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Tom Vecchio's top NHL DFS lineup picks on FanDuel, DraftKings for 4/16/19. Expert daily fantasy hockey advice, sleepers & player recommendations.
We are finally here. The NHL Playoffs are here and the quest for Lord Stanley's Cup is upon us and we have four games on the second day to keep things going. Smaller slates mean fewer options at each position, but a chance to take a stand on your favorite plays.
Vegas lines are big when it comes to picking games to target, and that's a good place to start for goalies. When it comes to skaters, goal totals is another main place to start. Usually, 5.5 goals are average, so targets game at six, and can look for goalies in games with a total at five.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/16/19. 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 @DFS_Tom. Let's get to it, shall we?
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DFS Forwards to Consider
Kyle Connor - W, WPG @ STL (FD - $6,400, DK - $5,500)
Connor has posted three points in the last two games of the series and that includes five shots in the most recent game. The Jets simply got outplayed in the first two games and really turned things around in Game 3, which is hopefully, the level we see them at for the remainder of the series. Pricing is a bit relax on DraftKings these playoffs, which has Connor coming in too cheap. He is still on the first forward line and the first power-play unit, making him a great stacking option tonight.
Nick Bjugstad - C, PIT vs NYI (FD - $4,200, DK - $3,700)
I'll be honest, I have no idea what is going on with the Penguins and didn't see this coming in any capacity. Pittsburgh is down 0-3 to the Islanders and this gives us our first elimination game of the playoffs. Crosby has gone missing for the Penguins, so let's look to Bjugstad as a GPP option. He is very cheap on both sites and seeing time on the second power-play unit, which is where you want to stack up for the savings.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Ryan McDonagh - D, TB @ CLS (FD - $4,600, DK - $4,600)
McDonagh is now on the second power-play unit for the Lightning since Victor Hedman is out with an injury. Currently, Hedman is listed as doubtful for this game and with him not playing in Game 3, we likely won't see him in this one. McDonagh only has three shots and six blocked shots in this series, but for his price and for his potential upside, he is a solid GPP play. The Lightning need to win this game and scoring will have to come from anyone and everyone.
Nate Schmidt - D, VGK vs SJ (FD - $4,200, DK - $4,600)
Schmidt has been super consistent as of late for the Golden Knights and has now posted an assist in each of the last two games. He is in the $4K range on both sites and seeing power-play time, which is kinda tough to pass up on a four-game slate. This game has an over-under set at 6.5, which is the highest on the slate, so we are expecting plenty of scoring here.
DFS Goalies to Consider
Matt Murray - G, PIT, NYI (FD - $7,900, DK - $8,000)
Murray and the Penguins are in do or die, simple as that. Win and stay alive, lose and get swept in the first round against one of the weaker offensive teams in the league. The Penguins are still -165 home favorites which makes them the largest home favorites on the slate, so we should be able to look at Murray with some amount of safety. He has seen 29 saves or more in each game this series which is great, just need to pick up the win.
