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Thursday features nine games in all with a spotlight on games like New Jersey and the New York Rangers, Boston and Tampa Bay, plus even Buffalo and Los Angeles.
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 October now.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/17/19. 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?
DFS Forwards to Consider
Mika Zibanejad - C, NYR vs NJD (FD - $7,600, DK - $7,800)
The top line is a great play against New Jersey with some solid power-play correlation. Yes, the game against Edmonton was an absolute disaster. However, this is as good a candidate for a bounce-back game as any. New Jersey has allowed 29 goals in six games and their penalty kill is operating under 60%. With the way Florida's top line had against New Jersey's defense, New York and the Zibanejad line could do much the same on Thursday. The Zibanejad line could be an excellent play for their potential to create at least 5+ high-danger chances is extremely elevated. Points are to be had here.
Mark Stone - W, VGK vs NSH (FD - $7,700, DK - $7,700)
The winger keeps going and has piled up ten points in his first seven games which includes 20+ FanDuel points in six of his seven outings. This will be the line that faces a Nashville team that allows nearly four goals a game and 34 shots per 60. Vegas has the seventh-ranked power play in the league at 29.2% and a big part of that is Stone who generates many opportunities and has two of his goals on the man advantage.
Also Consider:
- Nikita Kucherov, Dylan Larkin, and even Victor Olofsson could be viable plays on Thursday night.
- Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine are also in plus-matchup situations on this large slate.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Jacob Trouba - D, NYR vs NJD (FD - $5,800, DK - $6,000)
Trouba is New York's best defenseman by miles and enjoys a good matchup against a New Jersey team that again allows nearly five goals a game. It will almost feel like a home game for the Rangers at times -- especially if they get off to a quick start. Trouba has a goal and three assists in the early going and are used in all scoring situations. The Rangers play high-event hockey and that works well for a player like Trouba who believes the best defense is a good offense.
Mattias Ekholm - D, NSH vs ARZ (FD - $4,600, DK - $5,300)
Ekholm functions as a good value play but an even better one on FanDuel because of its softer pricing. Take advantage of this while you can. He has combined for five shots and blocked shots per contest (SABS for short) and is generating almost three scoring chances a game. Playing against Arizona carries some risk but without Niklas Hjalmarsson in the lineup, Nashville may have some smoother skating and better opportunities for goal scoring on Thursday night.
Also Consider:
- Christopher Tanev and Nikita Zaitsev are both near-minimum priced defensemen who can surprise on Thursday night.
- Sean Walker is a great, value play (under $4,000) on Thursday night (watch for Drew Doughty injury status as he has a head malady).
DFS Goalie to Consider
Alexandar Georgiev - G, NYR vs NJD (FD - $7,700, DK - $7,700)
Georgiev presents as a risky, GPP play but if New Jersey can generate some shots and chances like they typically do against the Rangers, the 35-save bonus via DraftKings comes into play. Also, in his first start, the Rangers backup looked more like the starter -- allowing just one goal on 32 shots against the Ottawa Senators.
Also Consider:
- The other good GPP choice on Thursday is much higher-risk but that would be Jonathan Quick just because of his price. Los Angeles does face an unrested Buffalo team which could help Quick's chances for a win.
