Welcome to the Friday, March 3rd edition of FanDuel NHL Blue Line Power Plays. The goal of this article is to help you find the top scoring options with several value picks for affordability.  The salary options we discuss are set by FanDuel for Friday.
While the NHL had a big ten-game schedule last night, they’re continuing to offer a lot of match ups on Friday night, with six games schedule.  So there’s going to be plenty of scoring and value options to pick through.  We’re going to grab at least one player from each game, along with a few stacks. Here’s a look at the scheduled games for tonight:
Lightening at Penguins (7pm ET)
Coyotes at Hurricanes (7:30pm ET)
Blues at Jets (8pm ET)
Islanders at Blackhawks (8:30pm ET)
Red Wings at Flames (9pm ET)
Maple Leafs at Ducks (10pm ET)
The Lightening are playing the Penguins on road ice, but their offense has been on a tear lately, and we may look to stack some of their top options tonight.  In Chicago, we’re expecting the Blackhawks to stay hot against an up-and-down Islanders team.
With the Jets on home ice against the Blues, we’ll likely grab a player or two from Winnipeg.  And in Calgary, we’re going to find a great goalie value option.
Let’s start off with a look at our centers:
Next: Top Centers
Top Centers
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a good hockey team this year with solid goal tending. Â But the Penguins have struggled lately, winning only half of their last ten games. Â Pittsburgh has even struggled on home ice in favorable match ups.
The Tampa Bay Lightening are arriving in Pittsburgh with a hot offense.  Tyler Johnson ($6,100) is leading the Bolts top line and has six assists and one goal in the Lightening’s last four games. That’s quite a run, but not surprising considering the talent on Tampa’s 1st line.  Even in Pittsburgh, Johnson and his crew should stay hot tonight.
As we’ll see when we review our winger options, we’re going to really load up on top talent.  To afford several expensive players, we’re going to look for value plays in most positions.  Our value play at center is Jori Lehtera ($3,700).
Lehtera is in the middle of a cold streak, with only 3.2 FanDuel NHL points over the last three games.  But in the four games before that, he had three double-digit point results.  I’m not sure if we can include Tarasenko in our loaded wing picks, but getting Jori’s helpers to Vladimir in a favorable match up against the Jets for under $4K seems like a bargain to me.
Next: Top Wings
Top Wings
Three expensive, but very hot options at wing are Patrick Kane ($8,600), Nikita Kucherov ($8,000), and Patrik Laine ($7,700).  Typically, it’s very hard to afford all three options. But tonight, we’re going to do just that!
Kane is coming off a hat trick against the Penguins on Wednesday. Â Patrick has two 44 FanDuel NHL point games in the Blackhawks last three games. Â His sub-44 point game was 25.3, still a very high return. Â Tonight on home ice against a suspect Isles D, and goal tending, Kane should stay hot.
Kucherov is going to try to replicate Kane’s results against the Penguins tonight.  Nikita has an incredible six goals and six assits in the Bolts last four games.  In that span, Kucherov has 157 FanDuel NHL points, or 39.25 points-per-game.  I expect Nikita to be heavily owned, but do you want to be the only lineup without a 40-point play?  I know I don’t!
Laine hasn’t been as dominate as Kane and Kucherov over the last week, but he’s pretty close. Patrik has eight goals and four assists in the Jets last six games.  In that span, Laine has been a lock for double-digit FanDuel NHL points and is averaging around 25 per game.  On home ice against the Blues tonight, Laine should stay hot!
Finally, we’re going to grab a value pick to afford our hot, but expensive, wingers.  Richard Panik ($4,700) isn’t on Kane’s line.  Panik is playing on Toews top Hawks line instead.  But Chicago’s 1st line is also hot lately.  Over the last seven games, Panik has six games over 16 points.  The only sub-16 FanDuel NHL point game is a 9.6 result against the Coyotes on February 23rd.  So we’re getting a bargain hot-streak with this pick!
Next: Top Defense
Top Defense
We’ll continue to look at value with our two defensive picks tonight, to make our lineup affordable and grab a favorable match up at goalie.
Jake Gardiner ($4,700) cooled off in the last two West Coast road match ups for the Maple Leafs, only scoring around 4 FanDuel NHL points-per-game.  But heading into this road trip, Gardiner had four straight double-digit FanDuel NHL games, two above 28 points.  In Anaheim tonight, I like Jake’s chances of climbing over 10 points again.
The Arizona Coyotes gave up six goals the Sabres in Buffalo last night.  The Yotes are in Carolina tonight playing a cooler Hurricanes offense.  But it’s likely the Canes will strike several times on home ice.  Jaccob Slavin ($3,700) has two assists in the last two games, and Slavin should be primed for another helper tonight, on a very low salary.
Next: Top Goalie
Top Goalie
There are several inintriguing goalie options tonight, but none are more eye-grabbing to me than Brian Elliott ($7,800) between the pipes against the Red Wings.  Detroit’s offense started to burn up a few weeks ago, but have since struggled.  So the Flames are favored tonight on home ice.  There’s at least 12 points we should count on for Elliott.
Also, Brian has been on fire lately.  Elliott has 23 to 34 saves over the last four games.  He’s also won four of the Flames last five games, his only loss in OT on road ice against the Canucks. Tonight, Elliott should see 25-35 shots on goal, and opportunity for around 30 saves, and could even see a shutout opportunity, with at least a win.  This could be a solid 25-30 FanDuel NHL point play at goalie for under $8K, a bargain.
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!
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