FanDuel NHL: February 22
By Matt Rogers
FanDuel NHL: February 22 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.
It’s Wednesday night, so many NHL teams are taking the night off. With only three games on the FanDuel NHL slate tonight, we have limited options to build optimal lineups. But with limited options, the best lineups are usually easy cash wins. Here is a look at the NHL schedule tonight:
Oilers at Panthers (7:30pm ET)
Capitals at Flyers (8pm ET)
Bruins at Ducks (10:30pm 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
Most of our lineup will be a steady diet of Panthers and Bruins stacks. That starts with our top options at center. Vincent Trocheck ($6,000) is having an incredible season. Along with Barkov, Trocheck is a big reason the Panthers are threatening for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference this year.
Over the last six games, Vinny has consistently recorded double-digit FanDuel NHL points games, five of his last six. Trocheck’s worst game lately was a 9.6 FanDuel NHL point result in San Jose. Vinny has three goals and five helpers over the last six games a steady flow of points for our lineups. Tonight at home in Florida against the Oilers, Trocheck should be involved in at least one scoring opportunity.
Ryan Spooner ($4,800) doesn’t feel like he should be a value pick, but he’s our best value pick tonight. Spooner also has five double-digit FanDuel NHL points over the last six games, but is $1,200 cheaper than Trocheck. Also, the Bruins are playing the Ducks, who have struggled to keep the puck out of their own net lately.
Next: Top Wings
Top Wings
With the Caps playing in Philly against the Flyers, I suspect most FanDuel NHL players will have Cap-Heavy lineups. For the most part, we’re going to fade that option and continue to focus on Panthers, Bruins, and even some Flyers.
Marcus Johansson ($5,100) is the one exception. Johansson is a cheaper option from the awesome Capitals lines, but is also a consistent scorer on their 2nd line. Over the last six games, Marcus had four 20+ FanDuel NHL point games. He cooled off recently in New York and Detroit. But anyone on the ice for around 20 minutes in Philly, lately, has a good chance of scoring a goal.
Brad Marchand ($7,700) is one of those few dynamic FanDuel NHL options each time his team is on the ice. While Brad won’t get you over 20 FanDuel NHL points every night, he does it fairly consistently over time. Since the beginning of February, Marchand is averaging over 20 FanDuel NHL points-per-game, and only had one disappointing 3.2 point game at home against the Canucks. Brad should stay hot tonight in Anaheim.
The top Flyers player this season, and NHL all-star MVP, Wayne Simmonds ($6,800) appears to be getting hot since the all-star break. Simmonds now has four goals over the last five Flyers games and is consistently delivering nearly 20 FanDuel NHL points-per-game.
Looking back to the Bruins, we’re going to grab David Pastrnak ($6,600) from their 2nd line to fill out a great group of wings tonight. Thanks to our value plays at center, defense, and goalie. In the last six Bruins games, Pastrnak has five goals and five assists. He should stay hot tonight.
Next: Top Defense
Top Defense
Most of the defense options are very cheap tonight, with only three above $5K, and no one above $6K. So our decision isn’t as difficult. We’re going to grab to young rising stars, 21-year-old Panther Aaron Ekblad ($5,200) and 20-year-old Flyers Ivan Provorov ($4,500).
Ekblad is averaging around 15 FanDuel NHL points over the Panthers last four games. And Provorov is averaging roughly 12 FanDuel NHL points over the Flyers last five games. If each of these plays delivers double-digit points, we’re in for a big cash night tonight.
Next: Top Goalie
Top Goalie
With James Reimer ($8,000) confirmed to defend the net for the Florida Panthers tonight, he’s immediately a very attractive value option at goalie. Reimer and Neuvirth are the only two goalie options below a $8.8K salary, up to $9.4K for Holtby. But Neuvirth has not been on point lately, and the Flyers defense has been horrendous.
Reimer is on fire lately. Over the last five Panthers starts for James, he has four wins and only given up seven goals, just over one goal per game. In Reimer’s last two games, each road games, he had around 30 saves per game, and 29+ FanDuel NHL points-per-game. So, even with a tough Oilers offense in Florida tonight, it’s worth riding Reimer’s hot streak and building a more robust total lineup.
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!