RADIO
Thursday features a medium eight-game main slate with San Jose in New Jersey, Pittsburgh in Toronto, and a gong show clash between Winnipeg and Ottawa.
Remember, when looking around for plays, an over/under of 6 dictates offense, but an over/under of 5 or sometimes 5.5 tilts towards the goalies. There are several games at 6.5, as that has become the new norm in hockey now.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 2/20/20. 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 @ChrisWasselDFS. Let's get to it, shall we?
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Auston Matthews - C, TOR vs PIT (FD - $9,000, DK - $8,200)
Matthews is too easy of a pick here and can be stacked with several players from Toronto's top-unit power-play on Thursday night. The center has 30 goals and 46 points in 30 home games while firing 143 shots on net. That is an average of nearly 4.5 per contest which is on a level comparable to Alex Ovechkin. He is one of the best forwards in the league especially in Toronto and it would be hard to fade the forward tonight given the matchup.
Alex Ovechkin - W, WSH vs MTL (FD - $8,800, DK - $8,400)
The winger gets shots on net to the tune of nearly five per contest of late and that includes 25 shots in his previous four starts (6.25 per game). Though he has gone without a goal in his last five games, Ovechkin has 18 scoring chances in that span including nine high-danger opportunities. Montreal has one of the more porous defenses down the middle similar to Washington. Also, Ovechkin has a goal in one meeting against the Canadiens this season.
Also, Consider:
- It may be time to take a look at Max Pacioretty who shoots at Ovechkin's level but does not have the goals to show for it. Expect a bounce sometime soon.
- Patrik Laine (nine goals in nine games) becomes an excellent option on Tuesday. Also, Kyle Palmieri is up against a broken down San Jose team at home.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Victor Hedman - D, TAM vs VGK (FD - $5,900, DK - $6,500)
This is a solid option on Thursday with the Vegas defense in some flux and the addition of Alec Martinez which may not mesh all that well -- especially right away. The idea is to take advantage of situations and Tampa Bay is in a prime position considering they score four goals a game at home. Hedman carries a reasonable enough price that he is not an outrageous option. He will not be as high-owned as a John Carlson.
Jeff Petry - D, MTL vs WSH (FD - $4,200, DK - $4,800)
Petry has a reasonable floor and has 36 points on the season including nine goals. If he keeps seeing time on the power play, his numbers will go up. He had four shots on goal and a power-play tally against Detroit. Again, Washington's penalty kill is not all that great at times either. The Montreal power-play unit is a better one with Petry on it more consistently. Those numbers do not lie. Is it a drastic difference? No. Is it noticeable? Yes.
- Simply if Jakob Chychrun will be that softly priced all year on FanDuel, why not keep playing him.
- John Carlson against a weak Montreal penalty kill may be worth to spend up for.
- Yes, PK Subban is worth a shot at home against San Jose.
DFS Goalie to Consider
MacKenzie Blackwood - G, NJ vs SJS (FD - $7,600, DK - $7,700)
The goalie has gone 5-0-1 over his last six starts and has a .925 save percentage over his previous ten outings. He has faced 35+ shots in four of his last six starts and overall has faced over 35 shots per 60 since the All-Star Break. It is part of the reason why his load has been managed a bit of late. The San Jose Sharks come in beaten and bruised literally with several high-profile players out including Logan Couture, Tomsa Hertl, and Erik Karlsson among others.
- The other good GPP choice on Thursday night may just be Washington's Ilya Samsonov provided he starts. If he does not, then Jordan Binnington may be a tertiary option from the St. Louis Blues.
