December 23, 2017

Tom Vecchio's top daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for 12/23/17. Expert NHL DFS advice, sleepers & player recommendations for FanDuel and DraftKings.

We have a MASSIVE 13 game slate tonight since this is the last day of games till next Wednesday, and there are fantastic options all across the board. Stacking will be big tonight, so look for some value where you can, and then load up on the star skaters.

Vegas lines are big when it comes to picking games to target, and that's a good place to start for goalies. When it comes to skaters, goal totals is another main place to start. Usually 5.5 goals is average, so targets games at six, and can look for goalies in games with a total at five.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/23/17. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @DFS_Tom. Let's get to it, shall we?

DFS Forwards to Consider

Brayden Schenn - C, STL @ VAN (DK - $7,100, FD - $7,200)

Schenn is on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, so we are getting plenty of ice time and multi-point upside. He has 40 points in 37 games this season, and is up against the Canucks who are giving up over three goals per game. The Blues have an expected goal total of three which is good, and with Schenn seeing so much ice time and taking over 2.5 shots per game, he is in a good spot.

Yanni Gourde - W, TB vs MIN (DK - $4,300, FD - $4,300)

Seemingly every time over the past week or so I have a spot and salary for Gourde I pass on him, and in that time, he has three goals in six games. SO, I'm sticking with my gut and confident that he is a good play tonight. He has 24 points in 34 games this season, and plays one the third forward line and the second power-play unit. He is up against the Wild, who are on the second night of a back to back, and we know that the Tampa offense is always potent at home, making this a good spot for him.

DFS Defenders to Consider 

Ryan McDonagh - D, NYR vs TOR (DK - $4,800, FD - $5,400)

McDonagh is up against the Maple Leafs who have an expected corsi for of 50 tonight, which is massive. This means they are projected to take a ton of shots, which means McDonagh has the potential for plenty of blocked shots, which he is great at. He is averaging over 2.5 blocked shots per game, along with just under two shots per game. Not going to blow you away with his offense, but can chip in with an assist or so every now and then.

Brent Burns - D, SJ vs LA (DK - $7,200, FD - $7,200)

Burns has scored two thirds of his entire seasons goals in the last five games. I'm serious, but it is only four of his six goals on the season. He isn't a prolific scorer on defense, but he does take a ton of shots, along with blocking a ton of shots. Really fills up the stat sheet quickly, and in what should be a close and very hard fought game, he will be a nice late night hammer to boost your lineup with some points.

DFS Goalies to Consider

Corey Crawford - G, CHI @ NJ (DK - $7,700, FD - $8,900)

Prior to his most recent game, which was very bad, Crawford had only allowed five goals in four games, and had five straight wins. Really solid stuff from him, and now finds himself in a match up against the Devils, who have a projected goal total under three, making it one of the lower ones on the slate. Even though he is on the road, he is in a good spot to pick the up the win, and should be solid for either format.