March 18, 2016

Barry Leonard's DFS advice for 3/18/16. Daily Fantasy Hockey Lineup Picks and sleepers for FanDuel & DraftKings NHL cash games and GPPs.

Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks article for March 18th 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.

Six games are scheduled tonight, meaning that you'll have to get creative with some of your picks due to some limited options. Some of the top fantasy stars will be in action tonight when Chicago and Washington both take the ice. However, you can't pick a lineup of stars, so a mix of value and sleeper picks need to be added to your lineup.

Teams like Boston, Ottawa, and Colorado offer some good value picks that will be vital to choosing the ultimate combination for tonight's slate of games.

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NHL DFS Picks for Friday, March 18th

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.

Braden Holtby - Goaltender, Capitals (DraftKings - $8,600 FanDuel - $9,200)

The Washington netminder is the best goalie in the league and is usually worth a fantasy start each night he's in the blue paint. Holtby was strong Tuesday night, stopping 25 of the 26 shots he faced against Carolina. He's got 42 wins on the season and two in his last three games. The Capitals look like the team to beat this year, and Holtby is a big reason for that. He's perfect for fantasy lineups thanks to the fact that even if he's not completely on his game, he has a chance to win each night with a talented Washington team playing in front of him. Tonight's opponent, Nashville, has been surging lately, but the Predators still rank in the middle of the pack when it comes to scoring goals.

Craig Anderson - Goaltender, Senators  (DraftKings - $8,000 FanDuel - $8,700)

Anderson has been playing well, putting up wins in back-to-back games. The victories were nice to see after getting torched by Florida for six goals on March 10. He's been a bit inconsistent this season, but gets a very good matchup with Buffalo tonight. The last time he faced the Sabres, he made 38 saves and allowed just one goal in the victory. Buffalo still struggles to score the puck, and is averaging just 2.40 goals a game. Roll with Anderson if you'll looking to save a bit of cap space without sacrificing production.

Evgeny Kuznetsov - Center, Capitals  (DraftKings - $6,700 FanDuel - $7,000)

Kuznetsov is definitely enjoying a breakout season in Washington, as he's now up to 70 points. He dished out the game-winning assist in overtime during Tuesday's win, and now has a four-game point streak. The Russian can score the puck and set up his teammates. Because of that, he brings a fantastic plus-30 rating to the table, something that makes him extremely valuable to players on FanDuel. Kuznetsov has become a fantasy beast, and deserves a start on a nightly basis, regardless of the matchup.

David Krejci - Center, Bruins  (DraftKings - $6,000 FanDuel - $5,700)

Krejci registered a goal and an assist Tuesday, giving him a three-game point streak with four points over that span. The veteran center doesn't shoot often, and won't rack up many penalty minutes, but does have 54 points through 61 games this season. He also sports a plus-12 rating, something that makes him an attractive option on FanDuel. Krejci can often get overlooked, making him a good selection for GPP games. Tonight's game with Anaheim is a tough one, but Krejci is playing great right now and is deserving of a look for fantasy lineups.

Loui Eriksson - Winger, Bruins  (DraftKings - $5,500 FanDuel - $5,300)

Eriksson notched his 27th goal of the season Tuesday, giving him a three-game goal streak. He's got four points over that span, and makes for an excellent fantasy play at the moment. He doesn't consistently register shots on goal, though he fired at least four twice in the last four games. The 30-year old is up to 54 points this year, his highest total since racking up 71 in the 2011-12 season. Eriksson is playing well enough to be considered a top target on both DraftKings and FanDuel. His plus-16 rating makes him a bit more valuable to FanDuel players, but either way, he's worth a start tonight.

Mikkel Boedker - Winger, Avalanche  (DraftKings - $5,000 FanDuel - $4,300)

Boedker has benefited from his move to Colorado. He's played seven games with his new club and has put up three goals and two assists. The winger was really struggling earlier in the season, but seems to have turned a corner. As far as fantasy value goes, he doesn't offer much in the way of extra points from blocked shots, penalty, minutes and power-play points, but he's shooting more than he was in Arizona, adding to his recent value. He's coming off a two-goal performance in Vancouver Wednesday and gets a very favorable matchup with Calgary tonight.

Alexander Ovechkin - Winger, Capitals  (DraftKings - $9,000 FanDuel - $9,800)

Ovechkin has the highest salary of the available players tonight. While that's a lot of cap space to eat up with one player, Ovie continues to prove that he's more than worth it. Tuesday's game-winning goal against Carolina gave him a three-game point streak and four points in the last five games. The 30-year-old does absolutely everything to rack up points for fantasy owners. From blocking shots, to delivering punishing hits, to continuously firing the puck on net, Ovechkin is an elite fantasy option. He's taken at least five shots in three of the last five games. You know what to do with Ovie.

Erik Karlsson - Defenseman, Senators  (DraftKings - $8,300 FanDuel - $7,100)

The star blueliner is having a fantastic season with a total of 73 points, and is approaching his career high mark of 78. Karlsson is coming off a three-point performance Tuesday, recording a goal and two assists against Minnesota. The 25-year-old loves to shoot the puck, adding to his fantasy value. He also isn't afraid to block shots. Just watch if you're using him on FanDuel, as his minus-3 rating could be somewhat problematic. He's the most expensive option tonight among all the defensemen, but he's an elite fantasy defenseman who needs to be in lineups on a nightly basis. Tonight, Karlsson gets a great matchup with Buffalo, making him a top option.

Zach Bogosian - Defenseman, Sabres   (DraftKings - $4,600 FanDuel - $4,600)

Defenseman is a position at which you can usually find some good fantasy value, and tonight is no exception. The best sleeper pick of the night at defenseman has to be Buffalo's Zach Bogosian. He carries a low price tag, but has been on a tear recently, picking up points in three of his last four games. Wednesday night he scored his first goal in eight games and had a monster night in terms of fantasy points. Aside from the goal, he fired eight shots on goal-his highest total of the season, and was whistled for 14 penalty minutes. Shooting the puck more frequently has been a recent trend for the blueliner, as he's racked up 19 shots in the last four games. With a small salary and a favorable matchup with Ottawa, Bogosian is one to target tonight.

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