NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Monday 10/15/18
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
Frederik Andersen ($8,200): The Toronto Maple Leafs are heavy favorites (-205 on the moneyline) against the Los Angeles Kings. Andersen has faced an average of nearly 30 shots per game this season and is well-rested, which is important in the early going. Los Angeles carries risk because of erratic shot outputs (projections imply in the 26-30 range). The Toronto goaltender's price-tag makes him viable in both cash games and tournaments. There are a few other options -- like Carey Price (low-priced), and Pekka Rinne (stronger in cash games) -- but there will be more clarity on the slate's goalies once the other starters are confirmed.
High-Priced Skaters
Auston Matthews ($8,300): The Leafs' forward is also in an excellent spot at home against the Kings tonight. Matthews has scored ten goals on the young season (0.56 goals per period). Also, the forward created six High-Danger opportunities against the Washington Capitals on Saturday. The total cost of the Toronto top line is $17,900, which is a bit expensive but not-cost prohibitive like the Dallas stack. There is a way of sneaking in a power-play stack to save a little bit of money, but Matthews is the crown piece, as goals are often what you need to win GPP's.
Tyler Seguin ($7,900): Seguin is the other crown choice on Monday, with the Ottawa Senators easily allowing at least three goals per game. Seguin tallied two assists and an onslaught of scoring chances (including nine shots on net) in his last outing. He has gone for more than 30 FanDuel points in his last three contests. The Stars' top-line forward will have a plus chance to extend his good run tonight as Ottawa have immense problems containing most any first line. The speed and puck-possession ability of Dallas makes them a good choice here. However, do not sleep on the cheaper options of Ottawa -- even some of the higher profile ones like Matt Duchene ($5,500). Filip Forsberg ($7,700) is one to watch from Nashville as well.
Value Skaters
Kasperi Kapanen ($3,800): Kapanen still is on the top line for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he now has six real-world points in six contests. He does possess solid shot volume (15 shots so far) as well as an ability to create chances with that abundance of speed. His increase in ice time the past two games (16-plus minutes in each) indicates a rising ceiling. Again, until William Nylander returns, this is Kapanen's spot. Kapanen will continue to produce which will create quite the dilemma whenever Kapanen signs a new deal. Other inexpensive wing options include Brady Tkachuk ($3,900), who has five points in his previous two games and will draw against Toronto's bottom pairings. He is also only $100 more expensive than Kapanen.
Nick Jensen ($3,500): Jensen presents a $400 savings over Maxime Lajoie of the Ottawa Senators. Jensen will likely be low-owned, but do not underestimate him. He has points in his last two contests. One main concern is Jensen has hit the net just six times in four games (two goals though). The 28-year old should enjoy a nice matchup against the Montreal Canadiens (their defense usually gives up a significant amount of High-Danger chances). Elsewhere, Ryan Hartman ($3,400) is a decent option to save some money when it comes to Nashville stacks. As always, watch for late injury news and last-minute line shifts for potential high-value options.
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.
