May 6, 2016

Barry Leonard's DFS advice for 5/6/16 and 5/7/16. 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 May 5th and 6th 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.

Some good games are on tap this weekend and since there are only a total of four, the DFS sites are running NHL slates that cover two days. Today's article combines games for both Friday and Saturday and looks at players to target in contests on both DraftKings and FanDuel.

Just one game is scheduled Friday, with the Islanders and Lightning meeting in Game 4. Tampa holds the lead in the series after a stunning overtime victory Tuesday.

Saturday has three games on tap, with the Penguins, Capitals, Stars, Blues, Predators, and Sharks all in action. Of those three, all eyes will be on the evening matchup in Washington. The Caps fell into a deep 1-3 hole after dropping a heartbreaker in overtime Wednesday night.

Although there are just four games to choose from there are plenty of big names and sleepers available for your lineups.

Check out my DFS picks for Friday and Saturday below.

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NHL DFS Picks for Friday-Saturday, May 6th and 7th

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 Friday and Saturday's action.

Ben Bishop - Goaltender, LIghtning (DraftKings - $8,400  FanDuel - $10,000)

Bishop has given up four goals twice in the series to the Islanders, but has won two straight games. After allowing one goal in a Game 2 win, he got bailed out by his teammates in a 5-4 win Tuesday night. The 29-year-old had a fantastic regular season with 35 wins and a 2.06 GAA. His numbers for the postseason are fairly solid, winning six games with a 2.28 GAA. Of the available netminders available, Bishop looks to have the best matchup and makes for the best target.

Matt Cullen - Center, Penguins (DraftKings - $4,200 FanDuel - $4,600)

The veteran center has become an important piece of the puzzle for the Penguins. He enters Friday's game with points in two straight games and five total points in nine playoff games thus far. The Penguins have relied heavily on secondary scoring in the hard-fought series with the Capitals, and Cullen has been a big producer. He skated especially well on Wednesday and proved that despite his age, he can still skate with some of the best in the league.

Valtteri Filppula - Center, Lightning  (DraftKings - $3,700 FanDuel - $3,900)

Filppula has been the biggest beneficiary of more ice time since the injury to Steven Stamkos. He's really stepped up his game in the second round, racking up a goal and three assists in three games against the Islanders. He makes for a good sleeper play at center, freeing up your cap space for some higher-priced options.

Tomas Hertl - Winger, Sharks (DraftKings - $5,100 FanDuel - $5,500)

Hertl proved to be a sneaky source  of fantasy production for his owners during the regular season, racking up a career-high 21 goals and 25 assists. He has continued to produce in the postseason and has made the most of his time spent on San Jose's top line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. Hertl is a good course of production at a value price.

Alexander Ovechkin - Winger, Capitals (DraftKings - $9,000 FanDuel - $9,600)

With the Capitals heading back home, Ovechkin will surely be amped up. He's been playing strong hockey all series long, but has had trouble converting that good play into points. Still, Ovie is one of the best players in the league and can elevate his game in big moments. It will cost you, but spend the money on the talented winger. Even when he's not scoring, he can rack up fantasy points with hits and shots on goal. With the Capitals on the brink of elimination, Ovechkin will certainly look to up his game Saturday.

Jaden Schwartz - Winger, Blues (DraftKings - $5,300 FanDuel - $5,100)

Schwartz has shown flashed of what made him a first-round selection back in 2010. He was limited by injury this season, but still produced 22 points in just 33 games. He's been a solid producer for the Blues so far this postseason and should be trusted in DFS lineups. His plus/minus will hinder him a bit on FanDuel, but the potential to score power-play points should help balance that out. As long as he remains on the top line, he'll continue to carry fantasy value.

Victor Hedman - Defenseman, Lightning (DraftKings - $6,600 FanDuel - $6,600)

Hedman has been the workhorse for the Lightning, twice skating over 30 minutes this postseason. He's put up seven points through eight playoff games and has proven to be a very valuable fantasy asset this postseason. He doesn't seem to be slowing down and has quickly become one of the best fantasy defensemen still available.

Roman Josi - Defenseman, Predators (DraftKings - $7,300 FanDuel - $5,700)

Nashville's top blueliner has been a key producer this postseason. He proved to be a top offensive defenseman during the regular season and has continued it in the postseason. There are plenty of value options available, meaning you'll be able to spend big on someone like Josi. He won't cost you as much as Brent Burns, but could net you close to the same type of numbers.

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