February 28, 2016

Barry Leonard highlights the top NHL DFS lineup picks for 2/28/16, as well as a couple of sleepers to keep in mind while building your roster on FanDuel.

Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks article for February 28th 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.

Seven games are on tap for today, staring just after noon on the East coast and running all the way through the evening on the West coast. The marquee game of the day, and one that features a ton of fantasy targets, will be the Washington Capitals visiting the Chicago Blackhawks. Aside from being the two best teams in the league, several players from both squads are among the best available fantasy targets on a daily basis.

Some other very popular teams for fantasy targets will be in action today, with St. Louis, Boston and San Jose taking the ice. One of the evening games features a great match between Los Angeles and Anaheim. That game, though starting a bit late in the East, could turn out to be the best game of the day.

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NHL DFS Picks for February 28, 2016

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 defenseman 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.

Al Montoya - Goaltender, Panthers  (DraftKings - $7,500 FanDuel - $7,700)

Montoya, who spent much of the season as Florida's backup goalie, has started to see some regular starts due to the struggles of Roberto Luongo. Montoya is the confirmed starter for today's matchup in Minnesota and could make for a good play as your fantasy netminder. The 31-year-old has just one win in his last four starts, but has seven wins in his last 12 starts. Minnesota doesn't present the scariest offense, making Montoya one to target at goalie today.

Jaroslav Halak - Goaltender, Islanders  (DraftKings - $7,700 FanDuel - $8,500)

Halak was strong Thursday when he stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced in a win over Calgary. He's got a three-game win streak with an impressive o.65 GAA and .978 save percentage over that stretch. The veteran netminder has four wins over his last five games and gets to face an Edmonton team that's averaging just 2.40 goals per game. On a day where some of the top goaltenders face tough matchups, Halak should be looked at as a top target.

John Tavares - Center, Islanders (DraftKings - $8,000 FanDuel - $9,100)

Tavares is a high-priced center, but the price has been justified recently. He picked up an assist in his last game Thursday and enters today with a two-game point streak and 14 points in his last 10 games. New York's top center logs good ice time, particularly on the power play, and can help out a fantasy roster in some of the secondary categories as well. He isn't shy about shooting the puck, blocking shots, or taking penalty minutes. With a favorable matchup against an Edmonton team that's struggled against opposing centers this season, Tavares makes for a top pick at center for both DraftKings and FanDuel.

Ryan Getzlaf - Center, Ducks  (DraftKings - $6,200 FanDuel - $8,300)

Getzlaf absolutely needs to be looked at as one of the top fantasy centers available right now. He's got a 10-game point streak and picked up a goal and an assist on the game-winner against Edmonton Friday. The veteran center is hot and doesn't seem to be slowing down at all. He's still not shooting the puck very often, something that works against him in fantasy hockey, but he's logging good ice time and is presented with ample opportunities to put up points each game. Getzlaf is particularly valuable on FanDuel thanks to his production on the power play, with six of his last 10 points have come on the man advantage.

Matt Beleskey - Winger, Bruins  (DraftKings - $4,600 FanDuel - $5,500)

Beleskey stuffed the scoresheet Friday with two goals on three shots against the Hurricanes. It was his third multi-point performance in the last four games, meaning that the 27-year-old is officially on a hot streak. Just temper your expectations for him, as he only has 13 goals for the season, with five of them coming over the last four games. However, from a fantasy perspective, he'll earn you points with shots on goal and some blocked shots. Regardless of the DFS site you're playing on, Beleskey makes a good value play today.

Alexander Ovechkin - Winger, Capitals  (DraftKings - $9,100 FanDuel - $10,700)

Selecting Ovechkin as one of your wingers certainly makes things tricky due to his high price tag. However, the superstar plays for the best team in the NHL and is a threat to put up huge numbers each night he's on the ice. Watching Ovechkin put up gaudy numbers while not on your DFS team is not something that's recommended. The 30-year-old is playing great right now and is riding a five-game point streak. He notched a goal and an assist in Friday's win and now has 19 points in his last 15 games. Ovechkin is one of the best players in the NHL and always makes for a top pick in all fantasy formats.

Jannik Hansen - Winger, Canucks  (DraftKings - $4,100 FanDuel - $5,700)

Hansen was kept off the scoresheet Thursday, but had a three-game point streak prior to that. He's got six points in his last seven games and is up to a total of 32 for the season. The 29-year-old Denmark native isn't a sure bet to produce on a nightly basis, but can be a sneaky pick in daily leagues. He's been skating on the top line with the Sedin twins, something that's helped produce his plus-19 rating. Hansen usually carries a low ownership number, something that makes him an even more attractive option for tournament play.

Brooks Orpik - Defenseman, Capitals  (DraftKings - $4,400 FanDuel - $3,600)

Orpik continues to play well in his return from a lengthy injury. The veteran blueliner scored a goal Friday night and blocked five shots in the win over the Wild. He now has a two-game point streak with six points in the six games he's played in. Orpik won't get you a lot of extra points with shots on goals or power-play points, but he's an asset in DraftKings thanks to his blocked shots.

Torey Krug - Defenseman, Bruins  (DraftKings - $5,700 FanDuel - $5,500)

Krug enters today with a four-game assist streak. He's been up and down for the Bruins this season, but is currently playing great. He won't score a lot for you, as he has just three goals this season, but he's got a knack for setting up his teammates with 26 assists. He's a good play for both DFS sites, but could be particularly helpful on FanDuel, especially considering his plus-7 rating and the fact that nearly half of his points have come on the power play.

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