Daily Fantasy Hockey: DFS DraftKings Values – December 9

The only team that played last night that is playing tonight is the New Jersey Devils. While it’s not confirmed yet, it appears as though Cory Schneider will be in net tonight again for the Devils. Schneider faced 40 shots last night, and it’s almost always a mistake to start the same goalie two nights in a row. It should be a good night for Blackhawks skaters.

The biggest favorites of the night via Covers Experts is the San Jose Sharks. It’s a bit odd, considering the Sharks lost to them on Sunday night (and only managed 24 shots on goal). That was a back to back situation though, so there is hope for tonight. Los Angeles and Chicago are also among the heavy favorites tonight.

Play Daily Fantasy Hockey on DraftKings Tonight!

As always, check Left Wing Lock for goalie confirmations.

Players 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 Draft Kings. 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

• I don’t particularly like relying on goalies on the road, but Darlin’s price and Quick’s matchup are almost too good to pass up.
• There are so many good values at center tonight that it’s probably advisable to focus heavy chunks of salary on the wing and on defense.
• Los Angeles has reunited the line of Pearson-Carter-Toffoli. I have parts of the Kopitar line mentioned, but either of the top two lines can be targets in small parts.
• Calgary and Toronto should have quite a few goals. I will be avoiding Phil Kessel tonight, and for a while, until more is known about his injuries.
• Nashville has a great matchup tonight and the prices are excellent.

Guaranteed Prize Pools/Tournaments

• As I mentioned, I like Chicago getting a tired Cory Schneider tonight. New Jersey can play suffocating defense, but I’ll lean to the tired goalie numbers.
• Toronto/Calgary will be defense optional, and Toronto’s second line gets power play time and should avoid the Giordano/Brodie pairing for the most part.
• Minnesota faces a hobbled Islanders defense corps tonight.
• Nashville has a great matchup, and the first line price is very reasonable.
• I’m putting faith in San Jose tonight, which is probably misguided, but this is a good spot for this team. The top line is fairly cheap, and all get power play time (though Hertl is on the second unit).

Slim’s Pickins (bargain plays)

James Sheppard (SJS-C, $2900) – Will get easy minutes against Edmonton’s depth and is getting second unit power play minutes.

Matt Calvert (CBJ-W, $2800) – Is playing on the second line with returning Brandon Dubinsky, and gets second unit power play duties.

Seth Jones (NSH-D, $2800) – A great matchup against Colorado, and second unit power play duties (though the Avalanche have a pretty good penalty kill).

Good luck!

And some advice straight from the good people at DraftKings:

Tuesday Special: $25,000 Fantasy Hockey League

Tuesday is a great night to kick back and watch some hockey this week. With 10 different games on, there is sure to be some excitement in the NHL world.

DraftKings is hosting a one-day Fantasy Hockey Contest with $25,000 in prizes and a buy-in of just $20. First place takes home $5,000 at the end of the night.

New to fantasy hockey or need help polishing your game? Salary cap leagues are all about finding value- Here are 4 tips that can make building your lineup a lot more efficient.

1) Start by choosing your goalie wisely.
This one may sound obvious, but make sure your goalie is in the starting lineup. Alternatively, a backup goalie who is starting can be a great way to find value at a discounted price. You also want to look for a goalie who is likely to get a win (Jonathan Quick vs Buffalo is one that stands out tonight).

2) If you need to save salary cap space, do it with your defensemen. 
Your average defensemen doesn’t score as much as forwards and centers, so their upside isn’t as high on a night-to-night basis. Look for a defenseman who will get decent ice time and/or minutes on the 1st or 2nd power play line. You earn points for blocked shots and that can be an easy way to earn a few.

3) It’s all about matchups
When choosing your offensive players especially, look at their opponents closely. Look for matchups against poor defensive teams and goalies to see who will give you the best opportunities for goals, assists, and shots on goal.

4) If you pick players on the same team, try to pick players on the same line. 
If your goal is to win a large-field tournament, a good strategy is to target a few players who can benefit from each other’s play. For example, if you choose two players on the same line, you give yourself the opportunity to get both a goal and assist at the same time. You are increasing the variance of your team, giving a better shot at a very high score.

The contest starts at 7pm EST, so make sure to draft your team before then.

Sign up through HERE to get a 100% deposit bonus and a free entry into any $2 league when you make your first deposit.

Michael Clifford

Michael Clifford was born and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada and is a graduate of the Unviersity of New Brunswick. He writes about fantasy hockey and baseball for XNSports and FantasyTrade411.com. He can be reached on Twitter @SlimCliffy for any fantasy hockey questions. Follow @SlimCliffy !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');

See Full Bio