There are a lot of teams playing their second game in as many nights. When teams are playing a back-to-back, the second morning almost never includes a morning skate. That means there is a lot of uncertainty around lineups, so even with the late-swap option on DraftKings, it’s necessary to be by a computer/phone about 30 minutes before pucks drop to see what line rushes are for those teams.
The big (and obvious) favorite for tonight is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Anyone playing Buffalo is usually the big favorite of the night, and the Leafs crushed them earlier this season 4-0 and gave up just 10 shots against. While targeting against the Sabres is generally good process when selecting a goalie, I do worry about a 5-2 game where the goalie only faces 16 shots. Other big favorites include St. Louis, Tampa Bay, and Pittsburgh.
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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
| Centre | Wing | Defense | Goalie |
| Stamkos (TBL) – $7800 | van Riemsdyk (TOR) – $7100 | Stralman (TBL) – $3700 | Price (MTL) – $8700 |
| Kadri (TOR) – $3800 | Gallagher (MTL) – $4700 | Gilbert (MTL) – $3300 | Rinne (NSH) – $8600 |
| Galchenyuk (MTL) – $4300 | Kessel (TOR) – $8400 | Ehrhoff (PIT) – $3500 | Elliott (STL) – $8900 |
| Ribeiro (NSH) – $4000 | Stone (OTT) – $3700 | Subban (MTL) – $5100 | |
| Plekanec (MTL) – $5300 | Drouin (TBL) – $4000 | Rielly (TOR) – $4400 | |
| Couture (SJS) – $6700 | Neal (NSH) – $6700 | ||
| MacKinnon (COL) – $5900 | Kunitz (PIT) – $6700 | ||
| Lazar (OTT) – $4200 | Callahan (TBL) – $6400 | ||
- There are several very good, very cheap options at center tonight. That makes spending in net, and on the wing, more reasonable.
- I wouldn’t take both top Leafs wingers, but I would have one of them at least. I do like van Riemsdyk’s price tonight, and the fact that he gets penalty kill time is a bonus.
- I’m not particularly high on the Penguins tonight, but Chris Kunitz’s price is getting very affordable. He’ll be hard to leave out of cash game lineups tonight.
- All three goalies listed are very close in my projections, so it’s a virtual three-way coin flip between them. If I wanted to go with the “safe” play it would be Rinne, but there’s no real separation between them.
Guaranteed Prize Pools/Tournaments
| Centre | Wing | Defense | Goalie |
| Stamkos (TBL) – $7800 | Drouin (Callahan) – $6400 | Garrison (TBL) – $4400 | Bishop (TBL) – $8300 |
| Plekanec (MTL) – $5300 | Gallagher (MTL) – $4700 | Subban (MTL) – $5100 | Anderson (OTT) – $9500 |
| Galchenyuk (MTL) – $4300 | Kessel (TOR) – $8400 | Gardiner (TOR) – $3600 | Niemi (SJS) – $7700 |
| Kadri (TOR) – $3800 | van Riemsdyk (TOR) – $7100 | Ellis (NSH) – $3400 | |
| Ribeiro (NSH) – $4000 | Neal (NSH) – $6700 | Gilbert (MTL) – $3300 | |
| Lazar (OTT) – $4200 | Forsberg (NSH) – $8000 | ||
| Granlund (CGY) – $2700 | Stone (OTT) – $3700 | ||
| Hoffman (OTT) – $5200 | |||
| Hudler (CGY) – $4300 |
- I think Montreal’s power play gets back on track tonight against a poor penalty kill from Philadelphia. Same goes for Tampa Bay against the New York Islanders – both the Flyers and the Islanders are in the bottom 20-percent of the league in penalty kill efficiency.
- Kadri was reunited with Kessel last night, and while lineups won’t be known until warmups, if he stays with Kessel that is a huge potential for profit tonight.
- Nashville’s top line doesn’t have a great matchup in the Jets tonight, but it’s just a matter of time before Ondrej Pavelec craters. With the skill on that top line, and the relatively low prices compared to most top stacks, Nashville looks good tonight.
- As far as goalies go, there aren’t many that I like for a GPP that are on the cheap side. If DFSers want to avoid Toronto and go with Michal Neuvirth for Buffalo, I can understand that.
Slim’s Pickins (bargain plays)
Vladislav Namestnikov (TBL-C, $2500) – Namestnikov has done very well in a minimal role for the Lightning, but is now playing with Steven Stamkos on Tampa Bay’s top line.
Matt Nieto (SJS-W, $2500) – Sergei Bobrovsky is back for the Blue Jackets, but it’s still this team’s second game in as many nights and they’re not very good with all of the injuries they’ve suffered.
Jason Demers (SJS-D, $2500) – Second unit power play minutes for minimum price on a good offensive team is not a bad way to spend 5-percent of a budget.
Good luck!
