3 NHL FanDuel Studs to Target on 1/21/20
Spending up in any daily fantasy lineup 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.
With bye weeks and the All Star break, this is a very light week in the NHL, with tonight being the only night with more than five games. So let's build the best rosters we can and spend on the right stars on the one reasonably sized slate of the week.
Evgeni Malkin, Center, Pittsburgh Penguins
FanDuel Salary: $8,200
The spotlight might be a little bit off of Evgeni Malkin since the return of Sidney Crosby, but it hasn't slowed down his production. Malkin has six points in the four games since Crosby came back from injury. He hasn't lost ice time, as he's now effectively the second-line center, still averaging around 19 minutes per game. And adding Crosby has just made the Pittsburgh Penguins power play more lethal, scoring on 4 of 13 opportunities.
Malkin's Penguins face their arch-rival Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. The Flyers will be without starting goaltender Carter Hart, as he is dealing with an abdomen injury. This means that Brian Elliott will be between the pipes. Elliot has had a negative goals saved above average four seasons in a row, including this one. Malkin and the Pens could feast on the Flyers below-average goaltending tonight. Malkin is tied for our highest projection at the center position, so he is a good play in all formats on this slate.
Patrick Kane, Wing, Chicago Blackhawks
FanDuel Salary: $8,000
Patrick Kane recorded the 1,000th point of his career on Sunday, as he helped the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Winnipeg Jets. That extended his point streak to 10 straight, with 15 points total in that stretch. He's taken 44 shots on goal in that time, and he's 17th in shot attempt rate for forwards according to Natural Stat Trick. Kane is also sixth in time on ice per game for forwards. A player that is on the ice a lot and firing the puck constantly is exactly who we want to roster.
The Blackhawks are facing the Florida Panthers, who are on the second leg of a back to back. Florida has allowed the seventh-most goals per game in the league this season. Looking at numberFire's daily fantasy matchup heat map, Chicago has an implied goal total of 3.36, the second-highest on the slate. Kane is projecting as our highest-scoring skater by a decent margin, meaning that he is a priority spend for building a lineup tonight.
Torey Krug, Defense, Boston Bruins
FanDuel Salary: $5,600
A $5,600 price tag doesn't usually mean a player is a stud, but that price makes Torey Krug the second-most expensive defenseman tonight. Krug has been his normal productive self from the blueline, ranking seventh in points per 60 minutes for defensemen. He has three straight 50-point seasons and is on pace to do that again this year. It will be good timing for him as well, as he is currently set to become a free agent next season and could fill a puck-moving void on defense that so many teams in the NHL have.
Krug will look to add to his point total tonight as the Boston Bruins take on the Vegas Golden Knights at home. Vegas has been struggling to find their way a bit, having to fire head coach Gerard Gallant last week. A matchup advantage for the Bruins would be on the power play, as they have the most effective unit playing tonight and take on a Golden Knights penalty kill that ranks as the third-worst on the slate. Krug is tied for third for power play points among defensemen, and also has the third-most power play points on the Bruins. Krug sets up nicely in this game, making him a top play at defense.
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.
