Daily Fantasy Hockey Playoff Preview: 04/12/18

Each day of the NHL Playoffs, Dylan and Brock will be collaborating on a full preview of that night’s playoff action. Dylan will break down each game from a Daily Fantasy Hockey perspective, giving you some of his favourite targets. Brock will provide his Daily Fantasy Notebook after morning skates, including Projected Lineups, Injury Updates, Goalie Rankings and DFS Value Plays. Enjoy playoff hockey and the best time of the year!

By: Dylan Berthiaume

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New Jersey Devils

Despite their head to head record this season tilting 3-0 in the Devils’ favour, the Lightning head into the series as one of the heavier first-round favourites. Their balance and depth upfront should trump the top-heavy Devils who have had trouble getting reliable production from anyone not named Taylor Hall. You can expect Tampa Bay 1 to be the chalk tonight and for good reason. With the last change at his disposal Jon Cooper will likely opt to match his second line against Hall and company, freeing up his top line of Steven Stamkos, J.T. Miller, and Nikita Kucherov to attack the second line of the Devils. Though their defensive numbers have been better in a small sample size alongside Patrick Maroon, Paval Zacha and Miles Wood average over 30 scoring chances against per 60. That’s more than enough opportunities for Tampa Bay 1 to do a lot of damage against the sub-par goaltending of the Devils.

Hall, Nico Hischier, and Kyle Palmieri are going to have to carry the Devils on their back if they want to have a fighting chance in this series. And while their usage makes them a pretty attractive play for their price, I would hold off on stacking them until the series heads back to New Jersey where they have more control over the matchups. Stick to using Hall as a one-off in cash games until then.

Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

While the Bruins have done a better job of complementing their dynamic top line than in years past, this is still a team that cannot rely on their second and third lines to handle elite offensive pressure. This makes the Leafs and Bruins’ series as matchup-dependent as any in the first round, and you’ll want to construct your lineups accordingly. If you’re planning on stacking the Leafs, it’s all about dodging the Bergeron line as much as possible. That means fading Auston Matthews and William Nylander for the first two games of the series in favour of Mitch Marner and Nazem Kadri, and vice versa for games three and four when the series heads back to Toronto.

Following the same train of thought for Boston 1, they make for a solid target while in Boston as they should have the edge at 5v5 against the Matthews line, but you should consider fading them when the series heads back to Toronto and Mike Babcock opts to match the Kadri line against them, which projects to be more of a wash.  Keep in mind that the Leafs’ third line should avoid Boston 1 for the entirety of this series, making them a very sneaky play at just $12,600 for the full stack. Their production could very well be the deciding factor in this series, and don’t forget that Tyler Bozak and James van Reimsdyk are integral pieces of the Leafs’ top powerplay unit too.

Washington Capitals vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

John Tortorella is one of the few coaches in the league who could not care less about using the advantage of last change. Torts despises line matching so that pretty much throws any 5v5 forecasting out the window any time this series heads back to ‘Lumbus. You’ll want to focus more on powerplay stacks for games 3 and 4, but for tonight’s contest we can expect to see top line against top line at 5v5. That means we’ll see the likes of Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov going head to head against the Blue Jackets’ dominant trio of Artemi Panarin, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Cam Atkinson. Columbus 1 has been a nightmare to matchup against at 5v5 this year, averaging an elite 38 scoring chances per 60 while still posting above average defensive rates. The matchup leans in their favour and they should make for a great stacking target for the duration of this series.

While the 5v5 matchup may not be in his favour, it’s no secret that Alex Ovechkin does the bulk of his damage on the powerplay, and at just 76.2% the Blue Jackets’ penalty killers were a bottom-five unit this year. Ovechkin’s shot is a gamebreaker with the man advantage; the sky is the limit for his production when he sees an excess amount of powerplay opportunities against a lackluster unit. It should go without saying but don’t overlook Ovechkin in this series, he’s proven time and time again he doesn’t need a cushy matchup at 5v5 to put up some crooked numbers.

Nashville Predators vs. Colorado Avalanche

It’s always tempting to build around Colorado 1 on a night where they project to be low-owned, but I think we can safely fade Nathan Mackinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, and Mikko Rantanen for the first two games of this series. The Predators are full of defensively-responsible forwards and as long as Peter Laviolette is able to get one of his top two defensive pairs on the ice Colorado 1 will be hard-pressed to create much offense. It’s at home for games 3 and 4 where we’ll be looking at targeting Mackinnon, who has a ridiculous 67 points in 39 homes games this season, but we’ll talk more about his absurd splits when the time comes.

Still, it would be wise to at least respect Colorado 1 enough to not stack the Predators’ top line while their matched up against them, which should be the case for the first couple games of the series. You can get a lot more value out of the Preds’ second line of Kevin Fiala, Kyle Turris, and Craig Smith. Believe it or not, the three of them have been as good as any line in the league this year at 5v5, posting a 58.46 CF% and averaging 36 scoring chances per 60. They should run over the depth, or the lack thereof, of the Avalanche, and don’t be surprised if their prices skyrocket by the end of the series.

Anaheim Ducks vs. San Jose Sharks

The Sharks’ top line took a major step forward after the addition of Evander Kane. Together with Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi, San Jose 1 has averaged an otherworldly 41 scoring chances per 60 and boast a 77.78 GF% at 5v5 together. Expect Randy Carlyle to match his second line of Ryan Kesler, Jakob Silfverberg, and Andrew Cogliano against the Sharks’ top line so long as the games are played in Anaheim. While they are all capable two-way forwards, their defensive rates suggest this is nevertheless a favourable matchup for San Jose 1, as Anaheim 2 still surrenders nearly 30 scoring chances per 60. Kane, Pavelski, and Donskoi make for a strong build tonight in this matchup and offer some decent value at just $16,500 on DraftKings for the full stack.

On the flip side of things, the Ducks’ top line makes for a decent stack themselves as long as they’re at home and can avoid going up against the aforementioned San Jose 1. That means a full game stack is certainly in play tonight if you can manage to round out your lineup with some value plays. Brandon Montour makes for a great addition to Anaheim 1 and a strong one-off play at just $4,200 as Cam Fowler’s absence should result in a bump to his usage.

By: Brock Seguin

Injury Updates

In

– Steven Stamkos (lower-body) will be in the Lightning lineup for Game 1.
– Rick Nash (concussion) will be back in the Bruins lineup for Game 1.

Out

– Joe Thornton (knee) is not available for Game 1.
– Riley Nash (ear) will not be in Game 1; is a possibility for Game 2.
– Jay Beagle (upper-body) will not play in Game 1.

Projected Lineups

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New Jersey Devils

Tampa Bay Lightning

New Jersey Devils

LW C RW J.T. MILLER Rating: 74.6#38 LW STEVEN STAMKOS Rating: 81.0#11 C NIKITA KUCHEROV Rating: 85.3#1 RW ONDREJ PALAT Rating: 75.2#32 LW BRAYDEN POINT Rating: 78.6#26 C TYLER JOHNSON Rating: 74.5#38 RW YANNI GOURDE Rating: 79.1#11 LW ANTHONY CIRELLI Rating: 74.3#57 C ALEX KILLORN Rating: 74.1#60 RW CHRIS KUNITZ Rating: 72.5#67 LW CEDRIC PAQUETTE Rating: 71.7#117 C RYAN CALLAHAN Rating: 70.5#104 RW DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS VICTOR HEDMAN Rating: 82.0#2 LD DAN GIRARDI Rating: 72.1#64 RD RYAN MCDONAGH Rating: 76.4#18 LD ANTON STRALMAN Rating: 74.9#30 RD BRAYDON COBURN Rating: 70.9#104 LD MIKHAIL SERGACHEV Rating: 73.2#41 RD

LW C RW TAYLOR HALL Rating: 86.3#1 LW NICO HISCHIER Rating: 75.2#49 C KYLE PALMIERI Rating: 79.5#8 RW MILES WOOD Rating: 71.3#89 LW PAVEL ZACHA Rating: 70.9#129 C PATRICK MAROON Rating: 72.5#61 RW BLAKE COLEMAN Rating: 72.3#71 LW TRAVIS ZAJAC Rating: 72.8#81 C DREW STAFFORD Rating: 69.8#111 RW MICHAEL GRABNER Rating: 72.1#76 LW BRIAN BOYLE Rating: 71.8#110 C BRIAN GIBBONS Rating: 69.8#113 RW DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS ANDY GREENE Rating: 71.1#98 LD SAMI VATANEN Rating: 75.6#23 RD JOHN MOORE Rating: 71.8#76 LD MIRCO MUELLER Rating: 71.1#85 RD WILL BUTCHER Rating: 73.7#34 LD BEN LOVEJOY Rating: 70.3#94 RD

Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Boston Bruins

Toronto Maple Leafs

LW C RW BRAD MARCHAND Rating: 84.2#2 LW PATRICE BERGERON Rating: 84.1#4 C DAVID PASTRNAK Rating: 80.7#6 RW JAKE DEBRUSK Rating: 76.2#24 LW DAVID KREJCI Rating: 75.9#40 C RICK NASH Rating: 75.0#33 RW DANTON HEINEN Rating: 74.3#43 LW NOEL ACCIARI Rating: 69.7#150 C DAVID BACKES Rating: 73.5#67 RW TIM SCHALLER Rating: 70.0#120 LW SEAN KURALY Rating: 69.8#148 C TOMMY WINGELS Rating: 70.8#92 RW DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS ZDENO CHARA Rating: 76.2#19 LD CHARLIE MCAVOY Rating: 76.1#22 RD TOREY KRUG Rating: 80.2#3 LD KEVAN MILLER Rating: 73.3#40 RD MATT GRZELCYK Rating: 73.0#48 LD ADAM MCQUAID Rating: 71.4#79 RD

LW C RW ZACH HYMAN Rating: 72.0#77 LW AUSTON MATTHEWS Rating: 83.4#6 C WILLIAM NYLANDER Rating: 78.2#13 RW PATRICK MARLEAU Rating: 74.7#36 LW NAZEM KADRI Rating: 77.4#31 C MITCH MARNER Rating: 76.3#37 RW JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK Rating: 78.5#13 LW TYLER BOZAK Rating: 73.2#74 C CONNOR BROWN Rating: 70.6#98 RW LEO KOMAROV Rating: 70.0#117 LW TOMAS PLEKANEC Rating: 71.3#120 C KASPERI KAPANEN Rating: 70.3#106 RW DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS MORGAN RIELLY Rating: 76.5#17 LD RON HAINSEY Rating: 72.9#47 RD JAKE GARDINER Rating: 76.6#15 LD NIKITA ZAITSEV Rating: 72.6#53 RD TRAVIS DERMOTT Rating: 73.6#37 LD ROMAN POLAK Rating: 70.2#97 RD

Washington Capitals vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Washington Capitals

Columbus Blue Jackets

LW C RW ALEX OVECHKIN Rating: 82.6#3 LW EVGENY KUZNETSOV Rating: 80.7#12 C TOM WILSON Rating: 72.6#59 RW ANDRE BURAKOVSKY Rating: 73.9#50 LW NICKLAS BACKSTROM Rating: 79.4#18 C T.J. OSHIE Rating: 78.3#12 RW JAKUB VRANA Rating: 70.0#119 LW LARS ELLER Rating: 72.5#91 C DEVANTE SMITH-PELLY Rating: 68.2#134 RW BRETT CONNOLLY Rating: 71.0#88 LW CHANDLER STEPHENSON Rating: 68.8#162 C ALEX CHIASSON Rating: 71.4#79 RW DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS DMITRI ORLOV Rating: 74.4#27 LD MATT NISKANEN Rating: 75.2#28 RD MICHAL KEMPNY Rating: 72.5#57 LD JOHN CARLSON Rating: 80.0#11 RD BROOKS ORPIK Rating: 70.1#121 LD JAKUB JERABEK Rating: 72.4#57 RD

LW C RW ARTEMI PANARIN Rating: 82.5#4 LW PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS Rating: 76.6#34 C CAM ATKINSON Rating: 79.7#7 RW BOONE JENNER Rating: 74.2#44 LW ALEXANDER WENNBERG Rating: 73.0#77 C THOMAS VANEK Rating: 75.2#33 RW OLIVER BJORKSTRAND Rating: 73.6#55 LW NICK FOLIGNO Rating: 73.4#70 C JOSH ANDERSON Rating: 73.3#52 RW MATT CALVERT Rating: 69.7#127 LW MARK LETESTU Rating: 69.9#147 C BRANDON DUBINSKY Rating: 70.5#100 RW DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS ZACH WERENSKI Rating: 77.5#10 LD SETH JONES Rating: 80.3#10 RD IAN COLE Rating: 73.2#43 LD DAVID SAVARD Rating: 73.4#38 RD RYAN MURRAY Rating: 72.7#55 LD MARKUS NUTIVAARA Rating: 74.0#35 RD

Nashville Predators vs. Colorado Avalanche

Nashville Predators

Colorado Avalanche

LW C RW FILIP FORSBERG Rating: 80.4#7 LW RYAN JOHANSEN Rating: 75.8#41 C VIKTOR ARVIDSSON Rating: 77.8#15 RW KEVIN FIALA Rating: 76.1#28 LW KYLE TURRIS Rating: 76.0#39 C CRAIG SMITH Rating: 77.3#18 RW COLTON SISSONS Rating: 71.2#92 LW NICK BONINO Rating: 71.8#109 C AUSTIN WATSON Rating: 70.8#90 RW MIIKKA SALOMAKI Rating: 68.6#142 LW MIKE FISHER Rating: 70.5#137 C RYAN HARTMAN Rating: 72.3#65 RW DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS ROMAN JOSI Rating: 82.0#1 LD RYAN ELLIS Rating: 82.0#2 RD MATTIAS EKHOLM Rating: 77.2#12 LD P.K. SUBBAN Rating: 81.2#5 RD ALEXEI EMELIN Rating: 70.2#119 LD MATT IRWIN Rating: 70.1#98 RD

LW C RW GABRIEL LANDESKOG Rating: 74.4#41 LW NATHAN MACKINNON Rating: 83.9#5 C MIKKO RANTANEN Rating: 76.8#23 RW ALEXANDER KERFOOT Rating: 72.2#74 LW TYSON JOST Rating: 70.3#140 C SVEN ANDRIGHETTO Rating: 72.1#72 RW MATTHEW NIETO Rating: 70.1#112 LW CARL SODERBERG Rating: 71.9#108 C BLAKE COMEAU Rating: 70.8#91 RW GABRIEL BOURQUE Rating: 67.7#146 LW JT COMPHER Rating: 70.7#132 C COLIN WILSON Rating: 70.7#95 RW DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS NIKITA ZADOROV Rating: 70.3#116 LD TYSON BARRIE Rating: 77.7#15 RD PATRIK NEMETH Rating: 71.0#100 LD SAMUEL GIRARD Rating: 71.5#89 RD MARK BARBERIO Rating: 72.5#59 LD DAVID WARSOFSKY Rating: 71.4#80 RD

Anaheim Ducks vs. San Jose Sharks

Anaheim Ducks

San Jose Sharks

LW C RW RICKARD RAKELL Rating: 79.5#8 LW RYAN GETZLAF Rating: 81.0#10 C COREY PERRY Rating: 74.2#42 RW ANDREW COGLIANO Rating: 73.6#53 LW RYAN KESLER Rating: 75.4#46 C JAKOB SILFVERBERG Rating: 75.9#29 RW NICK RITCHIE Rating: 71.3#90 LW ADAM HENRIQUE Rating: 75.7#43 C ONDREJ KASE Rating: 74.5#36 RW ANTOINE VERMETTE Rating: 70.0#121 LW DEREK GRANT Rating: 69.4#153 C J.T. BROWN Rating: 68.9#125 RW DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS HAMPUS LINDHOLM Rating: 77.7#8 LD JOSH MANSON Rating: 76.2#21 RD FRANCOIS BEAUCHEMIN Rating: 73.5#39 LD BRANDON MONTOUR Rating: 75.6#24 RD MARCUS PETTERSSON Rating: 71.7#81 LD ANDY WELINSKI Rating: 72.2#60 RD

LW C RW EVANDER KANE Rating: 78.0#14 LW JOE PAVELSKI Rating: 78.7#23 C JOONAS DONSKOI Rating: 74.5#35 RW TOMAS HERTL Rating: 74.3#42 LW LOGAN COUTURE Rating: 77.7#29 C MIKKEL BOEDKER Rating: 71.9#74 RW TIMO MEIER Rating: 73.3#51 LW CHRIS TIERNEY Rating: 72.1#103 C KEVIN LABANC Rating: 72.2#68 RW MARCUS SORENSEN Rating: 71.4#87 LW DYLAN GAMBRELL Rating: 72.3#98 C MELKER KARLSSON Rating: 70.2#108 RW DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS PAUL MARTIN Rating: 73.1#47 LD BRENT BURNS Rating: 83.0#1 RD MARC-EDOUARD VLASIC Rating: 76.1#22 LD JUSTIN BRAUN Rating: 73.0#46 RD BRENDEN DILLON Rating: 71.5#86 LD DYLAN DEMELO Rating: 71.7#70 RD

Goalie Rankings

✅ – Confirmed
????️ – Probable
????️ – Projected

Value Plays