3 NHL FanDuel Studs to Target on 3/9/20
Spending up in any daily fantasy sport is how to get the superstars and the highest upside players in your lineup. In NHL DFS, it’s different than paying up in sports like NBA or NFL. Someone can be one of the highest-priced players at his position and put up a total dud of a performance, and paying that much for him would be a huge mistake. Let’s make sure we are paying up in the right spots when building our lineups tonight.
We're coming down the home stretch of the NHL regular season, and kick off a new week with a five-game slate with some studs to consider.
Connor McDavid, Center, Edmonton Oilers
FanDuel Salary: $8,700
Connor McDavid is on the verge of another 100 point season, which would be the fourth straight season he has hit that mark. The 96 points he has recorded put him in second in the league. His 1.52 points per game are a career-high, even better than the two seasons when he had the most points in the NHL. Over his last ten games, he has 17 points and 36 shots on goal. Tonight, he has a big game in which he will need to be at his best.
The Edmonton Oilers have a huge division battle against the Vegas Golden Knights tonight. The Golden Knights sit two points ahead of the Oilers in the Pacific Division. The division title would give either team an easier matchup in the first round. Vegas is generally a solid team, but have had some bad performances throughout the season. It has been especially true when Marc-Andre Fleury has been in net, as he has a -6.38 goals saved above average on the season. The Oilers can also exploit the Golden Knights' penalty kill, as Edmonton's number one power play takes on the fourth-worst penalty kill in the NHL. Edmonton has an implied team total of 3.13, the third-highest on tonight's slate. McDavid has upside like few other players in the league, making him a great tournament play.
Alex Ovechkin, Wing, Washington Capitals
FanDuel Salary: $8,700
It sometimes feels like Alex Ovechkin is slowing down in a season, but then he'll have another two-goal game and that feeling will end. In reality, he hasn't slowed down much this season, as he has seven goals in his last ten games. He's now up to 47 goals, putting him second in the league. He has already won the Rocket Richard trophy for most goals in the league eight times, and he's looking for his ninth this season. Ovechkin also hasn't slowed down in his efforts to shoot the puck, leading the league with 26.01 shot attempts per 60 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will face the Buffalo Sabres on the road tonight. Being on the road hasn't hurt Ovechkin at all this season, as 28 of his 47 goals have been scored away from home this season. The Sabres have the worst penalty kill in the NHL, killing off just 74.5% of the times they are shorthanded. Ovechkin has the fourth-most power-play goals in the league with 13, so he could have a field day in this matchup. The Capitals have the highest implied team total on the slate at 3.58, which means Ovechkin should have plenty of opportunities to get on the score sheet tonight. He's a great way to spend up at the wing position tonight.
Connor Hellebuyck, Goaltender, Winnipeg Jets
FanDuel Salary: $8,700
Connor Hellebuyck has been one of the best goaltenders in the league this season. According to Evolving-Hockey.com, he has saved 16.93 goals above expectation, more than double the next closet goalie in the NHL. He has played so well that he has even garnered some MVP chatter, keeping the Winnipeg Jets in the playoff race. His last outing against Vegas, he posted his sixth shutout of the season, the most in the league. He has a decent chance of getting another in tonight's game.
The Jets are playing the Arizona Coyotes at home on Monday night. The Coyotes are the ninth-lowest scoring team in the league, scoring 2.72 goals per game. They have an implied goal total of under that tonight, as their 2.66 total is the second-lowest on the slate tonight. They still generate over 30 shots on goal per game, so Hellebuyck should have plenty of chances to make saves and accrue points that way. The goalie who has been among the best in the league facing a low scoring team at home is about as good of a spot as it gets for goalies, making Hellebuyck the way to go if spending up at the position tonight.
Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
