NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 10/26/18
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, because it's a ton of fun. And our analysis and projections can help you win.
To help, let's take a look at some goalies, high-priced skaters, and lower-priced players to target for today's slate.
Goalie to Target
Scott Darling ($7,600): The Carolina Hurricanes could get Darling back for tonight against the San Jose Sharks. The problem lies in that there is still some uncertainty. He is a value goalie who enjoyed a very good preseason before injury struck. The one good aspect is that the Sharks have been firing 30-plus shots a game for the season. Darling is a risk, but at least Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck ($8,200) is reasonably priced. As far as cash plays, this option is a good one for the price, and even for GPPs, despite what should be high ownership rate. Watch for goalie confirmations as several late changes have caught some people off guard of late.
High-Priced Skaters
Nathan MacKinnon ($8,900): The Colorado Avalanche forwards enjoy a great matchup against the Ottawa Senators tonight. Winnipeg may deflect a little ownership but, honestly, it shouldn't be much,. This is the chalk line of the night and may be hard to fade. MacKinnon had an off game, by his standards, against Tampa Bay. However, he does have 15 points on 44 shots in just 10 contests. Also, Ottawa has yielded nine goals in two road games. While there are better stacking options out there, Colorado's first line has been as reliable as any line during October. Other potentially high-owned centers include Sebastian Aho and Mark Scheifele.
Patrik Laine ($7,300): Laine is arguably a high-risk GPP play tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit has allowed 24 goals in their last 5 games and has given up 11 goals in 3 home contests. The Jets' forward should be moderately owned, but other Winnipeg players will not be, adding to the stacking appeal here. Laine has just 3 goals on 40 shots (7.5% shooting percentage). Considering his career rate is nearly 18%, it seems likely that an upswing in goals is coming soon. Laine being deployed on the first line only improves those chances.
Value Skaters
Sven Andrighetto ($3,400): Andrighetto looks like a solid punt play tonight against the Ottawa Senators. His first game back on the second line was a solid one (three shots and one blocked shot). The forward could start seeing multiple looks on the Avalanche's man advantage. Another inexpensive winger option could be Jordan Martinook ($3,400), who plays on the third line at 5-on-5 but could draw ice time against depth matchups.
Colin White ($3,400): Lowered expectations exist among the value choices on Friday night. Not having the Vegas Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning game on the slate does impact things significantly. White is projected to be on the first line for now, but watch morning skate. It is possible that Zack Smith ($3,400) receives a promotion back up the Senators depth chart. Both players have played as much as 17-to-18 minutes a night at points this season. Colorado is capable of giving up a couple goals, and one of these two Ottawa forwards might surprisingly net one.
Chris Wassel is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Chris Wassel also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username chriswassel. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
