Fantasy Hockey Picks 1-3-15
These fantasy hockey picks will give you all the information you need to win BIG tonight!
Hope the plays worked out for everyone last night. It was my first night going after tickets to the Ice Throne 10k tournament and was lucky enough to win both seats. Let’s make it another good night tonight and break it down. I am going to focus on the 7 PM games but if you are playing an early slate I think the Boston Bruins top line and defensemen are in play.
Goalies:
Once again there are only a few goalies confirmed at the time this is written so make sure to look for the green check mark next to the name.
Henrik Lundqvist ($20,300) - The “King” should live up to his nickname tonight as this is the biggest favorite in Vegas that I have seen this season. Buffalo was shut out in their own building last night by Florida and things aren’t going to get any easier. Before looking at prices I would have bet anything that Lundqvist would have been the most expensive without a question. I am going to do everything I can to get him in my lineup tonight.
Ondrej Pavelec ($13,150) - Toronto is also coming off of a back to back in Minnesota and Pavelec is just too cheap for any starting goalie. This is a riskier play but I see WPG scoring enough to support him for the win especially if Reimer is in net for Toronto as projected.
Others: Antti Niemi
Centers:
Derek Stepan ($12,050) - Derek comes into this game red hot with 11 points in his last 7 games and the matchup can’t be any better. The price tag won’t kill you and if you pair him with a Rick Nash you get exposure to both of the scoring lines and two from the top power play unit in New York. Load up on Rangers today.
Pavel Dasyuk ($11,200) - The price is climbing a few thousand every week it seems and is almost where it should be. He is riding a 5 game point streak coming into tonight and facing a Vancouver team that is struggling in their last 10 games. Datsyuk is as consistent as they come and that is a trait to really look for in your cash games.
Others: Antoine Vermette, Mikko Koivu
Left Wing:
Andrew Ladd ($13,300) - This play gets an even bigger bump if Reimer is in net for Toronto. Ladd is very quietly having a great season with 14 goals and 15 assists on the year. If Toronto has tired legs at all the big body of Ladd should be able to take advantage in front of the net and over power them to create space with his 6’3 frame.
Jamie Benn ($14,400) - Benn and Seguin are matchup proof on home ice where coach Lindy Ruff has the ability to get them on the ice against the 2nd and 3rd defensive pairing for the opposing team. Dallas has often added Jason Spezza to their line while on home ice to make one of the best fantasy lines in the league. It is hard to pay up for these studs in a matchup that is below average but any time they are at home it is wise to have some exposure to them.
Others: Max Pacioretty, Chris Kreider
Right Wing:
Rick Nash ($15,000) - He is my top play of the night and well worth paying up for in my opinion. While he has been held pointless in his last 3 games he is still shooting every chance and he gets and Buffalo allows the most shots in the league at a rate of 35.4 a game. He has hat trick upside and is the best player on the team that is the biggest favorite on the night by a mile. I will be shocked if he is not in my final roster tonight.
Ryan Johansen ($12,750) - I can’t remember the last time I was able to write about a Blue Jacket as much as I have wanted to. Johansen is on a 5 game point streak and is the most consistent player on the team. This means a lot for a team like this who constantly changes their skating lines game in and game out. He is seeing nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game and on the top power play unit which has been surprisingly successful this season. With Devan Dubnyk expected to be in net the Blue Jackets should be able to score a few and the best bet on the team is Johansen.
Others: Thomas Vanek, Martin St. Louis
Defense:
Dan Boyle ($7,500) - As I mention before load up on the Rangers. Boyle is the cheapest way to get exposure to the top power play unit which will be in a great position to score tonight as the Sabres penalty kill is ranked 27th in the league.
Josh Gorges ($7,450) - Usually I would never look at players against my favorite goalie of the night but Gorges’ value all comes from blocked shots. I expect NYR to have the puck in the offensive zone the entire game and Gorges has been on the ice for over 23 minutes a game the last 6 games. With the amount of shots that Buffalo allows and Gorges willingness to put his body on the line I wouldn’t be suprised to see 5-6 blocks from him tonight. A little outside of the box thinking but Gorges has not been under the 2 fantasy points mark in the last 6 games when he has gotten the increase in ice time.
Others: Niklas Kronwall, Trevor Daley