March 13, 2016

Barry Leonard's DFS advice for 3/13/16. Daily Fantasy Hockey Lineup Picks and sleepers for FanDuel & DraftKings NHL cash games and GPPs.

Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks article for March 13th 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.

Today is the type of day that some DFS players stay away from. With just three games scheduled, it's often very difficult to choose the best lineup, as the top players often carry very high ownership numbers. However, there's plenty of value lurking today for you to take advantage of.

The best game of the day will start things off with Pittsburgh taking on New York. Fantasy targets will abound in that one. Tampa Bay takes on Columbus and Toronto faces Detroit to end the day. The remaining two games don't jump off the paper as being exciting, but they will be important sources of fantasy targets today.

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NHL DFS Picks for Sunday, March 13th

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 defenseman 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 today's action.

Petr Mrazek / Jimmy Howard - Goaltender, Red Wings   (DraftKings - $7,900/$7,300 FanDuel - $8,500/$6,900)

Today is certainly a tough day to pick a goaltender. There are only three games scheduled, meaning just six goalies will be in action. When looking at the matchups, the more expensive goalies have tough matches today. For that reason, the play will be to go with the best matchup of the night. The Red Wings host Toronto, one of the worst teams in the NHL when it comes to scoring. Detroit, hasn't named a starter yet, but whoever gets the nod should make for a fine fantasy play. Mrazek was sharp Saturday, making 23 of 25 shots en route to his first victory in three starts. If Mrazek is given a break today, then look for Jimmy Howard to be in the blue paint. He struggled in his last start Tuesday but has a great rebound chance against the Maple Leafs.

Derek Stepan - Center, Rangers    (DraftKings - $5,400 FanDuel - $6,500)

Stepan enters today's tilt with Pittsburgh riding a four-game point streak after scoring his 16th goal of the season Saturday. As New York's top-line center, he gets plenty of opportunities both at even strength and on the power play to put up points. The 25-year-old isn't afraid to shoot the puck, something that adds to his fantasy value. He has taken six shots twice in the last four games and is averaging 3.60 shots over the last five contests. Stepan is a top play at center tonight, just expect a high ownership.

Sidney Crosby - Center, Penguins    (DraftKings - $7800 FanDuel - $9,700)

Crosby has become a regular on this list thanks to his recent play. He registered an assist Friday in Columbus, giving him a seven-game point streak. He also added two penalty minutes in the game, giving an added bonus to those players on FanDuel. Evgeni Malkin was injured Friday and will be out for the remainder of the regular season, making Crosby an even bigger key to the Pittsburgh offense. With 12 points in his last 10 games, Crosby is on fire, and needs to be deployed in fantasy lineups.

Cam Atkinson - Winger, Blue Jackets  (DraftKings - $5,500 FanDuel - $6,200)

Atkinson still carries a great price tag for the production that he's been able to put up lately. He found the back of the net in Friday's game and now has three goals in his last two games. He's got six points in his last five games, and deserves a look in Daily Fantasy Hockey lineups today. Aside from the scoring, he's fired 13 shots in his last three games, earning even more points for fantasy players. Atkinson has a tough matchup with Tampa Bay today, a team that's done very well versus right wingers this season. However, it's hard to overlook what the 26-year-old has done in his recent games.

Ondrej Palat - Winger, Lightning    (DraftKings - $4,700 FanDuel - $)

Palat dished out a helper Friday and now has five points in the last five games. He gets a very favorable matchup today in Columbus, as the blue Jackets have really struggled against opposing left wingers this season. The 24-year-old has made the most of his second-line role with the Lightning. Although he missed significant time with an injury, he's put up 25 points in 48 games. He's a good play today given his decent price and recent production.

Keith Yandle - Defenseman, Rangers   (DraftKings - $5,200 FanDuel - $5,200)

Yandle extended his point streak to four games with an assist in Saturday's game, giving him a goal and three assists over his hot streak. The veteran defenseman has stepped up his game in recent weeks, registering 11 points over the last 15 games. He won't get you many shots on goal, but his time production on the power play, three power-play points in the last three games, will give a boost to those playing on FanDuel. Just watch the fact that he's a minus-6 in the last four games.

Jake Gardiner - Defenseman, Maple Leafs   (DraftKings - $3,800 FanDuel - $3,700)

If you're looking for a cheap source of production from a defenseman, Gardiner makes for a great pick. He has just 25 points in 64 games this season, but has heated up lately. The 25-year-old has three points in the last five games. He won't help you much outside of the assist category, but with limited options today, Gardiner is a top sleeper selection. If playing on FanDuel, just beware of his minus-11 rating.

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