I generally do not pick two players playing against each other in the same game for a daily fantasy hockey lineup. The same applies for a goalie and a player from opposite teams. You might see two players among the “value picks” from opposite teams, but that doesn’t mean you should take them both. No matter the value, you’re also likely cannibalizing points, so any gains made below a certain price point – the point where production and cost intersect – can be lost if production declines overall as well.
There are many things that determine value: The player’s history (both short and long-term), the price, recent production, opponent, line matching at even-strength, power play time and injuries are just some of the factors to consider. The “Top Value” doesn’t necessarily mean the cheapest player, either.
Finally, as far as goalies go, it’s the one position I’ll pay through the nose for if I really like the matchup. The same applies for back-ups with good match-ups. In a given night, with a full slate of games, I won’t have more than three different goalies across all my lineups, usually two. I’ll name the goalies I like specifically in the match-ups they appear in.
Here is today’s slate of games (and DraftDay values). Reminder: check Left Wing Lock for up-to-the-minute information on starting goalies.
Games are color-coded as follows:
Green means load up. Yellow means grab a couple of players. Red means value plays only.
Minnesota Wild at New York Rangers
Minnesota has had an up-and-down December which has led to a 5-4 record overall. So far this month, however, starting goalie Niklas Backstrom is 0-3 while Josh Harding is 5-1. It is likely that Backstrom gets the start tonight.
The New York Rangers are in a freefall right now. When I brought up their schedule, I had to double-check to make sure it wasn’t the New York Islanders. In fact, the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders have both managed seven points this month, while the Rangers have just six. The Rangers have allowed at least three goals against in seven straight games and one power play goal against in three straight games. It’s quite something.
Both teams play tomorrow as well, though neither is facing a team that would constitute a “look ahead” game. There is no way I could feel safe grabbing both goalies, but there could be a lot of goals in this game. One caveat to keep in mind: The Koivu line will probably be matched with the Stepan line, so the guys further behind on the depth chart might be better plays depending what the rest of your roster looks like.
|
Top RW Value |
Top LW Value |
Top C Value |
Top D Value |
Bargain Bin |
|
Charlie Coyle $6450 |
(NYR) $8350 |
Derick Brassard $7750 |
Jared Spurgeon $6850 |
(MIN) $6250 |
Winnipeg Jets at Vancouver Canucks
The Jets are playing .500 hockey this month but haven’t beat anyone of note in over a month (FLA, CBJ, TBL, NYR, NYI, NJD are their last six wins). Overall, the Jets are 0-4-3 in their last seven games against the Western Conference, and for the season they are 2-5-1 on the road against Western Conference opponents.
Vancouver, meanwhile, beat the defending Stanley Cup champs on Friday night in a shootout, bringing their December record to 8-1-1 with their only regulation loss being a road game in Dallas.
These two teams haven’t met yet this year but it’s an intriguing matchup. Seemingly, the Jets have played some of their best hockey of the season over their last few games, while the same can be said for Vancouver. On paper this should be a close game, though both sides feature enough game-breakers to not make that so.
I would lean heavily on the Canucks right now. Despite the Jets’ play of late, this is still an excellent Vancouver team playing a mediocre Jets team. With such a light lineup, I would lean whoever starts in net for Vancouver and cross my fingers.
|
Top RW Value |
Top LW Value |
Top C Value |
Top D Value |
Bargain Bin |
|
(VAN) $6800 |
Daniel Sedin $10,900 |
Henrik Sedin |
Christopher Tanev (VAN) $5000 |
(WPG) |
Good luck with today’s games!
