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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 Saturday, April 22 of the 2016/2017 NHL season.
Another Saturday night in the NHL playoffs is upon us as the opening round is coming to an end. There are three games tonight with the Wild, Canadiens, and Sharks all facing elimination. All three series have been relatively low-scoring, especially the Blues and Wild who have yet to break four total goals in a game. After opening their series low-scoring, the Sharks and Oilers have opened right up with back to back games totaling seven goals.
Let's dig in and take a look at the top play at each position for tonight.
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NHL Daily League Lineup Picks for Saturday, April 22
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.
Mika Zibanejad (C, NYR)
DraftKings - $5,200, FanDuel - $5,600
He comes at a nice value in the mid $5K range on both sites and is coming off his best game of the series. He skated 17.5 minutes and recorded a goal, a short-handed assist and also added three shots and four blocks. He now has 13 shots in the series and is one of the safer centers tonight from a PTS/$ perspective.
Vladimir Tarasenko (W, STL)
DraftKings - $7,600, FanDuel - $7,700
The Blues will have another chance to close out the series today and they will need their top player to find the back of the net to do so. Tarasenko has been held in check in the series with just two points but has 16 shots in the four games and is ready to break through. He and McDavid are the two most expensive options and you will have to make a choice. For cash games, I would lean McDavid but for GPP separation I would build around Tarasenko.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic (D, SJ)
DraftKings - $4,400, FanDuel - $4,300
You won't get much offensive upside with Vlasic but just enough to consider him a must play in all formats on a small three-game slate. He has picked up three points in the series and but importantly provided a high floor with seven shots and 17 blocks.
Stacking Option
St. Louis Blues - Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Alexander Steen
For tournaments on a small slate, we have to try really hard to find an edge. While it may not be much, the Blues top line due to its high cost and the low scoring series may help them provide us with lower ownership. They have been quiet as have the Wild as there has yet to be a game with more than four total goals but I look for the Blues to be extra motivated to close out the series and get ready for Nashville.
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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.
