FanDuel NHL: February 17
By Matt Rogers
FanDuel NHL: February 17 is a daily fantasy sports column focusing on the best FanDuel NHL player and value options for your daily lineups. The salary options are based on the daily salaries set by FanDuel. We’ll review the best options at each position, and help you afford an ideal lineup for your big FanDuel NHL paydays.
The soft NBA players needed six days off, for the All Star Break, so there’s more attention on NHL daily fantasy sports this weekend. But, the NHL only scheduled three games tonight, so we have limited lineup options. The goal of this lineup is to pick big plays, while also identifying value options which may be low-owned, and present a competitive advantage against other FanDuel NHL players Friday night. Here’s a look at the schedule for tonight, games starting between 7pm ET and 10pm ET:
Penguins at Blue Jackets (7pm ET)
Avalanche at Hurricanes (7:30pm ET)
Panthers at Ducks (10pm ET)
Before we review the top options for each FanDuel NHL lineup position, let’s review the FanDuel NHL scoring rules:
Forwards/Defense
- Goals = 12pts
- Assists = 8pts
- Shots on Goal = 1.6pts
- Short Handed points = 2pts
- Power Play Points = 0.5pts
- Blocked Shots = 1.6pts
Goalies
- Win = 12pts
- Goals Against = -4pts
- Saves = 0.8pts
- Shutouts = 8pts
Next: Top Centers
Top Centers
Since the start of the new year, Evgeni Malkin ($8,500) had eight goals and seven assists in only eleven games. That’s almost 1.5 NHL points (Goal or Assist) per game. Evgeni has 20+ FanDuel NHL points in four of the last five Penguins games.
Tonight, a hot Penguins team heads into Columbus to take on Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets. A month or so ago, this match up worries me. But the Blue Jackets have really cooled off as we approached the all-star break, and Malkin and the Penguins are on fire.
Another hot offense is the Florida Panthers. While most FanDuel NHL players are likely focusing on Barkov and Trocheck, I’ve noticed Nick Bjugstad ($4,600) had fantastic value over the last three games.
Nick has three goals and an assist in the past three games, along with seven shots on goal. The Panthers have a touch match up against Gibson and the Ducks tonight, but if the Panthers scoring stays hot, the leader of the 3rd line should be involved in a goal or two again tonight.
Next: Top Wings
Top Wings
While we’re on the Panthers, we’ll grab two more hot wingers, Jonathan Huberdeau ($6,200) and Jussi Jokinen ($4,800). Since coming back into the Panthers lineup on February 3rd, Huberdeau has been smoking hot. Jonathan now has three goals and four assists in only four games. Huberdeau is averaging an amazing 23.3 FanDuel NHL points-per-game and is a big reason Florida is scoring again.
Meanwhile, Jokinen is quietly piling up goals, three in the Panthers last three games, along with two assists. One of Jussi’s recent goals was a power play goal as well, and he’s getting at least two shots off each game for Florida’s 2nd line. If Jokinen and Huberdeau stay hot tonight, Panthers win.
Flipping back to the Penguins for one of my favorite value plays in the last couple of weeks, we’ll grab Jake Guentzel ($4,200). The young 1st line winger had taken advantage of playing around tremendous talent like Crosby, and at times Malkin. Guentzel only had two shots last night, bu proceeding that game, he was averaging close to 15 FanDuel NHL points-per-game in February. If Jake is involved in another score for the Penguins tonight, this is a great value pick.
I haven’t called on Elias Lindholm ($5,100) in a few weeks, as the Hurricanes lost wind recently. But tonight the canes are hosting a horrible Colorado Avalanche and Lindholm has seven assists in Carolina’s last five games.
Next: Top Defense
Top Defense
Crosby’s hot, Malkin’s hot, and the Penguins offensive team is hot. So it should be a surprise that Kris Letang ($7,200) has five assists in Pittsburgh’s last three games. Getting 25-30 minutes of ice time each game, Kris is also getting around four or five shots on goal and one or two blocked shots per game. Since the start of February, Letang averaged around 20 FanDuel NHL points-per-game. He’s an expensive play tonight, but worth it.
Our value pick for tonight is a hot Cam Fowler ($4,800). In a tough match up on Tuesday, Fowler only had 4.8 FanDuel NHL points. But in the three games prior, Cam averaged around 20 FanDuel NHL points-per-game. That’s an incredible result for a sub-$5k investment. Fowler should bounce back tonight with another double-digit result at home against Florida in a shoot-out.
Next: Top Goalie
Top Goalie
We’ve talked about the Penguins a lot today, and we’re going to finish with the best one this season, Matt Murray ($9,400). With Pittsburgh shopping Fluery, it’s now more than clear Murray is the lead stopper for the perennial winner Penguins.
From a FanDuel NHL perspective, Matt is also a clear leader, averaging well over 10 points even during losses, and exceeding 40 points twice in the last two weeks. The match up tonight is deceiving. Weeks ago, this would look like tough competition for the Penguins. But Pittsburgh is surging while the Black Jackets are rapidly cooling off. This should be a great night to have Murray in your lineups.
Next: DraftKings NBA ASB Picks
Always check NHL lineups throughout the day when playing FanDuel NHL. As a fan, you likely know the league isn’t overly forthcoming with injury news, and players are often scratched at the last-minute with little information. Also, goaltenders are never a sure-thing. Good Luck today FanDuelers!