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RotoBallers, welcome back to our daily fantasy hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings. Below you will find our NHL cheat sheet - DFS lineup picks, sleepers and stacks for Thursday, March 23 of the 2016/2017 NHL season.
Big night in the National Hockey League with 12 games on the schedule. Three teams(CBJ, TOR, EDM) will be playing on a back to back night and the Leafs and Oilers are also playing their third games in four nights.
From a fantasy perspective, we should be in for some offense as eight of the top 10 offenses and eight of the bottom 10 defenses are all in action. Let's jump right to the value picks for tonight.
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NHL Daily League Lineup Picks for Thursday, March 23
For those that are new to this, each day we'll be providing you with a few of our top DFS lineup picks for daily league cash games on FanDuel and DraftKings. We will also provide you with one of our favorite teams to stack for GPPs. You can grab the rest of our Premium DFS lineup picks and stacks through the NHL Cheat Sheet and DFS Premium Pass below.
Nicklas Backstrom (C, WSH)
DraftKings - $6,600, FanDuel - $7,200
After falling off pace losing four straight earlier in March, the Caps have had to put the pedal down lately to hold off the Penguins and their opponent tonight. The Blue Jackets come in just two points back but it will be Backstrom and the Caps with the home advantage tonight. Not only that, the Bue Jackets are also playing their third game in four nights. Although Backstrom doesn't provide much shot volume, he is an elite playmaker and has 10 assists over his last five games.
Conor Sheary (W, PIT)
DraftKings - $6,600, FanDuel - $6,400
Sheary has been fantastic since returning from injury at the beginning of March. In 10 games, he has tallied 14 points while playing alongside Sid the Kid on the top line. Jake Guentzel went down with a concussion last game but injuries are nothing new for the Pens this season. Look for Sheary and Crosby to pick up the slack as they chase the Caps for the President's Trophy. Sheary is the same price as Backstrom on DraftKings and is a much better value on FanDuel in the mid $6K range. Safe in all formats.
Alex Goligoski (D, ARI)
DraftKings - $3,700, FanDuel - $4,700
Goligoski is the top value on defense tonight and allows you to jam pack a ton of top talent at your forward positions. He has been consistent for many years now and always seems to be in that 25-40 point range. He has done it again, this time with the Coyotes which is a bit more impressive considering they sit in the basement of the league offensively(27th). Goligoski has tallied just four points over his last 10 games but has recorded 12 blocks and 13 shots on goal in his last four games.
Stacking Option
Chicago Blackhawks - Patrick Kane, Nick Schmaltz, Artemi Panarin
We are going to want mucho exposure to the Blackhawks tonight as they host the Stars and their 29th ranked defense. It starts with the top line who has been producing at an elite level with Patrick Kane leading the way 12 points in his last 10 games with 39 shots on goal. Nick Schmaltz is filling in for the injured Artem Anisimov and makes a great salary relief option who has three points over his last two games.
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Premium NHL DFS Lineup Picks & Cheat Sheet
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Bonus: General NHL DFS Strategy Notes
For cash games, look at players who can contribute to your score even when they are not providing offense. Some examples are guys who take a ton of shots and defensemen who block a lot of shots. Also, look for guys who get power play time. You can find value in players who join a new line due to an injury, or just get a promotion and more ice time. It is also recommended to spread out your exposure to three or four different lines, and not put all your eggs in one basket.
For large field tournaments (GPPs), find payers who have multi-point upside and can grab double-digit fantasy points. If you want 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 defenseman who will get power play time, or a playing time boost due to an injury. For a contrarian approach, paying up at the defense position can be a great strategy - but it also comes with more risk. GPPs bring a great opportunity for goaltenders in the value price range - you can look for backups on good teams.
