DraftKings Fantasy Hockey Cheat Sheet: December 30th

Tonight’s featured Contest over at DraftKings has a $3 entry fee and a $30,000 prize pool! The top 2,300 scorers will earn themselves some cash with 1st place taking home $2,000!

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

Steven Stamkos – vs. NYR – $7,400

Stamkos had just 11 goals in his first 32 games (0.34 G/PG) but has been surging lately, scoring five goals in his last six contests (0.83 G/PG). He is one of the NHL’s more prolific goal scorers and he wasn’t going to be held down for long. Sure he is an expensive option, but he is as good of a scorer as Alex Ovechkin and comes $1,400 cheaper. Tonight he will face either Henrik Lundqvist, who has given up 20 goals in his last five games or Antti Raanta, who would be making his first start since suffering a concussion. Either way, I’m all in on Stamkos and the Lightning tonight.

Nicklas Backstrom – vs. BUF – $6,200

If you’re more into the Capitals stack vs. a Sabres team they just beat two days ago, well then Backstrom-Ovechkin-Oshie it is! Backstrom has one goal and seven assists (3.64 FPPG) in his last seven contests, including an assist and three shots on Monday. He has at least two shots in six straight games, which is nice to see from a pass-first player.

Joe Thornton – vs. PHI – $4,800

Speaking of pass-first, that’s Jumbo Joe. I could have easily put Joe Pavelski in here, but after listing two of the more expensive centre options, I figured I’d hand you a bargain. Thornton’s low shot volume certainly makes me nervous, but his $4,800 is more than digestible for a player playing with Pavelski. Plus, Thornton has two goals and six assists (4.1 FPPG) in his last six games.

Value Options: Sean Couturier – @ SJ – $3,500 / Melker Karlsson – vs. PHI – $3,500

Wingers

Alex Ovechkin – vs. BUF – $8,800

Ovechkin tallied his 18th goal of the season on Monday. He piled up 5.5 DraftKings points in that game vs. the Sabres, who will face at home tonight. He has four goals and two assists (6 FPPG) over his last five games and is averaging over a point-per-game (18 in 17) on home ice this season. The skill is there, the matchup is there, it’s just a matter of fitting that enormous salary into your lineup.

Phil Kessel – vs. TOR – $6,900

I might take some heat with this pick, but I love taking players against their former teams. He was moved to the third line sure, and the Penguins power-play is putrid, but he was held off of the scoresheet in his first two games vs. the Maple Leafs, do you really think it will happen three times in a row? He has two goals and 11 shots in his last three games, I’m willing to take the gamble.

Nikita Kucherov – vs. NYR – $6,100

All in on the Lightning? Kucherov has been the man for the Lightning this month. Kucherov has seven goals and seven assists (14 points) in his last 11 games and playing on a line with Stamkos makes them an interesting stack against a Rangers team who can’t get out of their own way right now.

Jakub Voracek – @ SJS – $6,000

I usually only list three wingers, but I tossed four on today because I wanted to put Kessel on here, but also wanted to put a player one here that actually deserves your selection. I hope some of you took my advice on the podcast to buy-low on Voracek, because he is playing great right now. He has three goals, six assists (nine points) and 5.67 FPPG in his last seven games. This has the making of a high-scoring game, so a few Sharks and a Flyer seems like a reasonable idea.

Value Options: Jason Chimera – vs. BUF – $4,000 / Conor Sheary – vs. TOR – $2,800

Defensemen

Brent Burns – vs. PHI – $8,000

It’s hard to keep Burns out of these cheat sheets, the dude is a beast. Over the last two weeks, his 6.8 FPPG is the highest of any available player over that span. In that timeframe he has nine points (4G / 5A), 26 shots and 11 blocks in six games. Basically the only question to ask yourself tonight is Burns? Or Ovechkin?

Kris Letang – vs. TOR – $5,600

Letang has been in and out of the lineup recently, which could make his owned percentage lower than usual. Letang has played once in the last eight games, but he recorded two assists and three shots (5.5 FP) in that game. He will be back in tonight on the top pair and top power play, so plug him in vs. a Maple Leafs team who gives up a lot of offence.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic – vs. PHI – $4,200

Vlasic has a nice salary if you want to take a cheaper Sharks defenceman than Burns. He has one goal, three assists, 14 shots and 13 blocks in his last six games and this matchup should offer plenty of opportunities for offence and blocks.

Value Options: Justin Braun – vs. PHI – $3,500 / David Schlemko – @ OTT – $2,600

Goalies

Braden Holtby – vs. BUF – $8,400

Holtby is coming off of a shutout vs. the Sabres on Monday, so no reason not to start him against them again tonight. He is 15-0-1 in his last 17 starts (was pulled in one) and there is no better goalie option in the game. Start him with confidence.

Andrew Hammond – vs. NJ – $7,600

Hammond only has two wins on the season and has lost both of his starts since returning from a concussion, but he played well in both contests. He might have a patchwork blueline in front of him tonight, but the matchup is a good one and the Senators needs a huge game from him after Craig Anderson struggled last night.

Matt Murray – vs. TOR – $6,300

The Maple Leafs were bad on Tuesday and the back-to-back makes them an exploitable matchup. Murray has posted a 1.68 GAA and .934 SV% in three starts since being recalled, so you should have no concerns starting the young netminder.

Sample Lineups