DraftKings Fantasy Hockey Cheat Sheet: December 18th

Tonight’s featured DraftKings contest has a $3 entry or FREE if you are a new user. The top 3,300 finishers will split a prize pool of $42,500 with first place taking home $3,000! Do you have what it takes to turn $3 into $3,000?

Are you new to DraftKings or Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS)? (If so, SIGN UP for an Account HERE) Here’s a quick explanation on how to build your lineup an play! You have $50,000 in Salary space, to build a team that consists of 2C, 3W, 2D, 1G and 1 Util. Below you will find how skaters and goalies scoring works!

• Players will accumulate points as follows:

Goal = +3 PTS
Assist = +2 PTS
Shot on Goal = +0.5 PTS
Blocked Shot = +0.5 PTS
Short Handed Point Bonus (Goal/Assist) = +1 PTS
Shootout Goal = +0.2 PTS
Hat Trick Bonus = +1.5 PTS

• Goalies only will accumulate points as follows:

Win = +3 PTS
Save = +0.2 PTS
Goal Against = -1 PTS
Shutout Bonus = +2 PTS

• Goalie Scoring Notes:

Goalies WILL receive points for all stats they accrue, including goals and assists.
The Goalie Shutout Bonus is credited to goalies if they complete the entire game with 0 goals allowed in regulation + overtime. Shootout goals will not prevent a shutout. Goalie must complete the entire game to get credit for a shutout.

Below I’ve listed my top DFS plays at each position as well as a few sample DraftKings lineup for tonight.

Centres

Patrice Bergeron – @ PIT – $6,800

Bergeron has a six-game point streak, recording one goal and six assists over that stretch. He has averaged just over four DraftKings points per game. He is a safe pick against a Penguins team that struggles on D—he had one assist and two fantasy points against the Pens last Wednesday.

Pavel Datsyuk – vs. VAN – $5,500

Datsyuk only has two goals in 16 games this season, but has five assists in his last six games. Datsyuk still looks good and has seen his shot volume increase over the last few games. He has averaged three FPPG over his last six contests and draws a great matchup vs. a Canucks team in their second game of a back-to-back.

Brad Richards – vs. VAN – $4,200

Playing alongside Datsyuk, Richards has also seen his game take shape in recent contests. He has one goal, one assists, 11 shots and 10.5 fantasy points in his last two games, and with a combined $9,700 salary, Richard and Datsyuk make for a great, cheap stack.

Value Picks: Ryan Spooner – @ PIT – $4,200 / Vincent Trocheck – @ CAR – $3,700

Wingers

Brad Marchand – @ PIT – $6,100

Marchand has five goals and one assist in his last seven games. He had 2.5 fantasy points on shots alone in Tuesday’s contest vs. Pittsburgh. Marchand has been hot and the matchup is there for a reasonably priced Boston stack.

Mike Hoffman – vs. SJ – $5,900

Hoffman remains hot, but was shut down in his last game vs. Braden Holtby. Tonight he faces a Sharks team struggling to keep the puck out of their own net. Hoffman is still under $6,000 and is a great winger option tonight.

Bobby Ryan – vs. SJ – $5,600

On the same line as Hoffman, Ryan has seen his game reach a new level in Ottawa this season. He has one goal and three assists in his last five games—averaging 3.5 FPPG over that span. The matchup vs. a Sharks team on a back-to-back needs to be taken advantage of.

Value Picks: Drew Stafford – vs. NYR – $4,000 / Conor Sheary – vs. BOS – $2,500

Defensemen

John Carlson – vs. TBL – $6,800

Another cheat sheet, another John Carlson mention. He has two goals and three assists in his last four games, recording 6.25 fantasy points per game over that span. He shoots, scores, blocks shots, he does it all. Spend money on the blueliner.

Justin Faulk – vs. FLA – $6,200

Faulk has registered four goals and four assists (eight points) in his last five games, bringing in 6.2 FPPG. The Panthers are hot this week, but Faulk is as steady of an option as you will find and comes a little cheaper than the “elite” options.

Aaron Ekblad – @ CAR – $4,800

Ekblad had a slow start to his sophomore season but he has three goals and two assists in his last six games. He is the Panthers’ top option on the blueline and they have a juicy matchup against the Hurricanes.

Value Picks: Justin Braun – @ OTT – $3,500 / David Warsofsky – vs. BOS – $2,600

Goalies

Braden Holtby – vs. TBL – $8,300

Holtby has won three in a row while allowing just three combined goals and comes in as the winner of 11 of his last 12 starts. He is the NHL’s top netminder this season and he should be a great start tonight against a banged up Lightning team.

Tuukka Rask – @ PIT – $7,900

Rask is coming off of a shutout against the Penguins and now he plays them again tonight. He has won four in a row while posting a microscopic 0.50 GAA. The Penguins can’t score, so don’t hesitate to use Rask tonight.

Jimmy Howard – vs. VAN – $7,300

Howard has a 1.91 GAA and .943 SV% in his last three starts. He needs more offensive support and should get that tonight against a Canucks team that has been outscored 12-2 in their last three games.

Sample Lineups