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Barry Leonard's DFS advice for 5/8/16 and 5/9/16. 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 8th and 9th 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.
Is there anything more exciting than playoff hockey? The answer is no. With the second round rolling on, there are still DFS contests to participate in, but the slate usually covers two days. That's the case today, as the current DFS contests use games from both Sunday and Monday.
Tampa Bay heads home on Sunday to take on the Islanders. The Lightning hold a commanding 3-1 lead in the series after three straight wins.
Monday brings two games and two more teams facing elimination. The Blues can finish off the Stars, while San Jose is on the verge of eliminating Nashville.
With only three games it can be tough sometimes to pick a lineup. You really have to study and hunt for hidden value. Hopefully the targets below will provide some of that value.
Check out my DFS picks for Sunday and Monday below.
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NHL DFS Picks for Sunday-Monday, May 8th and 9th
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)
With three straight wins against the Islanders, Bishop and his Lightning have a chance to clinch the series on Sunday. Bishop has been extremely sharp and has just two losses this postseason. The 29-year-old has posted an impressive 2.12 GAA and is once again a top target in net for DFS lineups.
Tyler Johnson- Center, Lightning (DraftKings - $6,100 FanDuel - $6,800)
Johnson has been a beast in the last three games of the series with the Islanders. He added an assist Friday for his third in three games and has five total points in his last three games. With 12 points in the postseason, Johnson deserves a look in daily lineups each time he's on the ice. Johnson will look to keep his production up Sunday and help the Lightning advance.
Paul Stastny - Center, Blues (DraftKings - $4,700 FanDuel - $5,400)
Stastny notched a goal and an assist Saturday and now has a three-game point streak going. He's been playing well this postseason, picking up six points thus far. He doesn't produce much on the power play, and his number of shots are inconsistent, but his ability to find the scoresheet with a decent salary make him an important piece of a DFS lineup on either FanDueal or DraftKings.
Colin Wilson - Winger, Predators (DraftKings - $3,600 FanDuel - $5,100)
Wilson has continued to produce this postseason with a very reasonable DFS salary. He's been all over the ice in the current series and has given the Sharks fits so far. His production is no longer a secret, so don't expect a low ownership, but he's still worth a start on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Nikita Kucherov - Winger, Lightning (DraftKings - $7,600 FanDuel - $8,300)
His price tag is high, but the production has been through the roof, especially recently. Kucherov has eight goals through nine postseason games and has been a big key to what the Lightning have done. He followed up Tuesday's dramatic goal at the end of regulation with another goal Friday night. The Russian is rolling right now and needs to be in your lineup.
Joonas Donskoi - Winger, Sharks (DraftKings - $3,700 FanDuel - $3,600)
Donskoi has been a sneaky source of fantasy production this postseason, albeit a bit inconsistent. Still, you have to take a chance on some guys if you hope to pick some stars on your lineup. He has settled into a top-six role with Logan Couture as the center and has shown the ability to both score and dish it to his teammates. Donskoi had a big game Saturday night, racking up two assists. It won't cost you much, so take a chance with him.
Jay Bouwmeester - Defenseman, Blues (DraftKings - $3,900 FanDuel - $3,200)
Finding value at defenseman will clear cap space to be used elsewhere. Jay Bouwmeester wasn't much of a factor in fantasy hockey in the regular season, but his recent play has turned him into a sleeper pick for the postseason, especially for such a low price. He's getting good ice time and has increased his shots on goal compared to the regular season. He'll also get points with blocked shots for DraftKings users. He picked up an assist Saturday and now has two points in the last three games.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Defenseman, Sharks (DraftKings - $5,000 FanDuel - $5,200)
Often overlooked thanks to the play of teammate and fellow blueliner Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic can put up some solid fantasy numbers for a much cheaper price. He's got a knack for blocking shots and also isn't shy about firing shots on goal. He's been very productive in the series with the Predators, putting up an assist in each of the last three games.
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