Werbung

Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: Friday picks

NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 14: Newly acquired P.K. Subban #76 of the Nashville Predators follows through on a slap shot that would result in a power play goal against the Chicago Blackhawks at Bridgestone Arena on October 14, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Sanford Myers/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN – OCTOBER 14: Newly acquired P.K. Subban #76 of the Nashville Predators follows through on a slap shot that would result in a power play goal against the Chicago Blackhawks at Bridgestone Arena on October 14, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Sanford Myers/Getty Images)

By Chris Morgan

The NHL is taking us calmly into the weekend with three games. One of them, Nashville versus Detroit, seems pretty evenly matched, and thus may not provide many great opportunities. However, two other games provide us with teams that look like they have a distinct advantage.

GOALIE

Jaroslav Halak, NYI vs. ARI ($33): The Coyotes are off to a slow start and just lost to the Canadiens by a 5-2 score Thursday. They’re also without starting goalie Mike Smith, and Louis Domingue has not looked good since replacing him. This is a great opportunity for Halak to pick up a victory, and winning is vital for goalies in DFS.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Pekka Rinne, NAS vs DET ($36): While Rinne is off to a strong start to the season, let’s not forget that he had a .908 save percentage last season. The Wings have also looked good in their last two contests. This game is too much of a tossup to get excited about either goalie, and Rinne is the more expensive one.

CENTER

Artem Anisimov, CHI at CBJ ($15): The Blue Jackets, who were not good last year even after John Tortorella took over, have let up nine goals in their two games so far. It’s a small sample size, but last season does not inspire confidence either. Anisimov has five points in four games so far, and this matchup could easily lead to a couple more. As a mid-priced player, Anisimov looks like a nice value.

CENTER TO AVOID

Dylan Larkin, DET vs. NAS ($19): While Rinne struggled last year, Nashville also has arguably the best defense in the NHL. More importantly, Larkin is off to a slow start. He only has one point – an assist – and his minutes are actually down so far. Obviously, he’s still a promising player with a bright future, but he’s not worth $19 in this matchup.

WING

Brock Nelson, NYI vs. ARI ($16): As previously mentioned, this is a great matchup for the Islanders. Nelson is listed as a winger on Yahoo, but plays center in real life, which offers a little bit of an extra edge for our purposes. He has four points so far and has tallied more than 20 goals in consecutive seasons. With so few games Friday, don’t be shy about getting Islanders players in your lineup.

Josh Bailey, NYI vs. ARI ($12): No, seriously, don’t be shy about it. Bailey is skating on the Islanders’ top line now, which means he’s playing alongside John Tavares. Those added minutes give Bailey the potential to have a career year. He has one goal and two assists in four games so far, and there’s plenty of potential for more with his premier role in this tasty matchup.

WINGERS TO AVOID

Filip Forsberg, NAS at DET ($23): The Red Wings have looked better in their last two games, although that included Jimmy Howard standing on his head against the Rangers. That said, Forsberg only has two assists and five shots on goal in three games so far. He’ll turn it around, but he’s the third-most-expensive winger Friday, so you can find better value elsewhere.

Cam Atkinson, CBJ vs. CHI ($20): Atkinson scored a quiet-seeming 27 goals last season for a rough Columbus team, and he’s right in his prime now. He’s gotten started with two points in two games, which is decent enough. However, Chicago has been great for several seasons, and even though Corey Crawford is off to a very slow start (.884 save percentage), he’s a proven goalie. This price is a little steep for Atkinson in this matchup.

DEFENSEMEN

P.K. Subban, NAS at DET ($23): There aren’t really many defensive values on Friday, so why not just spend cash on the most dynamic offensive defenseman in action? Subban has taken well to his new home, picking up a couple points with nine shots on goal in three games. His power-play minutes are low so far, but that’s more about the opposition’s discipline than anything the Predators are doing to limit his exposure. Subban’s as pricey as any defenseman, but you may as well spend an extra buck or two for his talent.

Brent Seabrook, CHI at CBJ ($21): Seabrook is a couple bucks cheaper than Subban, and he has a better matchup to boot. He also already has five points in four games – a strong start for a guy coming off a career year. Seabrook’s not always thought of as an elite defenseman, but from an offensive perspective, he’s pretty darn close.

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Jakob Chychrun, ARI at NYI ($16): The 18-year-old rookie just scored his first NHL goal. Congratulations to him, but he’s still a young, raw player who has seen no time on the power play. That makes it harder for him to have fantasy value, and it feels too early for him to be valued at $16 in this matchup.

Luke Schenn, ARI at NYI ($15): Schenn has never really been much of a scorer. He has zero points and only three shots in three games. You may not need to be told not to select Schenn, but since there aren’t a lot of glaringly questionable prices Friday, we might as well make sure you know he’s not a good cap-relief option.