DraftKings and FanDuel NHL DFS Power Plays, Wednesday 4/10

This NHL Wednesday signifies a welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. First off, let me remind you of the Votts media list and a few links to follow on this edition of NHL Power Plays. DFS players take notice of any and all changes.

When you are making your teams, one needs to make sure your goalie is confirmed and starting. Sites like Dailyfaceoff.com, Leftwinglock.com, and Goaliepost.com are great places for information. Another great source exists in the form of team beat writers. Jeff has created a list on Twitter @Votts_DFS for all of the NHL teams, and a separate list of all the beat writers for you to follow, it’s a great tool and a necessity. The advanced stats that I use and reference in this article come from Corsica.hockey and naturalstattrick.com.

If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to contact me on our premium Slack chat, or you can contact me on Twitter @ChrisWasselDFS.

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A Quick NHL Note Or Two…

The picks below cover the Wednesday night slate. Please note that goalie confirmations are not set in stone but projections are more certain than they are compared to the regular season.

Full NHL Schedule For Wednesday, April 10, 2019

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Prices are in DraftKings format unless noted. FanDuel prices will be included as well.

NHL DFS GPP Plays For Wednesday

High Priced Shots

Sidney Crosby ($7,000) — Crosby is $8,800 on FanDuel which is a bit high, but consider that he plays better on the road (nearly five DraftKings points a contest). Also, the Pittsburgh center has five points in four meetings against the Islanders this year. This is a team that he routinely does well against. It’s a good matchup because no one line can slow Crosby down. They might contain the center for a bit but at some point, he will break out. Watch for the Penguins power play which has been dangerous (nearly 25%) over the final third of the regular season.

Wednesday NHL Lock?

Nikita Kucherov ($7,800) — Kucherov tallied 128 points this year and comes in hot again. He had 11 points in his final ten contests which included six goals and three on the man advantage. Columbus does not take a lot of penalties but they give up quite a few high-danger chances. Consider that Tampa Bay converts their power plays at a level around 30% and it won’t take much to score. See who plays left wing with Kucherov and Point at even strength. This could offer a little bit of savings.

Jacob Trouba ($5.500) — Trouba carries a good deal of risk due to possible line shifts, however, it is hard to diminish his DFS contributions. Currently, the defenceman averages just about five shots and blocked shots combined a game. The St. Louis Blues can be stingy as Hades defensively but are at times quite vulnerable. Trouba gets the first line and power-play correlation which is essential in stacking lineups on Wednesday.

FanDuel Risky NHL Play (FanDuel Price in parentheses)

Alexander Radulov ($7,200) — Radulov’s price has steadied despite a six-game point streak. One of the strange things about Radulov is that this year, he finds ways to manufacture points even better than last season. Also, he averages three shots a game and over a block a game as well. It is that floor which catches many off guard. He has double-digit FanDuel points in four consecutive games. Nashville and Pekka Rinne, in particular, occasionally have brain lock at home. If they are going to do so, it might just be in Game 1.

Into The Middle

Pierre Luc-Dubois ($4,900) — Overall, Columbus players are underpriced in this scenario. Tampa Bay easily is capable of allowing three goals a game and still win with ease. Dubois has seven points in his last nine games including five of those in his previous four contests. He averages a little over two shots a game of late and though his power-play time is nowhere near as high as it once was, Dubois can be dangerous on the extra man unit. Tampa Bay’s greatest penalty kill is Andrei Vasilevskiy. If Vasilevskiy is off in any way, a net-front presence like Dubois could camp himself onto your DFS roster.

Kevin Labanc ($4,100) — Labanc rolls in at $5,400 on FanDuel which, considering his last ten games, maybe about right. The winger for San Jose has eight points in his last ten contests and four goals. That includes 20 shots on net with nearly 40 attempts. Labanc sees solid power play time and Vegas can be a little shaky on the power play when it comes to allowing high-danger chances and goals at times. Labanc brings about a good bit of risk only because of his at times low shot volume. When he is on, the forward hits value consistently.

DraftKings Friendly/FanDuel Too

Kyle Connor ($5,500) — Goals are king in DFS GPP’s. However, shots on goal do not hurt either, especially with the potential for long overtime contests. Connor averages over three shots a game and has lit the lamp six times in his last nine contests. He sees full power-play time and will play on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. His $6,400 price tag on FanDuel is rather friendly and just $300 above the FanDuel average price point.

DraftKings Value Plays

Josh Anderson ($4,200) — Anderson’s price comes in a hair low and he does have 16 goals on the road in 41 games. Anderson’s shot rate is almost three a game and has been dangerous against Tampa Bay all season. Yes, he scored just once but generated ten scoring chances. His speed-rush game could cause Tampa Bay’s middle six a lot of problems on Wednesday night. If Anderson musters any kind of decent power play time, that would be a bonus. Again, taking advantage of weak points in the price structures is paramount early in these rounds when the scoring is typically higher.

Throwing Some Darts

Alex Killorn ($3,500) — Killorn turns it up a notch during the playoffs and this year may be no different. He can play on anywhere from the first line to the third and that is essential come playoff time. His versatility and ability to get open despite less space is essential. He will be one to keep an eye on throughout the opening round.

Roope Hintz ($3,300) — The center is a sneaky play even though he just has seven assists in ten games. He gets around 2.5 shots a game and generates nearly three scoring chance a contest of late. Dallas has themselves a nice forward who could develop even more in these playoffs. Hintz has enough speed to keep Nashville honest even if they keep Hintz with a slower Jamie Benn. Where Hintz is slotted is something to take note as the series goes on.

David Savard ($3,600) — Savard sneaking in should not be a surprise. This is the third year in a row he has closed up well. He has seven points in his last nine games now along with 2+ shots and 2+ blocks a game in that span. His price comes in almost too reasonable and is a gift on Wednesday night. Alas, the key on this slate is to place value in especially when the price is just too low to pass up. It is okay to leave a little cap space.

Goading The NHL Goalies

Looking towards the lesser goalies tonight might actually pay off in GPP’s. Andrei Vasilevskiy is the best bet among cash goalies but beware of the $9,000+ price tag on FanDuel. Martin Jones is so low-priced on both DraftKings and FanDuel that he will garner some ownership. Even Mike Smith is a bit reasonable in price due to risk. Ben Bishop at $7,100 on Draftkings is worth playing solely on his .931 save percentage on the road and ability to stonewall teams. The risk is his one start against Nashville did not go well — he allowed five goals on 29 shots. However, that was just one game.

Again, confirmations are a different animal in the playoffs. Most “starters” will play barring something unforeseen. Even with Carolina, it appears Petr Mrazek will start the series tomorrow against Washington, for example. Some expect Connor Hellebuyck to turn on the switch in these playoffs and he just might. Game 1’s can be a little bit crazy and are a feel-out process for everyone. Be aware of that.

The slate offers up a few ways to get fancy. Value is surprisingly abundant even in net. Even Robin Lehner is unusually priced. Yes, it is Pittsburgh but no one watched the regular season, did they? Add in that Nassau atmosphere and there may be something on that pick.

More picks and choices will be available on Slack and social media later. The key for Wednesday is patience with the NHL Power Plays.