It’s Friday, and that means some big NHL DFS contests on DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo. This five-game slate has a lot of traps but some risky rewards too. Let’s get into some top NHL DFS picks for Friday, 8/7/20, including Darcy Kuemper, Sidney Crosby and Patrick Kane along with some completely different ideas.
There are five games on this slate which locks at 2:30 p.m. EST. Also, please keep in mind Eastern Conference games are being played in Toronto and Western Conference games in Edmonton.
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NHL Schedule for Friday, Aug. 7
| AWAY – Opening Line | O/U | HOME | TIME – EST |
| Nashville  -140 | 5,5 | Arizona | 2:30 p.m. |
| Pittsburgh  -165 | 5.5 | Montreal | 4:00 p.m. |
| Edmonton. -135 | 6.5 | Chicago | 6:45 p.m. |
| Toronto. -145 | 5.5 | Columbus | 8:00 p.m. |
| Vancouver | 5.5 | Minnesota  -120 | 10:45 p.m. |
NHL DFS Picks: Centers
Pierre-Luc Dubois — CBJ vs. TOR — ($5,100 DraftKings, $5,200 FanDuel)
It was more than the hat trick on Thursday for Dubois; it was the way he played. There was conviction and fury in everything he did. Every move made was deliberate and decisive. The fact that games 3 and 4 are back-to-back helps in price as well. His price did not have a chance to rise in algorithms, so taking a chance here is nowhere near as risky as it should be.
Pivoting to Jonathan Toews is a bit risky but plausible. After that, look to Auston Matthews as a high-priced option. Among the value centers, Dylan Strome and even Alexander Kerfoot are players to look at.
Sidney Crosby — PIT vs. MTL — ($7,000 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel)
For now, Crosby carries excellent point potential against Montreal and their bottom-third penalty kill. Expect Crosby to bounce back from what was a bad game by his standards. He had an assist and two shots on goal but only two scoring chances — none of the high-danger variety. Crosby was mostly contained by Montreal’s defense at even strength. Worse, the Pittsburgh power play looked lifeless in game 3. They have to change where Crosby plays on the man advantage because Montreal has it figured out. If Pittsburgh adapts, Crosby should perform to his usual standards.
Some have asked about the Oilers duo of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Yes, one could stack them with a Darnell Nurse for a little relief, but that Oilers stack expects to be heavily owned in some form. The suggested idea would be to go with a Coyotes or Blackhawks stack on Friday.
NHL DFS Picks: Wingers
Filip Forsberg — NSH vs. ARI — ($5,800 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel)
It is nice to know that Forsberg has a whopping 20 shots on goal this series on over 30 shot attempts. He is firing shots, and they are quality chances at that. He only has two goals to show for it, but the feeling is that the pucks could start going in again. It seems rebounds are there when he shoots, but Nashville players haven’t cashed in. Nashville is not going to go down meekly. They will try and outscore Arizona at all costs today. Forsberg is a play even on FanDuel but almost a value option on DraftKings given the depressed pricing.
Keep an eye on this game. Like others tonight, it should hit the over. This seems an over kind of game even given the uncertainties with playing at a neutral site.
Paul Byron — MTL vs. PIT — ($2,800 DraftKings, $4,000 FanDuel)
Lost in the crazy is the fact that Byron is a perfect top-six complement on a line that is blessed with speed. Claude Julien finally put him with Philip Danault and Arturri Lehkonen during game 3 and the results were instant. The Penguins had no answers on how to slow the line down. Byron had a goal and assist which set up Jeff Petry’s overtime heroics once again. It is almost hysterical that Byron’s price did not move on DraftKings so taking a shot here will not hurt a lineup in any way.
To save a few more bucks, look at value options like Conor Garland, Phil Kessel (DraftKings only) and Kasperi Kapanen, among others. It expects to be a chaotic slate full of middle six scoring from unexpected sources again. The playoffs are filled with those kind of heroes to your slate.
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NHL DFS Picks: Defensemen
Jeff Petry — MTL vs. PIT — ($4,200 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel)
This is a play to keep plugging in until it does not work anymore. Petry has a knack for finding the open spot at the most optimal times. He did it during the regular season and has two game-winning goals this round already. What more could anyone ask for? His floor is a bit lower than a Shea Weber, but at this point, he is too hard to turn away from on a slate like this.
Also, consider Mathew Dumba from Minnesota with his higher shot floor. Even David Savard from Columbus is a crafty enough play with both games expected to feature more mistakes than usual (back ends of a back-to-back). The slate will feature lots of defensive misses as taking shots here is more prudent than among your forwards. Think lineup construction, but also think sensibly.
Seth Jones — CBJ vs. TOR — ($5,900 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel)
This is a extreme risk play on Friday, as Jones is a solid value on FanDuel yet risky on DraftKings. Jones gives as much as he gets in this round so far. There will be chances going both ways, so expect the Toronto top line to do well while Jones is likely to do well offensively. “Team Fun” is very much in Jones’ vocabulary, as the chances have been among the most in line matching in this play-in round. Jones provides entertainment value as well as fantasy points.
Also, consider Connor Murphy from the Blackhawks here. Again, Murphy has a way of producing and looked refreshed against the Oilers so far. He is still priced decently enough, and do not expect Olli Maatta to continue to provide offense. That is just crazy talk.
NHL DFS Picks: Stacks
PIT PP1 — Sidney Crosby – Evgeni Malkin – Jake Guentzel – Kris Letang – Patric Hornqvist
This is more expensive than any power play on the night. However, they are the chalk and in the best possible matchup. Montreal’s penalty kill numbers rank badly away from home (77% since Jan. 1). They rank near or at the bottom in every single penalty kill metric. There is a way to look at Pittsburgh’s second power play unit, but honestly they just will not see the ice time like the top unit. Chicago’s top power play and even the Coyotes’ power play may be alternatives on this slate. At some point this unit has to produce. The time is now.
TOR1 — Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner – Zach Hyman
This is a solid trio that has generated chances well against the Columbus top defensive pairing. At some point, goals have to start pouring in. For one game, this line produced out of the three, and that is unacceptable in fantasy circles (never mind reality). Matthews has generated the chances, but Marner has mostly been a no-show in this series. If Toronto expects to pull this out, Marner must elevate his game, which boosts Hyman’s value as well.
Looking for more NHL DFS picks content? We’ve got loads of articles, data, cheatsheets and more on the Awesemo NHL home page, just click HERE. Finally, goalies will be updated in Slack and on social media as confirmations will be tougher with the staggered schedule.
