NHL Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 1/11/19
A good chunk of you played daily fantasy football this year, 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
John Gibson ($7,800): The Anaheim Ducks are expected to start Gibson against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. The goalie has seen 30-plus shots in eight of his last ten starts. His price is cheap considering that potential for a high save total, and the Ducks have allowed over 35 shots per 60 minute in Gibson's starts.. The one big risk is wins -- Anaheim is riding a nine game losing streak. Wait until morning skate for other confirmations. See who starts for Calgary as they may be highly sought after due to price and potential for a win.
High-Priced Skaters
Sean Monahan ($8,000): Saving money with your studs is not an option tonight, with some top-notch players are on the slate. Monahan is a risk because of his rising price, but his production playing with John Gaudreau will lead to many chances against a porous Florida team that gives up 3.78 goals per game on the road. The top line should be able to attack the Aleksander Barkov line as they have been not as efficient possession-wise (-0.25% to compared to the team's average). Florida's penalty kill is only at 78% on the road, and the Panthers are not rested either. Keep an eye on the playing status of Jack Eichel ($8,000). If he goes, that will alter ownership on this slate. Mark Scheifele ($7,600) is another possibility against a woeful Detroit Red Wings team.
Jeff Skinner ($7,100): Skinner is a decent tournament option against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night. Aside from the obvious history (traded from Carolina), Skinner has 29 goals in 43 games which includes six power-play goals. He can be dangerous anytime he hits the ice for a shift. Skinner's deceptive speed out wide only masks his above average shot. He knows Carolina well, having played there for eight seasons. His 21.5% shooting percentage may seem high, but having Eichel passing him the puck has definitely helped. Skinner will have extra motivation to try and score his 30th goal against his former team. Other options may include Phil Kessel ($7,800) and even Mike Hoffman ($6,400) against a Calgary penalty kill that has dropped to 78.7% effectiveness.
Value Skaters
Frank Vatrano ($3,900): Vatrano creates matchup headaches with his propensity to shoot -- he has nine in his last two games alone. Vatrano exceeded value in four of his last five starts as well. Calgary usually does not allow a lot of shots (28.6 per game) but they do yield 3.38 goals per game at home.The Flames tend to relax a bit at home while their structure is a bit more sound on the road. This might be an opportunity to acquire some lower priced plays in order to spend up elsewhere. Nick Ritchie ($3,600) is an intriguing middle-six play that might surprise against a Pittsburgh team that may take Anaheim too lightly.
Filip Hronek ($3,500): Hronek has been a nice surprise for Detroit in the last couple weeks. His minimum-salary price-tag mitigates any risk he may have. He has averaged over two shots a game this year in just 19 games played. Hronek tallied four real-world points over his previous eight starts. That may not sound like much but at this price, production is hard to find. The Detroit defenseman has even seen a little power play time and has shown some chemistry with players like Dylan Larkin. Other value defensive options are Lawrence Pilut ($3,500) and Cam Fowler ($4,100).
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.
