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Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks article for Wednesday, April 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.
Playoffs are here. And during the playoffs, there is no easy way to slice it for Daily Fantasy. All 16 teams in the playoffs are playing extra hockey for a reason. Although, that doesn't mean we still can't look for weaknesses and focus on certain matchups.
It's definitely important to draft players who have had a knack for stepping up at the right time, but also those who we think will break out. Every season, unlikely candidates find a way of entering the spotlight, those who typically soar under the radar.
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NHL DFS Picks for Wednesday, April 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 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 today's action.
Henrik Lundqvist - Goaltender, Rangers (DraftKings - $8,300 FanDuel - $ )
This time of year, The King of New York typically shines brightest. But before praising Henrik on his outstanding postseason play, let's address that he left practice early on Monday with an undisclosed illness. However, he is expected to practice on Tuesday and unless anything else arises, he will be more than ready to take the ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It's a tough draw for the Rangers, heading to Pittsburgh for game one against the hottest team in the NHL. This is the third straight season that the two teams will meet in the playoffs. Both series' ended with the Rangers advancing, thanks largely in part to their netminder.
Jimmy Howard - Goaltender, Red Wings (DraftKings - $7,800 FanDuel - $ )
Crazy enough, I'm going with two road goalies here. Home ice is so important in the playoffs, but one victory on the road, and everything changes. Look for Jimmy Howard to step up big, now that the starting role is solely his after overtaking Petr Mrazek during the latter part of the season. The Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning are no strangers to each other in the postseason as well. The Wings will look to avenge last year's first round exit at the hands of the aforementioned Bolts.
Henrik Zetterberg - Center, Red Wings (DraftKings - $5,500 FanDuel - $ )
In the playoffs, those with the most experience sometimes step up the most. Guys like Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk have been in this situation before and will help lead a newly youthful charge against the Lightning. Zetterberg's production has definitely wained over the past couple of seasons but the veteran has shown how dangerous he is in the playoffs. Earlier in his career, Zetterberg posted 27 and 24 points in the postseason, complimenting those with 14, 15, and 12 point performances as well. Zetterberg is key to Detroit's offense and their chances of making a run.
Jori Lehtera - Center, Blues (DraftKings - $4,000 FanDuel - $ )
Lehtera posted two assists in St. Louis' short playoff stint last season, and could very well be the X-factor against the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round. Despite finishing ahead of Chicago in the standings, the Blues will need all their talent to produce against the defending champions. The second year center has displayed the ability to tally helpers on a consistent basis, finishing the season with 25. Lehtera should be used mainly in tournaments.
Mats Zuccarello - Winger, Rangers (DraftKings - $6,000 FanDuel - $ )
While we're on the topic of X-factors, Zuccarello is arguably the most important component of the Rangers offense. When he went down in the playoffs last season, the Rangers were a different team, losing all momentum they had built in prior series, and dropped the Eastern Conference finals to the Lightning. Zucc's ability to play two-way hockey reflects on himself and on his teammates. Zucc put together his best season of his short NHL career and will be at the center of all the action come Wednesday.
Chris Kunitz - Winger, Penguins (DraftKings - $4,900 FanDuel - $ )
Kunitz has 21 goals and 48 assists total in his playoff career, and could be one of those under-the-radar guys that hurts the Rangers. He's only picked up one points against them in the regular season but averaged 18 minutes of ice time per game. We can always expect someone like Sidney Crosby to strike in the postseason, but there are always a couple of mid-level guys that break out as well. Kunitz has my vote, even if he takes some time to get going against Lundqvist.
Victor Hedman - Defenseman, Lightning (DraftKings - 6,200 FanDuel - $ )
Hedman had one of the most impressive postseasons for the Lightning last year, tallying 13 assists and one goal in 26 games of extra hockey. He also posted a +/- of 11, collected four power play points, and put the puck on net 64 times. Hedman can do it all for fantasy lineups and is relatively affordable. Hedman should be used for both DFS sites, in both tournaments and cash games. He is not much of a shot blocker but is one of the top offensive defenseman set to take the ice on Wednesday.
Trevor Van Riemsdyk - Defenseman, Blackhawks (DraftKings - 3,600 FanDuel - $ )
With Duncan Keith set to miss Wednesday's action as the final game of his six game suspension, other defenseman on the Blackhawks need to step up and help slow down the St. Louis Blues. Van Riemsdyk is cheap and will help free up plenty of cap space for others on this list. But his appeal also lies in his ability to block multiple shots and tally multiple shots on goal, both of which will help him do just enough to affect Daily Fantasy lineups.
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