NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Tuesday 12/18/18
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
Alexandar Georgiev ($7,600): The New York Rangers' goaltender is confirmed to start against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night. Anaheim rallied back from a 2-0 deficit on Monday to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-2. The question becomes what does Anaheim have left? New York is well-rested, and Georgiev's one risk may be potential low shot volume. The Ducks have improved as far as generating shots on goal but can still get cratered possession-wise. New York has that problem, as well. It is a tough game to gauge, but the Rangers have only a 44.4% chance of winning, per our numbers. A tired John Gibson starting for the Ducks may tip the scales. While waiting for other confirmations, see if Mikko Koskinen ($8,600) starts for Edmonton on Tuesday. Koskinen would be up against a St. Louis Blues team that has allowed 19 goals in their last 5 games, including getting blown out on the road twice.
High-Priced Skaters
Jack Eichel ($7,900): Eichel is on fire (12 real-world points in the last six contests). He scored 9 times in that span on 33 shots. Buffalo is at home on Tuesday, so they should be able to avoid the Aleksander Barkov line for the most part. Also, the Florida penalty kill has been around 76% on the road and dropping as of late. This is while the Buffalo power play has been above 20% for the last dozen games. Eichel's floor is off the charts, and his penchant for goals makes him a great tournament play on this night. Auston Matthews ($8,300) is another good choice, facing a New Jersey team that has yielded 18 goals in their last five outings.
Claude Giroux ($7,400): What will the coaching change mean for Philadelphia? The Flyers' special teams have been abysmal (12.9% power play, 73.5% penalty kill). With the talent assembled, that should not be the case. Giroux has 39 real-world points in 31 games this year (11 goals). He has just nine points on the man advantage, however (one goal, eight assists). That is on pace for 25 power-play points, and Giroux fired in 36 of those last year. Fortunately, Detroit comes in with a road penalty kill just below 77% and allows 3.67 goals per night on the road. This game has the potential to be a high-scoring clash but could also be a dud, as well. Patrick Kane ($8,200) and Mitchell Marner ($7,700) also could be viable options on Tuesday night.
Value Skaters
Filip Chytil ($3,900): Chytil is a high-risk tournament choice on Tuesday. He was projected to see top-line time against Anaheim. It would be prudent to check out morning skates to make sure that is the case. The Rangers' winger has electric skills but can go ice cold at times (had a doughnut FanDuel points-wise recently). His shot volume has also been lower of late (3 or more shots in only 1 of his last 12 outings). However, his speed and hands make him an option on Tuesday against a tired Anaheim team. Some other choices may include Pontus Aberg ($3,800), Mathieu Perreault ($3,600), and Miles Wood ($3,600). Perreault has goals in four straight contests and points in eight of his previous nine games.
Darnell Nurse ($4,000): Nurse is still priced right at the same price he has been for weeks. The defenseman has been playing 28-plus minutes a night over the last four games. He has tallied 6 real-world points in that span and taken 13 shots on goal. Nurse remains a great play against St. Louis on Tuesday. It is difficult to find a player who is valued this much at this low of a price. The advice is simple. Find a place for him in your lineup and enjoy the cap relief. Other possible choices may feature Josh Manson ($3,900) and Ben Hutton ($3,800).
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.
