December 28, 2017

Tom Vecchio's top daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for 12/29/17. Expert NHL DFS advice, sleepers & player recommendations for FanDuel and DraftKings.

We have a MASSIVE 11 game slate tonight , 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 12/29/17. 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

Connor McDavid - C, EDM vs CHI (DK - $7,500, FD - $9,000)

McDavid is a bit too cheap over on DraftKings tonight, where he really should be in the mid $8K range. He has 45 points in 37 games this season, and will be at home against the Blackhawks who are on the second night of a back to back, along with being down to their second and third string goalies. Chicago top goalie is on IR, and their second string goalie played last night, so very unclear who will start tonight. Given all this info, we want to attack this spot, and McDavid is the player to do so, since he has multi-point upside being on the top forward line and the top power-play unit. He is a bit more expensive on FanDuel, so getting up to him in cash games could be doable, since we have a full slate and there is plenty of value out there.

Rick Nash - W, NYR @ DET (DK - $5,500, FD - $6,000)

Nash is now on the first forward line and the first power-play unit since Chris Kreider is out with an injury. He is taking over three shots per game, but only has nine goals in 37 games this season. He has been on the wrong side of goal variance this season, and is now up against a Red Wings team who are giving up over three goals per game. Good all around spot for him considering the increased playing time and facing off against a weak opponent.

DFS Defenders to Consider 

Olli Maatta - D, PIT @ CAR (DK - $4,000, FD - $3,900)

Maatta makes a great cheap option tonight at defense, and is in a spot to see more ice time with Kris Letang being out with an injury. Matta is on the second defensive pairing, and has not been moved up to the always dangerous first power-play unit. Getting this cheap exposure to Crosby and Malkin is never a bad thing. He is taking over two shots per game, along with blocking over one shot per game, so he can really fill up the stat sheet. Great play in any format tonight.

Alex Pietrangelo - D, STL @ DAL (DK - $6,600, FD - $5,800)

Pietrangelo is a bit too cheap over on FanDuel tonight, so you want to look to roster him there. He is one of the best all-around defenders in the league, and can really contribute in multiple categories. He is taking nearly three shots per game, along with blocking about two shots per game. Easy DFS points, without recording a real hockey point. Pietrangelo is on the top defensive pairing and the top power-play unit, so we know he will be seeing plenty of playing time.

DFS Goalies to Consider

Cory Schneider - G, NJ vs BUF (DK - $8,400, FD - $8,400)

Schneider is up against the Sabres, who have scored a league low 80 goals in 37 games this season, which is just over two per game. This puts him in a spot to pick up the win, since they are so weak on offense. He has 17 wins in 28 games this season, and has only allowed five goals over his last three games. Really like this spot for him tonight, and is a great cash game option.