Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: Draisaitl, Kessel smart plays for Sunday
By Sasha Yodashkin
Sunday features a second consecutive nine-game slate following the Christmas break, granting NHL fans plenty of opportunities to make up for the three hockeyless days that preceded this busy weekend with a 5 p.m. EST start. The night’s most entertaining tilt may well end up being the Stars-Blues rematch from atop the Central Division, but expect most fantasy lineups to feature plenty of Blackhawks and Islanders as they battle the overmatched Hurricanes and Maple Leafs, respectively. While there’s something to be said for playing to the conventional wisdom, it’s important to keep an open mind and consider factors besides team affiliation when looking for value plays. For a variety of reasons, the players listed below are all strong candidates to outproduce their current prices.
GOALIE
John Gibson, ANA vs. PHI ($36) – Despite a pedestrian 4-4-2 record, Gibson has a marvelous 1.97 GAA and .923 save percentage this season. The Flyers have scored fewer goals than anyone except Gibson’s own Ducks this season, so the young netminder won’t get to face a weaker offense all season. Gibson’s not the cheapest option around, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better time to use him than Sunday night.
Goalie to Avoid:
Cam Talbot, EDM at CGY ($30) – Talbot seems like a tempting value play against a subpar Flames squad, but Calgary’s 10-game home winning streak suggests things won’t be so easy for the former Rangers netminder. While Edmonton’s surging offense should give Talbot a fair amount of help, it’s tough to trust a goaltender with a 3.00 GAA and .904 save percentage to hold up in a hostile environment.
CENTER
Leon Draisaitl, EDM at CGY ($18) – Just $18 for a better than point-per-game center against the NHL’s worst defensive team — what’s not to like? Draisaitl doused the Flames with a goal and two assists in his only other meeting with them back on Oct. 31, and there’s little reason not to expect a similar performance in the rematch, considering the chemistry he has demonstrated with linemates Taylor Hall and Teddy Purcell.
Centers to Avoid:
Dennis Rasmussen, CHI vs. CAR ($15) – While a home game against Carolina promises to be a fruitful fantasy environment, throwing Blackhawks players into your lineup willy-nilly is a good way to waste a fabulous matchup. It’s still important to pinpoint players who offer the best bang for the buck, and a $15 center seeing just 10 minutes of playing time per game simply doesn’t fall under that category. Rasmussen’s four points through nine games are fueled by a ridiculous 23.1 percent shooting percentage, so expect him to continue to drop from his already mediocre standing as his luck normalizes.
Tyler Seguin, DAL vs. STL ($34) – Seguin has been incredible this season, but just six of his goals have come at home. That information coupled with a matchup against an excellent defensive team in the Blues is enough to land the night’s most expensive skater on the Avoid list.
WING
Phil Kessel, PIT at WPG ($20) – After pairing Kessel with scrub centers like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan finally realized the key to unlocking the speedy winger’s potential was putting him alongside a true playmaking pivot. Kessel found the back of the net twice in his first game playing with Nick Bonino and has a good chance to pick up his third two-game goal-scoring streak of the season against a Jets team he has historically dominated. Kessel’s 17 goals in 31 games against the Winnipeg franchise are his most against any team that he’s faced less than 50 times, suggesting now is as good a time as ever for the talented scorer to turn around what has been a disappointing first season with the Penguins.
Jaromir Jagr, FLA at CBJ ($18) – Jagr has taken kindly to a recent bump in playing time, as he has put up a goal and two assists in the last two games while seeing north of 20 minutes both times. A date with the worst defensive team in the Eastern Conference figures to allow the veteran winger to stay hot, especially given that the 43-year-old should be fresh enough for another large workload after having five days to rest his bones due to the Christmas break.
Wings to Avoid:
Frank Vatrano, BOS at OTT ($18) – Vatrano’s six career points in 19 NHL games are hardly worthy of an $18 price tag. Leave the third-line winger off your roster until he either moves up in the lineup or comes down in price.
Mark Stone, OTT vs. BOS ($17) – The struggling Stone has managed to top 5.0 fantasy points just once in his last seven outings. Don’t expect him to fare much better against a Bruins team that gave up just 13 goals while winning six of its last nine prior to the Christmas break.
DEFENSE
Mark Giordano, CGY vs. EDM ($22) – His season-long stats are still a bit underwhelming, but Giordano’s ascension back to fantasy prominence is unmistakable when looking at his recent performances. Giordano had 48 points through 61 games in 2014-15 before suffering an arm injury that seemed to limit him through the early stages of 2015-16, but the Calgary blueliner has finally regained his pre-injury form with three goals, eight assists and 123.0 fantasy points in his last 12 games. He’s as valuable a fantasy asset as any defenseman when he’s playing well, so $22 is a pittance to pay for the streaking Giordano.
Trevor Daley, PIT at WPG ($13) – The offensive-minded defenseman has fit in much better in Pittsburgh than he did with Chicago, as he has a goal and two assists in just four games with the Penguins after recording no goals and six assists in 29 appearances with the Blackhawks. Daley has notched a point with the man advantage in each of his last two games, so his presence on Pittsburgh’s second power-play unit could prove to be a key factor against the league’s fourth-worst penalty kill. It’s only a matter of time before Daley’s daily price rises due to his more fruitful role in Pittsburgh.
Defensemen to Avoid:
Brent Seabrook, CHI vs. CAR ($18) – Like Dennis Rasmussen, Seabrook is another example of the wrong player on the right team. While Chicago will probably handily beat Carolina, don’t expect the veteran defenseman to play a major role in the outcome considering he has no goals and just two assists through 12 December appearances.
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