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Chris Wassel's top NHL DFS lineup picks on FanDuel, DraftKings for 4/13/19. Expert daily fantasy hockey advice, sleepers & player recommendations.
We get a solid four-game playoff slate tonight for DraftKings but only three contests for FanDuel. You should be looking at teams in higher over-under games.
Remember, when picking around for plays, an over/under of 6 dictates offense, but an over/under of 5 or sometimes 5.5 tilts towards the goalies. Watch to see what the Colorado and Calgary game ends up at.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/13/19. 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?
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DFS Forwards to Consider
Nicklas Backstrom - C, WSH vs CAR (FD - N/A, DK - $5,700)
Backstrom started the playoffs with a bang scoring twice -- helped mostly by the passing of John Carlson. The key was Backstrom being able to receive passes and get down the middle of the ice faster than the Carolina defense. Amazingly, that is not something done often against the Hurricanes. Washington was able to cash in on the opportunities they had despite being outshot at times by a healthy margin. If Washington starts fast this afternoon, it is because of this combination again. If one is looking for an all slate center for this evening, Mikael Backlund is reasonably priced ($5,100/$6,400) and will draw the depth of Colorado's defense which is 28th in the league in scoring chances per 60 since January 1st. The Backlund/Matthew Tkachuk ministack is an aspect to explore.
Mitch Marner - W, TOR vs BOS (FD - $8,400, DK - $6,300)
Lost in the narrative that was David Pastrnak (who rightfully averages well over a point a game against Toronto), there is Mitch Marner. The Toronto Maple Leafs winger now has 29 points in 20 meetings career against the Boston Bruins. Furthermore, he shoots on net over three times a game and attempts just over a half dozen shots per night. The more Marner fires the puck towards the net, the better he is. His floor can sometimes vanish which is something to be mindful of. However, his speed and ability to create is something Boston has a tough time slowing down. His short-handed penalty shot goal in Game 1 was a direct result of that ability. Boston's top-line wingers again can be mixed and matched as one-offs due to price.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Roman Josi - D, NSH vs DAL (FD - $6,400, DK - $5,700)
Josi must play more as he did in Game 1 against Dallas if Nashville expects to have any kind of success breaking through on Ben Bishop. The goal and three shots were proof of his ability to fire low and accurate on target. Nashville must get shots low to generate rebounds on the Dallas goaltender who has one of the widest wingspans in the league. Josi missed a few opportunities as well including late in the third period. Those are ones he must be better on. A lot of Nashville's offense relies on the blueline getting the action started. His FanDuel price is not as high as Torey Krug or Mark Giordano. Giordano and Tyson Barrie may be good choices if one can spend up for them.
Miro Heiskanen - D, DAL vs NSH (FD - $4,600, DK - $4,200)
Heiskanen's lower price makes him more attractive than John Klingberg, particularly the lesser FanDuel price. The young Finnish defenseman displayed a poise of a ten-year veteran on Thursday with a goal, assist, and several scoring chances created. Expect a few more blocks as the ice time goes up for the young player as Dallas relies on him more and more. Do not worry about fatigue with Heiskanen as he was eased into the playoffs during the final week of the regular season. Among value and mid-tiered defensemen, Ryan Ellis is a decent option and for the way out there, Nikita Zadorov is just about minimum priced from Colorado.
DFS Goalies to Consider
Mike Smith - G, CGY vs COL (FD - $8,500, DK - $7,900)
Smith will be in net for Calgary against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night. Game 1 saw the Calgary goaltender pitch a shutout. In 19 career postseason starts, Smith possesses a .947 save percentage. Yes, it is a small sample size but everything is less when it comes to playoffs. Think of the three regular season games equals one playoff game rule. Calgary was able to keep the Avalanche top-six mostly to the perimeter on Thursday night. That limited high-danger chances and the few breakdowns were thwarted by Smith. Do not expect a shutout but 28-30 shots and two goals allowed is a decent projection. Braden Holtby and Ben Bishop will be among the higher-owned choices on Saturday. The question with Frederik Andersen (37 saves on 38 shots -- win) is can he do it again so players may go in a different direction.
