NHL Daily Fantasy Helper, Presented By Rhelief: Thursday 3/9/17
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 projections can help you win.
To help, take a look at some goalies, high-priced skaters, and lower-priced players to target for today's slate.
Goalies to Target
Frederik Andersen ($8,500): Even if we weren't factoring in cost, Andersen would likely be the top goalie play of the night. The fact that 7 of tonight's 10 projected starting goalies are priced above him makes things even better. The Toronto Maple Leafs are the second-biggest favorites on the slate (-147 moneyline), and there's a pretty good chance that Andersen faces more shots than any other goalie on the slate, giving him massive upside to go with the nice value his win probability offers. The Leafs have allowed the league's third-most Corsi Against per game, and a Philadelphia Flyers team that ranks second in Corsi For per game should have no trouble getting off a ton of shots, meaning Andersen will have the opportunity for a massive save total.
Corey Crawford ($8,800): Crawford doesn't have the upside that Andersen does, taking on an Anaheim Ducks team that ranks only 18th in Corsi For per game, but the likelihood that he faces a much lower shot total does serve to make him a safer option here. The Chicago Blackhawks are also the biggest favorites on the slate (-165 moneyline), and the Ducks 2.45-goal implied total is the fourth-lowest on the slate. Crawford doesn't have a ton of appeal in tournaments, where being the biggest favorite on the slate will likely make him pretty highly-owned despite the limited upside, but he's a strong play in cash today.
High-Priced Skaters
Brent Burns ($8,300): Burns is on pace for a career-best season in actual points, averaging more than one per game for the first time in his career. That has been huge for his fantasy value, because it means he has the upside and scoring ability of most of the league's top fantasy forwards, while he also offers the league's highest floor on a nightly basis. Averaging 7.82 shot attempts, 3.95 shots on goal and 1.73 blocked shots per game, Burns will almost never leave you high and dry with a complete dud of a game. And with a fairly solid 10.5% shooting percentage on that huge shot volume, as well as 40 assists in 65 games, he's a regular threat to put up multiple real-life points in a game, something he has done 20 times this season. Tonight's matchup isn't anything special, as the San Jose Sharks are about a pick'em against the Washington Capitals, but at this point it takes an especially tough matchup -- or an especially unusual slate -- to take Burns out of play at this price range.
Patrick Kane ($8,600): Kane ranks third among skaters on today's slate with 3.63 shots on goal per game. He also averages 6.11 shot attempts per game and is tied for second in the NHL with 70 points through 65 games. Those numbers give him a strong combination of floor and upside, and he should have plenty of scoring opportunities tonight. As we mentioned with Crawford, the Blackhawks are the biggest favorites on the slate, and they also own the day's highest implied total (3.05).
Value Skaters
Shayne Gostisbehere ($4,600): Targeting a skater against a top goalie play is almost always something to avoid on all but the shortest slates, but tonight is a rare exception. So much of Andersen's fantasy appeal comes from the fact that he is likely going to face a ton of shots on goal, and so much of Gostisbehere's value comes from the fact that he has a very strong floor from the potential for a high shot total. He ranks 12th among skaters on today's slate with 5.97 shot attempts per game, averaging a huge 0.30 shots per minute and accounting for over one-third of the Flyers' shot attempts while he's on the ice. As we covered for Andersen, the Flyers rank second in the league in Corsi For per game and should have no trouble getting up volume against a Leafs team that allow the third-most Corsi Against per game. That means Gostisbehere should have no shortage of opportunities to shoot the puck, giving him a great floor.
Brayden Point ($3,700): Point plays on the Tampa Bay Lightning's second line, both at even strength and on the power play, and he is pretty heavily underpriced tonight in a decent matchup against the Minnesota Wild. The Lightning are slight underdogs, but they still have an above-average implied total (2.73). With a 2.3% edge in Corsi For Percentage, they should spend plenty of time on offense tonight. Point doesn't generally offer great volume, averaging 2.75 shot attempts per game, but when we adjust that for his price, which is sitting not too far from the minimum salary, that's a decent number. He also accounts for an average of 21.7% of the Lightning's shot attempts while he's on the ice. In a matchup in which the Lightning should control the puck and shoot a bit more than usual, that gives a nice bump to his floor.
