against the Colorado Avalanche, who allowed the eighth-most shots and seventh-most points to opposing defenseman last season.

Value Skaters

Ryan Spooner ($4,000): Centering the second line and playing on the top power play line against the Jets -- who, as I mentioned, have given up four goals in each game this season -- has Spooner as our top value play of the night. He has four shots and one assist so far this season and is the only center on any team's top two lines to be priced at $4,000 or below. Spooner had 17 power play points last season, and he'll have a strong chance to build on that total against the Jets, who have given up three power play goals already this season.

Mike Hoffman ($5,500): The Senators are underdogs against Detroit tonight, but Hoffman is playing on both the first line and the top power play unit. He hasn't scored any points yet this season, but he's racked up six shots in his second game of the year. Tonight he'll be up against the Red Wings, who gave up the third-most shots per game of any team last season.

Mike Green ($4,900): Green (along with Ryan McDonagh) is one of only two sub-$5,000 defensemen on tonight's slate who plays on both the top defensive pairing and the first power play unit. Despite the Red Wings losing their first two games this season, Green has amassed two assists and four shots. Tonight, the Red Wings are favored against the Senators, who allowed the fourth-most shots per game to opposing defensemen last season.

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