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Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks article for Wednesday, March 2nd 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.
With only three games scheduled for Wednesday, it's important to not only pick which of the bigger names will score, but almost imperative to pick a goalie that will get you a win. Washington takes the ice, so again, I'm inclined to stack my lineup with Capitals.
Tonight's lineup features the best goalie in the league's backup, and plenty of solid, safe, and affordable options at each position. Let's get to it.
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NHL DFS Picks for Wednesday, March 2nd
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 defense 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.
Philipp Grubauer - Goaltender, Capitals (DraftKings - $7,200 FanDuel - $7,500)
Heading into the second leg of back-to-back games, it's been confirmed that Grubauer will get the nod between the pipes Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Even though he is no Braden Holtby, the Capitals are still facing the worst team in the NHL. With 52 points, the Leafs sit dead last while the Capitals recline comfortably in first overall. Since there are only three games on the card, it might be wise to spend down here, with the safest pick for goalies, to free up cap space for some of the bigger guns listed below. In 15 appearances, Grubauer has accumulated an impressive 2.11 goals against average and a .926 save percentage.
Nicklas Backstrom - Center, Capitals (DraftKings - $6,400 FanDuel - $6,600)
Backstrom leads the Capitals with 22 power play assists and is third on the team with 57 points overall, one point behind Alex Ovechkin. Backstrom enters March after tallying 11 assists in February and is one of the most important components of Washington's potent offensive attack, playing on the first line with Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie. Backstrom has also lit the lamp 17 times thus far this season. The Maple Leafs have allowed 2.90 goals a game, seventh most in the league. Backstrom has picked up three points in two games and looks to continue his steady and productive play as playoff hockey nears.
Rickard Rakell - Center, Ducks (DraftKings - $4,700 FanDuel - $6,400)
Rakell is coming off his most productive month of the season, posting six goals and five helpers, and now heads into a solid matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs continue to drop in the rankings while the Ducks have only risen, having won eight straight games. Rakell has benefited from playing on the second line with veteran Corey Perry as the young center continues to improve in his third season in the NHL. Rakell sees over two minutes of ice time on the power play a game and accumulates plenty of shots and goals and some blocked shots to go along with his scoring abilities.
Max Pacioretty - Winger, Canadiens (DraftKings - $6,900 FanDuel - $7,000)
Pacioretty also had a solid February, tallying nine total points, and will need his production to carry over if the Habs have any chance of salvaging what's left of their disappointingly plummeting season. Pacioretty has collected four points in three games and leads the Canadiens in goals, power play goals, and shots on goal. Anaheim, despite their recent success, has still been shorthanded 217 times this season, six most in the league. Look for Pacioretty to provide the Habs with a much needed push, as he holds more value in FanDuel, but should be used on both sites.
Tomas Tatar - Winger, Red Wings (DraftKings - $4,800 FanDuel - $5,100)
After eight straight games without a point, Tatar has now picked up three points in Detroit's last two. With 20 games remaining, it is unlikely that Tatar will repeat or exceed his career best season performance from last season, scoring 29 goals and posting 27 helpers, as he's still 20 points shy of that mark. However, if the Red Wings want to remain in a playoff spot and even make a push for a higher seed, they will need production from all their talent, including Tatar. The Wings host the formidable Blackhawks in what should be a competitive contest. Tatar is an affordable option for both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Brent Seabrook - Defenseman, Blackhawks (DraftKings - $6,000 FanDuel - $5,100)
Seabrook is a perfect defenseman for Daily Fantasy. He balances statistics, blocked shots and power play points, that cater to both DraftKings and FanDuel, and should be used in all formats Wednesday. His price is affordable and it definitely doesn't hurt playing on the Blackhawks this season. Seabrook scored five goals and tallied 31 shots on goal in February. 18 of his 38 overall points have come via the power play and he sees the second highest amount of ice time on the team next to Duncan Keith.
Matt Niskanen - Defenseman, Capitals (DraftKings - $5,000 FanDuel - $4,200)
With John Carlson on injured reserved because of an upper body injury, opportunities for other Washington defenseman have emerged to produce and see more time on the ice. While Niskanen's numbers haven't seen much of a jump, his playing time has remained steady now as one of the top defenseman on the Capitals. Niskanen blocks a ton of shots, puts the puck on net and should have no problem finding openings against the Maple Leafs. Toronto has relinquished the most fantasy points to defenseman so far this season. He should be considered for tournaments and head-to-head on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
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