Washington Capitals Vs. Edmonton Oilers
With only two games on today’s slate, it’s going to be important to get very creative. The Washington Capitals played last night and beat the Calgary Flames 5-4. They come to Edmonton having won three games in a row and six of their last ten. We should be in for a real treat tonight watching a ton of top talent score in bunches.
For Edmonton, it’s always the same conversation: Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. For cash games, McDavid is always the best option. He shoots the puck a lot more than Draisaitl and doesn’t have great wingers. For GPPs, it’s the opposite. Draisaitl can produce, but most of his points will come via assists. He has a shooting percentage of 22% over the last ten games, which is above his career average.
The best way to get exposure to this game is to look at wingers. Evander Kane and Zach Hymann play on separate lines, but on the top power play unit. Both players have been pretty consistent over the last ten games and their price tags are very reasonable.
On the back end, it’s all about Darnell Nurse. Tyson Barrie is on IR and Evan Bouchard is questionable to play tonight. This should give Nurse a huge boost because he’s going to be counted on to play a lot of minutes. He can shoot the puck, block shots and rack up points. If Bouchard can’t go tonight, Duncan Keith is a good value play.
In goal, there’s no reason to consider any Edmonton goalie, ever.
For the Capitals, Alex Ovechkin is by far the most expensive winger on DraftKings, but he continues to earn his price tag. With the Oilers potentially missing two key defenceman, you have to believe that Ovechkin will finish with over five shots. If you can’t fit him in, Anthony Mantha is $3600 on DK and is skating on the second line with Nick Backstrom. Mantha has been decent since making his season debut but isn’t seeing time on the top power play unit. Does that limit his upside? Yes, but at that price, he doesn’t have to do much to hit value.
On defence, Martin Fehervary is $2500 and is skating five-on-five with John Carlson. He won’t wow anyone with his offensive production, but he can block shots and mix in a few shots on goal. If he can do just that, he will hit value. Paying down also allows you to pay up for another elite forward.
In the blue paint, Ilya Samsonov is likely to get the start. He’s struggled over his last few games, but he is much better on the roan than at home. Going up against McDavid and Draisaitl is a difficult task, but he’s the best goalie option on the slate and is reasonably priced.
Montreal Canadiens Vs. Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are getting a lot of love tonight and that shouldn’t be the case. The Montreal Canadiens have played a lot better since Martin St. Louis took over and seeing the Canucks with a 4.0 team total-- the highest on the slate-- is a mistake. Are they going to score goals? Yes, but they may not hit that number.
Vancouver is led by J.T. Miller and he continues to be great value. He has 17-points in the last ten games and is the gift that keeps on giving. He is skating on a line with Brock Boeser and Tanner Pearson and all three are worth considering in a GPP. Pearson has five goals in the last ten games, but Boeser is the shooter on that line. If you need to save some salary, go with the cheaper option.
Elias Pettersson has really turned his game around. The young centerman has 13-points in the last ten games and is $4600 on DK. He’s worth considering as a single-bullet in all formats.
On defence, Quinn Hughes is an option to consider, but Travis Hamonic is where I’m spending my money. His price tag has skyrocketed over the last five games, but he’s done everything to earn it. $5100 is still value for a defenceman who continues to block a ton of shots and shoot the puck. If you can’t decide between the two, just play both.
In goal, Thatcher Demko should get the start tonight. Montreal has been scoring more goals of late, but Demko is 7-1 in his last ten games with a .912 SV%. He could easily be the highest-owned goalie on the slate.
For Montreal, it’s all about their top line. Nick Suzuki has the same amount of goals and points as Miller in the last five games but is $1100 less. Cole Caufield has been filling the net since the coaching change and Josh Anderson has six goals in the last ten games. Any combination works in cash games. If you want to go one step further, just play all three and move on.
If you need some value, Mike Hoffman is the player to target. He has five points in the last two games and is seeing time on the second power play unit. If you want to find a dirt-cheap option, Rem Pitlick is expected to make his debut for the Habs tonight. He’s $2500 on DK and is skating on the third line and second power play unit. It’s a big risk to take, but it could work out.
On the back end, Jeff Petry is considered day-to-day and if he can’t play, Ben Chiarot is the next-best option. He’s already seeing a healthy amount of minutes and could hit value with a point and a few blocked shots. If you’re looking for a really cheap defenceman, Chris Wideman would take Petry’s spot on the top power play unit and is $2500 on DK. He doesn’t shoot the puck enough, but at that price, one point is all we are looking for.
In goal, we could play Sam Montembeault (if he starts) or get extra creative and go with Carey Price. I’m aware that he’s not going to start because he’s back home working on getting healthy, but he’s $6500 on DK and could allow you to pay up for an extra elite skater. The goalie options on this slate aren’t great and both games have totals of 6.5. Vegas expects both games to be high-scoring, so why are we breaking out heads to play a goalie that isn’t going to hit value and will cost us upwards of $7400? If playing Price means you can pay up for Ovechkin or McDavid, why not do it? It’s a risky play to consider, but on a short-slate with these goalie options, it’s the best time to *at least* consider it.
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