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Saturday features a seven-game evening main slate with a spotlight on games like Colorado and New Jersey, Toronto and New York, plus even Pittsburgh and Montreal among others.
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 1/4/20. 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 NYI (FD - $8,500, DK - $8,000)
Matthews tacked on another assist with four shots and a blocked shot on Thursday night. The New York Islanders represent a good matchup for Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs. New York has not quite looked like itself over the past ten games. Matthews has eight goals and 15 points over the previous ten contests. There are a few other high-priced centers that can be considered on Saturday including Evgeni Malkin and Nathan MacKinnon.
Artemi Panarin - W, NYR vs VAN (FD - $8,600, DK - $7,100)
The winger finds ways to score for the Rangers and enjoys a nice run of 18 points (seven goals) in his last ten games. Vancouver's defense has slipped horribly over the past 15-20 games. Vancouver allows the seventh-most points to left-wingers in daily fantasy hockey. Panarin is also hitting the net more with 3.2 shots per game in his last ten. Vancouver's penalty kill has been hovering around 75% for about a month now. The Rangers play a high-risk brand of hockey and there could be late stacking options on both sides.
Also, Consider:
- Mika Zibanejad is a solid play on Saturday night.
- Nikita Kucherov and Taylor Hall are nice options on Saturday from the wing position.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Kris Letang - D, PIT vs MTL (FD - $6,900, DK - $6,500)
Montreal has just been a wreck defensively while allowing more than 3 1/3 goals per game at home this season. Pittsburgh is a team that may get their Sidney Crosby back tonight or soon. Monitor this closely. A return of Crosby would help Letang not only on the power play but even strength as well. Yes, Letang is priced a little high tonight but Montreal allows the third-most points to defensemen in DFS (second at home).
Alex Edler - D, VAN vs NYR (FD - $5,300, DK - $5,800)
Edler and his floor are big reasons for his pick. In his last game, it was not the two assists, but the four shots and four blocked shots were the more significant numbers. Edler had three scoring chances. Against the Rangers, Edler should see plenty of chances to generate shots on net and block shots. It will be one of the late-night games to watch. Edler has six assists in his last nine games but averages over three blocks a game in that span.
Also, Consider:
- Simply Roman Josi and Viktor Hedman are still nice plays on Saturday against the Kings and Senators respectively.
- Cale Makar may be the play against the New Jersey Devils who still need Mackenzie Blackwood to stand on his head early and often.
DFS Goalie to Consider
Frederik Andersen - G, TOR vs NYI (FD - $8,500, DK - $7,800)
The idea is to think the highest goalie win probability. It could be Andersen in Toronto on Saturday night with the Islanders offense going ice cold over the past five contests. Andersen is 8-1-1 over his last ten and comes off a 45-save performance on Thursday against Winnipeg. Will the Islanders generate much more than 30 shots? Probably not. However, that may be enough along with a win to generate above-value points (particularly on DraftKings).
Also, Consider:
- The other good GPP choice on Saturday night may be whoever starts for Colorado or perhaps Antti Raanta for Arizona given Philadelphia's road woes of late.
