Wednesday’s NHL DFS slate is a shortened slate with only four games on tap. The Panthers — Hurricanes game is going off at 5 p.m. and will not be included on the slate, so we will have to find some ways to get creative tonight. In this Power Plays article, the goal is to highlight several NHL DFS picks for DraftKings and FanDuel daily fantasy hockey tournaments. Using Awesemo’s premium proprietary player projections and the top stacks tool, we will highlight several players and situations that will help your team rocket up the leaderboard.
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NHL Power Plays: DraftKings + FanDuel DFS Picks | Feb. 8th
NHL DFS Picks: Forwards
Auston Matthews ($8,800 DraftKings/$8,600 FanDuel), A/A/A Grades
We can expect the Maple Leafs top line to be an extremely popular play tonight. Matthews is coming off a 2-goal game in which he also hit the shot bonus for 36.8 DraftKings points. Joe Thornton also got there by lighting the lamp on his lone shot. DraftKings decided that they should raise Thornton’s price almost $1,000 for his efforts. Toronto’s top line combo of Matthews and Thornton have been unreal this year. The two have combined for 43 points in 16 games. These teams faced off on Monday, and it was a wild track meet that saw the Senators down 5-1, and they came back and won the game 6-5. So both sides of this game are intriguing to me. Over the last 10 games, Ottawa has been in the bottom five of all the advanced metrics we like to look at for NHL DFS. If you’re looking to get a little different than stacking up just the top line, playing a power-play stack could be beneficial, as the Senators have been short-handed the fifth most this year. They also have the sixth-worst penalty kill in the league.
Connor McDavid ($8,600 DraftKings/$8,800 FanDuel), A/A/A Grades
McDavid leads the NHL with 30 points (9goals, 21 assists) in 17 games this season. He has scored at least 100 points in three of the past four seasons and scored 97 points (34 goals, 63 assists) in 64 games last season before play was paused due to coronavirus. McDavid has loved his matchups with the Jets this year. In the three previous matchups, he has tallied 7points and averaged 5 shots on goal. We will likely see McDavid find his 500th career point tonight.
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NHL DFS Picks: Wingers
Patrick Kane ($8,400 DraftKings/$9,000 FanDuel), A/B/A Grades
This is a good leverage spot tonight. Stacking up the top line of the Hawks with Kane and Alex DeBrincat has been good for NHL DFS. The two have great chemistry and can light the lamp at any time. Over the last 10 games, the Blackhawks top line has 80% goals-for while creating 63% of the team’s shot attempts. So we know where the production is coming from, but so does the entire public. I think the ownership is going to be down because of the massive price tag this line carries. That is not to mention we will likely see the Dylan Larkin line matchup with the Kane line for the majority of the night. The Red Wings have spread out their talent, and in turn their numbers have been phenomenal at five-on-five. But Detroit’s penalty kill has been pretty brutal. Detroit has given up the fifth-most power-play goals in the league while amassing the league’s fifth-worst penalty kill. With a short slate and some other great matchups that are expensive, I think the Hawks will be highly overlooked tonight.
Matthew Tkachuk ($6,400 DraftKings/$5,700 FanDuel), A/B/A Grades
Tkachuk has gone seven games without lighting the lamp, which is unusual. The physical winger has a ton of talent, and he loves getting in the greasy areas to find offensive opportunities. Tkachuk is still getting plenty of shot volume, while his shooting percentage is down about 3%. He managed to put 3 shots on goal in each of the last three meetings with the Canucks. We will likely see the Flames top line matchup with the Bo Horvat line, who has been the weaker possession line for the top six of Vancouver. Over the last 10 games, the Canucks are still in the bottom three of most advanced metrics. Vancouver ranks 29th in expected goals against, 30th in scoring chances and 29th in high-danger chances per 60.
NHL DFS Picks: Defensemen
Evan Bouchard ($3,900 DraftKings/$3,600 FanDuel), E/E/E Grades
Looking for value on a short slate is tough, and it usually lends itself to the blue line. There’s not a shot that Bouchard doesn’t like to take; last game he registered 8 shots on goal in 19 attempts. Bouchard will also play alongside Darnell Nurse on the second power-play unit. The Jets are giving up the sixth-most shots against per game, and they are leaving the points open a lot, allowing lasers from the blue line. With the pace and speed of this game, Bouchard makes a fine salary saver.
Alexander Edler ($3,900 DraftKings/$3,900 FanDuel), C/A/A Grades
Even though Edler lost his power-play designation, he’s still a big part of the Canucks blue line. The Swede has played over 22 minutes of ice time in five of the last six games. He’s also chipping in over 3 shots/blocks per game. When you’re looking for value tonight, finding a player with a floor is mandatory. Edler gives you a decent floor at a depressed salary, making him a good value tonight.
Another value option would be on the Blackhawks power play. Depending on the line designation, Adam Boqvist should be back tonight for the Hawks. It’s not clear if he will play alongside Nicolas Beaudin or replace him on the top power play.
Top Stack
Edmonton 1: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — Connor McDavid — Jesse Puljujarvi
Toronto 1/PP: Joe Thornton/Morgan Rielly — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner
Chicago 1: Alex DeBrincat — Pius Suter — Patrick Kane
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