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Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks article for February 26, 2016 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.
Options will be a bit limited tonight, as there are only five games on the docket. Still, some of the hottest fantasy players will be available for use in your Daily Fantasy Hockey lineups. The Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Boston Bruins have been providing some very solid fantasy targets as of late.
The best team in the league, the Washington Capitals, are coming off an ugly game Wednesday against Montreal and face a tough test against Minnesota tonight. However, the Capitals are loaded with fantasy targets and are worth looking very closely at tonight.
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NHL DFS Picks for February 26, 2016
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.
Frederik Andersen - Goaltender, Ducks (DraftKings - $7,600 FanDuel - $8,700)
Anaheim is one of the hottest teams in the NHL, and Andersen has been a huge reason for that. He enters tonight's game versus Edmonton with a four-game win streak and has just one loss in his last 11 starts. The 26-year-old netminder was extremely sharp Wednesday, making 26 saves in a shutout of the Sabres. Andersen is as hot as any goaltender in the league right now and should be considered the best fantasy goalie for lineups tonight.
Steven Stamkos - Center, Lightning (DraftKings - $7,200 FanDuel - $8,000)
Choosing Stamkos will make you get creative with your lineup due to his high price tag. However, Tampa's center is on fire. He picked up a goal on Tuesday and now has a four-game goal streak and seven points in his last seven games. Tonight's matchup with New Jersey is a tough one, but it's an important Eastern Conference battle, meaning Stamkos will likely be amped up. He's valuable on both DFS sites, but be careful on FanDuel, as he doesn't take many penalties and has a minus-4 rating. However, he does log a high amount of ice time, particularly on the power play.
Ryan Getzlaf - Center, Ducks (DraftKings - $6,000 FanDuel - $8,300)
Getzlaf picked up his 40th assist Wednesday and will carry a nine-game point streak into tonight's tilt with Edmonton. The veteran center has been a reliable source of production lately, with 20 points in his last 15 games. Tonight's matchup with the Oilers looks like a great one on paper, making Getzlaf a top target at center. He still doesn't shoot a lot, but his blocked shots will help in DraftKings lineups. His plus-14 rating, and the fact that five of his last eight points have come on the man advantage, make him the most expensive center for FanDuel.
Jason Chimera - Winger, Capitals (DraftKings - $4,100 FanDuel - $5,100)
Chimera makes for a sneaky play tonight. He's coming in on a hot streak, having picked up an assist in Monday's game with Arizona and a goal Wednesday against Montreal. The third-line winger has always been a great skater who plays a physical brand of hockey. He's ramped up his offense lately, with four goals and an assist over the last eight games. He's taken 12 total shots in the last four games and is definitely a cheap player to target tonight.
David Pastrnak - Winger, Bruins (DraftKings - $4,300 FanDuel - $4,400)
Pastrnak had a monster game Wednesday with two goals against the Penguins. That game followed a two-assist effort on Monday. He now has 18 total points through just 30 games and will look to keep rolling in a favorable matchup with Carolina tonight. Pasternak is a great value pick right now. He's better for DraftKings leagues though, since he doesn't see time on the power play, something that's taken into account for FanDuel.
Thomas Vanek - Winger, Wild (DraftKings - $4,900 FanDuel - $5,400)
Vanek has been under the radar for much of this season, but he's come alive as of late with nine points in his last nine games. He picked up a goal and an assist in Thursday's game and will look to keep the good vibes rolling tonight in a tough road matchup with Washington. Vanek makes for a solid pick due to the fact that he still carries a low ownership number, deposit his recent production. The veteran winger hasn't been afraid to shoot the puck recently, something that adds value on both DFS sites. He won't get you much in terms of penalty minutes or blocked shots, but he makes a great value option tonight thanks to his low price tag and recent good play.
Sami Vatanen - Defenseman, Ducks (DraftKings - $5,100 FanDuel - $5,100)
Like most of the Ducks, Vatanen is on fire right now. He scored his ninth goal of the season in Wednesday's game against Buffalo and now has seven points in his last eight games. While Vatanen hasn't been much of a fantasy play all season, he's definitely streaking now. Aside from the recent surge in points, the 24-year-old has been shooting the puck at a good clip, as well as blocking shots. Vatanen is a good play on both DFS sites tonight, especially on FanDuel due to the fact that he has six power play points in the last eight games.
Brooks Orpik - Defenseman, Capitals (DraftKings - $4,300 FanDuel - $3,600)
Opik has been playing great since returning from a three-month absence due to injury. He's been back for five games and has already put up a goal and four assists. The veteran blueliner dished out two helpers Wednesday and makes for a quality value selection tonight. He doesn't shoot a lot, or take many penalties, but he's been showing up on the scoresheet lately and won't cost you much to take a chance.
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