Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks article for April 17th 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.

With the postseason in full swing, several players have either continued to be, or started to be fantasy commodities. Four games are on tap today, starting in the afternoon with Game 3 of the Blackhawks and the Blues. The night ends with Game two of Nashville and Anaheim.

Several big names will be in action today, but of course,you can't fill a DFS lineup with just stars. That mean's you'll have to find some hidden value picks that carry both low price tags and low ownership numbers.

Check out my DFS picks for Sunday below.

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NHL DFS Picks for Sunday, April 17th

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.

Roberto Luongo - Goaltender, Panthers (DraftKings - $8,400  FanDuel - $9,100)

Today's game between the Islanders and Panthers is a pivotal one, as both teams have won a game. The series switches to New York today. The veteran Luongo struggled in Game 1, allowing five goals. However, he settled down in Game 2 and put out a great performance. The Islanders do not have the scariest of lineups, so roll with Luongo and hope he can carry the good momentum over to today's start.

Ryan Kesler - Center, Ducks (DraftKings - $5,900  FanDuel - $7,100)

Kessler scored in Game 1 and continued his hot play. Dating back to the regular season, the veteran center has a three-game point streak and six points in the last five games. His price is still good for the production and he once again makes for a great play in DFS lineups.

Brad Richards - Center, Red Wings  (DraftKings - $3,700 FanDuel - $4,300)

The days of Richards being a steady fantasy producer are long gone. He had a career-low 28 points this season (not counting the 11 he had in 2007-08 when he played just 12 games). Still he recorded a power-play goal in Game 2 against Tampa Bay, and picked up an assist in the regular season finale. Richards is a complete flier choice tonight, but he'll cost you next to nothing and has the potential to be an excellent sleeper choice.

Patrick Kane - Winger, Blackhawks (DraftKings - $8,800 FanDuel - $8,900)

Kane was suggested as a target Friday night, and he produced two assists. For that reason, you don't need to shy away from the star winger today. Sure, his price is extremely high, but obviously, the production is there. You'll have to find a lot of value picks at the other positions, but it's tough to go wrong when choosing Kane.

Nikita Kucherov - Winger, Lightning (DraftKings - $7,200 FanDuel - $8,100)

The hot streak that I told you about Friday continued for Kucherov. He picked up a goal and an assist in Game 2 after his two goals and assist in Game 1. He's one of the most expensive wingers available tonight (though he's discounted compared to Kane), but he's obviously red-hot right now. Go ahead and expect Kucherov to keep rolling. If he does, you'll definitely want him to be in your lineup.

Brian Boyle - Winger, Lightning (DraftKings - $3,100 FanDuel - $3,900)

Boyle's price tag is about as low as you can get for someone who plays a regular role. He picked up a goal Friday, his third point in the last five games Boyle certainly isn't a consistent player, but he obviously has the ability at times to get his name on the scoresheet. He'll likely have a low ownership in GPP games and won't cost you much to take a chance.

Roman Josi - Defenseman, Predators  (DraftKings - $7,300 FanDuel - $5,900)

He's among the most expensive defensemen available today, but his production has been worth it lately. He's working on a four-game point streak with five points over that span. He produced 63 points in the regular season and has quickly become one of the best offensive blueliners in the league. Take Josi and his hot streak today.

Kyle Quincey - Defenseman, Red Wings  (DraftKings - $3,500 FanDuel - $3,200)

With some expensive wingers available today, you're going to have to find value elsewhere. Quincey picked up an assist in Game 1, his fourth in six games. He doesn't shoot the puck much, but does block shots and take penalty minutes. His plus/minus won't help on FanDuel, but again , you're taking him as a complete speculation pick to make up for the money you'll spend at the offensive positions.

 

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