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 match-up. 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 DraftStreet values). Reminder: check Left Wing Lock for up-to-the-minute information on starting goalies.
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Games are color-coded as follows:
Green means stack for GPPs. Yellow means targets for cash games. Red means value plays only.
Phoenix Coyotes at New York Rangers
The Coyotes may have lost their game on Saturday to the Bruins 4-2, but they are still well in hand for a playoff spot. On the bright side of things for DFS purposes, that was the fourth game in a row that the Coyotes had managed a power play goal. That goal was powered, as most of them had been all season, by the defense and in particular Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle. The trio of Antoine Vermette, Mikkel Boedker and Lauri Korpikoski were put together at even strength and have produced some good chances in their brief time together.
The Rangers went a long way in cementing their playoff hopes on the weekend with a shutout win over the New Jersey Devils. That game marked the fourth win out of the last five contests for the Rangers and most importantly, they have given up only eight goals against in those five games. It’s not some sort of mirage either, as the team has allowed fewer than 30 shots on goal in three of those five games and averaged just over 29 shots on goal per game along the way. The team still isn’t producing high-scoring games consistently, though, as they have just nine goals in their last four games (excluding the 8-4 blowout of the Senators).
These two teams met in their respective season openers, a 4-1 win for the Coyotes in Phoenix. Both teams, and especially the Rangers, have grown since then. This game marks the start of a road trip for the Coyotes so I would probably try to avoid their skaters today. In that regard, I would look to Henrik Lundqvist in some 50/50s and definitely some skaters as well.
|
Top RW Value |
Top LW Value |
Top C Value |
Top D Value |
Bargain Bin |
|
(NYR) $7390 |
Lauri Korpikoski (PHX) $6292 |
(NYR) $7757 |
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (PHX) $8753 |
(NYR) $6001 |
