Today is a short slate and that usually means it’s hair-pulling time. On big slates like yesterday, people can generally get a pretty good feel for where they stand in their cash games by the time the first periods of the early games end. On short slates, with so few players available and so much overlap between teams going on, it’s the opposite. On short slates, then, be sure to not toss in the towel too early, there’s just not enough to differentiate to sink most teams early.
Read More: Advanced Hockey Stats Glossary
Also remember on short slates, that a good amount really is luck-driven. Having so few games to pick from means DFSers are forced to look for value where there may be little, or none. DFS owners may also stack a team’s first line, only to see the second line connect for three goals.
Players that will be in order of perceived value, by position, and there should be enough to mix-and-match for each type of game available on DraftKings. Some positions might only have a few plays, some might have several. It all depends on the day, the matchups, and the price.
Remember: players are in order of value, not necessarily in cost. Just because Sidney Crosby is $8000 one day doesn’t mean he’s a better value than Andrew Shaw at $4000.
Cash Games
| Centre | Wing | Defense | Goalie |
| Shaw (CHI) – $3900 | Saad (CHI) – $4900 | Keith (CHI) – $5000 | Crawford (CHI) – $7600 |
| Toews (CHI) – $6900 | Hossa (CHI) – $6200 | Ekman-Larsson (ARI) – $4900 | Smith (ARI) – $8100 |
| Vermette (ARI) – $4500 | Kane (CHI) – $8000 | Hamilton (BOS) – $3700 | |
| Boedker (ARI) – $4400 | |||
| Franzen (DET) – $4700 | |||
| Sharp (CHI) – $7400 | |||
| Doan (CHI) – $4800 |
- Either of the two goalies are fine. Unless there’s further news about the availability of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle, Smith should have an easy night tonight.
- I’ll have a hard time not putting Shaw/Saad in most lineups. They’re a cheap duo that will be playing away from Calgary’s top defense pairing of Mark Giordano – TJ Brodie.
- On a short slate like this, the vanilla plays are usually the way to go. Over-thinking is detrimental: it doesn’t look like there should be a lot of goals in BOS/DET, and the other two games involve teams playing lesser opponents that are on the second game of a road back-to-back.
Guaranteed Prize Pools/Tournaments
| Centre | Wing | Defense | Goalie |
| Zetterberg (DET) – $6600 | Nyquist (DET) – $5200 | Kronwall (DET) – $4500 | Howard (DET) – $7200 |
| Shaw (CHI) – $3900 | Kane (CHI) – $8000 | Keith (CHI) – $5000 | |
| Vermette (ARI) – $4500 | Boedker (ARI) – $4400 | DeKeyser (DET) – $3900 | |
| Colborne (CGY) – $2500 | Saad (CHI) – $4900 | ||
| Gaudreau (CGY) – $4100 |
- So we’re all on the same level, I’m not playing GPPs today. I don’t like having to differentiate using a Boston/Detroit game where there may not be a lot of goals. That said, that game is the best chance to go against the grain.
- Going with the pairing of Colborne/Gaudreau with a bargain play should allow for lots of salary flexibility. I was thinking Colborne/Raymond, but Raymond’s price is way too high.
Slim’s Pickins (bargain plays)
Seth Griffith (C-BOS, $2700) – Still looks to be playing alongside David Krejci, as well as on the power play. That’s a lot of value.
Zbynek Michalek (D-ARI, $2800) – Michalek is getting sparse power play time, but the blocked shots alone should get him close to reaching value. He’s a good way to save some salary.
Good luck!
