NHL

NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 12/21/18

Chris Wassel  —  @ChrisWasselDFS Dec 21st, 2018
Friday wraps up the week with a three-game slate, which includes Jack Eichel and the Sabres. Who else can you trust in your DFS lineups?

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

Craig Anderson ($8,000): The New Jersey Devils will go against this confirmed net-minder for Ottawa on Friday night. Anderson has allowed just nine goals in his last four starts on a whopping 134 shots (all three wins, too). That is a decent workload to say the least. And even with the Devils on zero rest, they are a team that can generate 30 to 35 shots at home. This pick presents a high risk but also some solid reward. It is unusual to have several goalies confirmed this early, but currently that is the case. Philipp Grubauer ($7,600) may be a decent choice from Colorado, but shot count may be the issue there. Keith Kinkaid ($7,700) is a dangerous pick, having allowed three-plus goals in eight of his last nine starts.

High-Priced Skaters

Jack Eichel ($7,900): Eichel is a good play against the Washington Capitals on Friday night, along with teammate Jeff Skinner ($7,500). Honestly, Washington may be able to slow them down only if the duo allows them to. Eichel's propensity to shoot the puck is rivaled only by Alex Ovechkin, and he has tallied nine goals in his previous seven starts. Washington's penalty kill has dropped all the way down to 75.2%, and that first unit Buffalo power play is improving (19.1% overall on the year). Nathan MacKinnon ($8,800) is the easiest option for the Colorado Avalanche, but expect his ownership rate to be easily 25% or higher in most contests.

Mark Stone ($6,800): Stone's a moderate tournament option on Friday night, and only because of the lack of demand. Stone consistently produces points but usually does not have the wow potential of 30-plus point nights. However, he has topped double-digits in 10 of his last 12 outings. New Jersey yields 3.08 goals per game at home now and could be vulnerable to allowing that many or more on Friday night. Ovechkin ($9,000) and Mikko Rantanen ($8,500) are more obvious targets. However, do watch for Kyle Palmieri ($6,300) against Ottawa's penalty kill, which holds at just 73.8%.

Value Skaters

David Kampf ($3,200): Kampf is priced just above FanDuel's minimum salary, which makes him a decent punt choice against Colorado. The center had been decent enough floor-wise in his last two games, and last night against Dallas, he chipped in two assists along with a shot on goal. The expectation is that Kampf could get a few shots and a few blocks tonight, which would basically equal "hitting value". Options are a bit scarce on tonight, but Brian Boyle ($3,600) is an intriguing possibility, especially if he stays on one of the power play unit for the Devils.

Jesper Bratt ($3,500): Bratt is elevated risk because noone is quite sure what line he will be on tonight for New Jersey. With the Marcus Johansson injury, it is possible he sees some top-six and power play time. However, that is not etched in stone at press time. Bratt has 13 real-world points in 19 games (two goals on 35 shots) and arguably has had a little bad luck. Playing 12 to 14 minutes is under-utilizing his ability to accumulate points. However, Ottawa does give up 4.75 goals per game on the road. There are a couple other possibilities out there, like Blake Coleman ($4,100) and Tyson Jost ($3,900). These are more risky tournament plays, so be cognizant of that when picking and choosing your value skaters.


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.