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Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks article for January 27th of the 2015/2016 NHL season. Each day we'll be providing you with a handful of forward, defensemen, and goaltender picks for DraftKings and FanDuel GPP and cash games.
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NHL DFS Picks for Wednesday, January 27th
Four games make up Wednesday's card. Washington is set to take the ice, so naturally I'm inclined to fill my lineup with all Capitals. But since that isn't possible (I'll only select a few), tonight's lineup features two of the elite goalies, a veteran finding success on a new team upon being traded earlier this season, proven stars, and a couple of very affordable producers.
For updated starting goalie confirmations, check out www.leftwinglock.com.
As per my colleague and fellow DFS Hockey writer, Chris:
A couple strategy notes. For cash game construction look for players who can contribute to your score when they are not providing offense. Examples are guys who take a ton of shots, defensemen who block a lot of shots(DraftKings). Also, look for guys who get powerplay time and especially Top 6 forwards. You can find value in players who join a new line due to an injury or just get a promotion and more ice time.
For large field tournaments (GPP's) you want to find payers who have multi point upside and can grab double digit fantasy points. To stack the most upside in your forwards a common strategy is to punt the defense position. This doesn't mean just grab anyone. Try and look for a D man who will be playing more PP time or might get a boost in overall playing time due to an injury.
Let's take a look at some solid plays for Wednesday night's action.
Braden Holtby - Goaltender, Capitals (DraftKings - $8,500 FanDuel - $9,800 )
It's difficult to stay away from either goalie on this list, especially Braden Holtby. There are a couple reasons why the Washington Capitals are the best team in hockey right now. They score the most goals per game while Holtby leads the league in wins and has the third lowest Goals Against Average in the NHL. What this ultimately means is that even if Holtby is surprisingly off his game, and lets in a few, the Capitals still put themselves in great shape to pick up the W. It's the perfect combination for Daily Fantasy. To make things even sweeter, the Capitals host the Philadelphia Flyers, a team that scores the second fewest goals per game in the league.
Pekka Rinne - Goaltender, Predators (DraftKings - $7,500 FanDuel - $7,700 )
The only caution in starting Rinne is that the Predators have slightly underachieved thus far this season, and have allowed more goals than they have scored. As a team, Nashville allows 2.67 goals per game. Rinne owns a relatively high 2.50 Goals Against Average, but has been playing much better of late. Rinne has won his past two starts, allowing only one goal in each of them. Rinne and the Predators head to Calgary where the Flames relinquish the second most goals a night in the NHL. Despite his inconsistency, Rinne is a lot cheaper than a bunch at his position, and is still one of the top netminders in the world.
Evgeny Kuznetsov - Center, Capitals (DraftKings - $6,500 FanDuel - $7,200 )
Kuznetsov has been straight fire of late, and has contributed greatly to the success of Washington. Over his last ten games, Kuznetsov has posted 15 points, including seven in his last two; separate performances of four assists and three assists. Kuznetsov has made a name for himself on the Capitals as more of a helper, but is capable of lighting the lamp like the best of them when he shoots the puck. Against the Vancouver Canucks nearly two weeks ago, Kuznetsov scored twice on six shots on goal, posting a bloated 11 fantasy points. Kuzntesov has also tallied five power play points in ten games, beneficial against a Flyers team that has allowed 35 power play goals this season, fourth most in the league. His price is still rather low, and should be considered each time his skates hit the ice.
Vincent Lecavalier - Center, Kings (DraftKings - $3,500 FanDuel - $3,900 )
Good ol' Vinny Lecavalier is back, for now at least. Now that he's wearing a different jersey than the one he started with at the beginning of the season. Lecavalier has been slightly reenergized since moving from Philly to Los Angeles, as all of his goals scored have come skating for the Kings. Lecavalier has scored four goals in ten games, three of which were on the power play. Look for the former Stanley Cup winner to produce against the Avalanche. Colorado has given up the seventh most power play goals this season. Lecavalier should be considered in both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Wayne Simmonds - Winger, Flyers (DraftKings - $5,000 FanDuel - $6,400 )
Simmonds is coming off an impressive performance against the Boston Bruins, scoring two goals on nine shots. He's also picked up a point in seven of ten games, five of which came via the power play. The Flyers have a difficult task of knocking off the Washington Capitals, so Simmonds will continue to be relied on for scoring on a offensively-struggling Flyers team. Simmonds holds plenty of value in both DFS sites.
Andre Burakovsky - Winger, Capitals (DraftKings - $3,600 FanDuel - $4,000 )
Washington Capital Number Three. Burakovsky has had a really nice five game stretch, posting one goal and six assists over that span. Burakovsky has certainly benefited from playing on a line with the aforementioned Evgeny Kuznetsov and veteran Justin Williams, and is beginning to put his early season struggles behind him heading into the all-star break. Burakovsky is a cheap option that could easily throw up a four or five fantasy point spot for your lineup, while freeing up cap space.
Nikita Kucherov - Winger, Lightning (DraftKings - $6,500 FanDuel - $6,800 )
The talented Nikita Kucherov is on an eight game point scoring streak, one consisting of six goals and five assists. Kuchverov plays on Tampa Bay's second line and second power play line, both of which are stacked with other guys that can move the puck effectively and efficiently. Kucherov will likely not light up the scoresheet with other stats, besides shots on goal, and is a very goal and assist dependent fantasy option. But he is hot right now, and in hockey, it's smart to ride the hot hand. The Lightning host the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team that allows more goals than they score them. He is a smart play in both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Francois Beauchemin - Defense, Avalanche (DraftKings - $5,500 FanDuel - $3,400 )
Beauchemin is a block-shots specialist. He's blocked 31 in ten games, adding at least an extra 1.5 fantasy points onto his daily total for DraftKings. Beauchemin should definitely be considered more for DraftKings but holds plenty of value for FanDuel as well, capable of scoring and assisting. But since the veteran defenseman has only tallied three points in ten games, FanDuel players would be wise to explore other options until he strings together some consistency. Beauchemin sees well over 25 minutes of ice time a night, and will be in a battle against one of the top teams in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Kings.
Mattias Ekholm - Defense, Predators (DraftKings - $3,800 FanDuel - $4,500 )
Ekholm is another affordable option at defense, although his price continues to rise mainly in part to his recent performances. Ekholm is on a three point scoring streak consisting of two goals, one via the power play, and two assists. He holds a bit more value for DraftKings because of his blocked shots; 15 in ten games. But is a solid and cheap play for FanDuel as well, especially if he continues to collect points.
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