Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: Tuesday’s bargains and values
By Neil Parker
There are 10 games scheduled Tuesday, and marquee matchups include Western Conference bouts between the Blackhawks and Stars, Sharks and Blues and Kings and Wild.
In the Eastern Conference, the Lightning host the Red Wings and the Ottawa-Washington game should be a nice matchup from which to target a few Capitals. Additionally, look for the Blue Jackets to push Philadelphia with the Flyers playing their second road game in consecutive nights.
Here are your picks, values and fades for the Yahoo slate Tuesday.
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GOALIE
Sergei Bobrovsky, CLS vs. PHI ($27) – Interested in living on the edge? Philadelphia is ripe for a letdown showing Tuesday. The Flyers enter on the second leg of back-to-back road games after winning a key divisional game against the Islanders on Monday, which also helped their playoff outlook. Anthony Stolarz could make his first career start for Philly, or Steve Mason will play consecutive nights. Either way, Bobrovsky has win potential, and he has a 4-1 record with a .940 save percentage and a 1.80 goals-against average through five starts against his former team.
Player to avoid:
Martin Jones, SJ vs. STL ($38) – St. Louis has won seven of its past nine contests and scored 37 goals during the span (4.1 goals per game), so it isn’t a great matchup for the netminder. Jones has been exceptional of late with two goals or fewer allowed in each of his past nine starts, with a .936 save percentage and six wins, but there are cushier matchups among similarly-priced goalies who are also in strong form.
CENTER
Connor McDavid, EDM at ARI ($24) – Riding a four-game point streak with five helpers, McDavid has continued to be one of the most reliable nightly fantasy options. At just above average salary, he provides a nice floor with potential for a multi-point outburst. Arizona has been stingy of late, but Mike Smith’s .972 save percentage through three games since returning from injury is set for a cliff dive.
Player to avoid:
Mark Scheifele, WPG vs. VAN ($27) – Injuries have turned Winnipeg into a one-line team, which makes them much easier to defend. As a result Scheifele has hit the skids of late, failing to find the scoresheet in three straight games. Overall, Vancouver isn’t a tough matchup (2.85 goals allowed per road game), but Scheifele is also tied for the third-most expensive pivot in the player pool, which doesn’t jibe with his recent form and the general outlook for this potentially low-scoring affair.
WING
Nikita Kucherov, TB vs. DET ($22) – A point-per-game play at home, Kucherov has also scored in consecutive games and finds himself in a favorable line assignment flanking Steven Stamkos. Kucherov is too far down the price list given his production over the past two seasons. He currently sits 17th in goals and tied for 20th in points for the campaign, after all.
Jamie McGinn, ANA at MON ($15) – With a three-game goal scoring streak and a top-line gig next to Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, McGinn is a strong value option Tuesday. Montreal has lost four of its past five outings while allowing an average of 3.8 goals per game. The only fear is McGinn could be highly owned, which can limit a lineup’s upside in a large tournament.
Player to avoid:
Tomas Hertl, SJ at STL ($27) – A popular play when he was nearly half this salary, Hertl is a secondary scorer who has fared well riding the coat tails of Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. While the third wheel sports a five-game point streak with two goals and five helpers, he also went without a point in each of the previous four games prior to the streak. Hertl is priced among the top-10 skaters, which is just too costly.
DEFENSE
Dustin Byfuglien, WPG vs. VAN ($20) – Pointless and with a minus-5 rating through his past three outings, Byfuglien’s salary has dropped to a prime profit point. He is an elite offensive defenseman who stuffs the stat line across all categories. Vancouver has averaged just 1.4 goals per game over its past five outings, which limits the plus/minus risk for Byfuglien.
Matt Niskanen, WAS at MON ($15) – Look for a breakout showing from Niskanen on Tuesday. The rearguard has been held off the scoresheet in each of his past four games, but lands in an excellent matchup for his role with the No. 1 power-play unit. Ottawa kills penalties at just 75.4 percent for the year and a similarly-bad 75.8 percent since the All-Star break.
Player to avoid:
Brent Burns, SJ vs. STL ($33) – There are 10 games, which typically enables plenty of values to emerge at the defense position. Burns is a fantasy star, but he is also tied for the most expensive skater in the player pool, and this isn’t an A+ matchup, which shouldn’t entice you into spending a contest-high salary for his services. He also has just one helper through his past three outings.
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