DraftKings Fantasy Hockey Cheat Sheet: January 8th

Tonight’s featured contest has a $3 entry fee and a $35,000 Prize Pool. Over 2,500 scores are guaranteed money and first place wins $2,000!

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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.

Centers

Ryan Johansen – @ COL – $5,600

Johansen has been one of my personal favourites since he entered the NHL and despite all the nonsense that was going on in Columbus, he still managed to pick up 26 points (6G / 20A) in 38 games. Now free of John Tortorella’s restraints, Johansen should flourish in a Predators’ lineup that was starving for a player of his offensive calibre. His slow first half and reasonably cheap line mates, make the Predators top line a nice stack tonight.

Jack Eichel – @ CHI – $5,500

Do I think the Sabres are going to go into Chicago and win tonight? Nope. But, do I think they can score one or two? Sure. Eichel has been on a tear recently, picking up four goals and eight assists (12 points) in his last eight games. Over the last two weeks, his 6.3 FPPG is the highest of any available skater tonight. $5,500 is a nice price to pay for a young player who is averaging 3.3 shots per game this season.

Artem Anisimov – vs. BUF – $4,700

Anisimov is having a great season because of playing on a line with Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin. He has three goals and one assists in his last five games—averaging 3.6 FPPG over that span. If you want to stack this hot Chicago line, Anisimov’s $4,700 salary makes it very doable.

Value Options: Brandon Dubinsky – @ CAR – $4,100 / Vladimir Namestnikov – @ EDM – $3,200

Wingers

Patrick Kane – vs. BUF – $8,900

Speaking of Patrick Kane, the league leader in points is second to Eichel in FPPG (5.7) over the last two weeks. His goal production has slipped a little bit over that span, but that’s okay because he is picking up helpers in bunches playing along side Anisimov and Panarin. Kane is a Buffalo native and comes in with a point-per-game vs. the Sabres in his career.

Artemi Panarin – vs. BUF – $5,900

I thin the Penguins are glad to be done with the Blackhawks and Panarin. He scored four goals in two games during their back-to-back earlier in the week and now has 15 goals and 23 assists (38 points) in 42 games. He is certainly in the conversation for Rookie of the Year and I know I’m stack his line tonight at home against the Sabres.

James Neal – @ COL – $5,800

If you are going to believe in Johansen, you must believe in Neal as well. This is a huge pickup for Neal’s fantasy value. He has 15 goals on the year, but none in his last four games and just three in his last 11. He is a talented goal scorer and Semyon Varlamov is know to have a stinker here and there.

Value Options: David Pastrnak – @ NJ – $3,800 / Colin Wilson – @ COL – $3,400

Defensemen

Duncan Keith – vs. BUF – $5,900

Keith is an easy selection every night he plays, because he does it all. He plays huge minutes, he mans the top PP, he shoots, he blocks shots and most of all, he puts up points (24 in 32). The matchup is a juicy one an he just might round out your Blackhawks stack.

Francois Beauchemin – vs. NSH – $5,400

Typically I’m not a huge Beauchemin fan, but tonight I am. The veteran blueliner has picked up at least 2.5 FP in six consecutive games. Okay, so 2.5 isn’t all that impressive, but he has blocked an averaged of 4.67 shots per game over that span, so a floor of 2.5 is rock solid. Also, without Erik Johnson in the lineup, Beauchemin is asked to do a little more.

Anton Stralman – @ EDM – $4,800

You can usually find Stralman in the same boat as Beauchemin. I know they’re effective, I just stay away usually. However, I’m clearly feeling nice today and have included both of them…for good reason. Streamline also provides a stable floor due to his shot blocking volume, but we’ve also seen him score one goal with four assists during a four-game point streak—so he comes in averaging 4.88 FP in his last four.

Andrej Sekera – vs. TBL – $4,000 / Brad Hunt – vs. TBL – $2,900

Goalies

Corey Crawford – vs. BUF – $8,100

Crawford has won three in a row with a 2.29 GAA and .929 SV% and is first among available net minders tonight with an average of 5.5 FPPG on the season. He wins a lot and that is something he should have no problem doing tonight with the Sabres in town.

Jake Allen – @ ANA – $7,600

Allen has lost three in a row and he’s given up a tonne of goals in those games, but lets not forget how good he has been in his previous 29 appearances. He is second to Crawford in DK points among available net minders and draws a great matchup vs. the NHL’s lowest scoring team. Even though the Ducks have won four of six, they’ve still only averaged 1.83 goals per game.

Cam Ward – vs. CBJ – $6,500

On Wednesday I recommended starting Eddie Lack and that didn’t work out very well, so I should probably avoid Hurricanes’ goalies right? Wrong. I’m going back to the well for two very simple reasons. Reason #1: The Blue Jackets aren’t very good. Reason #2: Ward has a 1.51 GAA and .939 SV% in his last six games.

Sample Lineups