Yesterday, I sat down thinking I might play some DFS on the four-game slate, but after looking at the options available, I decided to pass. Instead, I ended up watching the Blackhawks, which, in retrospect, wasn\u2019t exactly a great choice from an entertainment standpoint. Oh well.<\/p>\n
This is a fun slate coming up, and I do want to mention something before we dive in. There are two massive chalk spots tonight, and potentially a third if Colorado gains traction. So, I\u2019ll say this: if you want to play Tampa Bay, who still haven\u2019t lost at home to Chicago, go for it. If Edmonton is your preferred spot against Anaheim, that\u2019s perfectly fine too. I won\u2019t hold you from targeting against these teams tonight!<\/p>\n
Slate Preview<\/p>\n
Utah Mammoth<\/p>\n
I\u2019m still not sure if what we saw from Montreal the other night was a fluke. Truth be told, I took their season win total under 98.5 before the year started, and with Nick Suzuki<\/a> potentially out of the lineup for a team that already spends plenty of time in the penalty box, I have some interest in Utah.<\/p>\n My biggest issue with the Mammoth is the lack of power-play correlation throughout their lines. However, if I had to pick one spot, it would be the second line. You can certainly full-stack the unit or build around a Clayton Keller<\/a> ($6,500) \u2013 Logan Cooley<\/a> ($5,100) pairing and add a defenseman for correlation. I think that approach works just as well.<\/p>\n For single-entry contests, I\u2019m not entirely sure I\u2019ll end up here. In multi-entry builds, though, Utah is a team I\u2019ll definitely consider. If you like the second line, the pricing makes it easy to pair them with another quality mid-range stack. On Tuesday, I paired them with Toronto\u2019s top line. It didn\u2019t work out, but hey, that\u2019s DFS.<\/p>\n New York Rangers<\/p>\n The Rangers could end up being a popular pivot tonight, but if I\u2019m pushing my chips into the middle, this is one of my favorite spots on the slate against Philadelphia.<\/p>\n Last season, New York struggled at MSG early on, but this year has been a different story. The Rangers are 7-2-0 at home and welcome a Flyers team that sits near the bottom of the standings and ranks third to the bottom among the league\u2019s worst teams in goal differential.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for full even-strength correlation, the top line is the obvious option. If you need a secondary stack or value filler, there are also pieces on the second and third lines that fit nicely into builds. Personally, I may just power-play stack New York and move on. I really like the construction of their top power-play unit. While they saw slightly reduced ice time against St. Louis last game, I\u2019ll gladly go right back to that first unit tonight.<\/p>\n Nashville Predators<\/p>\n One thing I always find interesting when reviewing slates is seeing which teams consistently attract ownership. Nashville seems to be one of those teams this season and last. Ottawa had a similar reputation last year, though it hasn\u2019t been quite as extreme this season, possibly with Brady Tkachuk<\/a> off the roster that has cooled down some.<\/p>\n So, let’s talk about the Predators because I do have interest here. Hopefully, the road matchup against Colorado scares some people away. This Nashville team beat Tampa Bay in a shootout last week and followed it up with a convincing 4-1 win over Carolina. If they can pull off another win tonight, they\u2019ll find themselves tied with Colorado in the Central Division standings.<\/p>\n For me, the key is whether the top line maintains full correlation as if morning skate suggests otherwise, I\u2019ll likely look elsewhere. If everything stays intact, though, I can definitely see myself rostering some Nashville. Steven Stamkos<\/a> is under $6K, Ryan O\u2019Reilly<\/a> is back below $5,500, and Mavrik Bourque<\/a> is just $2,900. Bourque is particularly interesting because his salary makes it easy to pair Nashville\u2019s top line with another strong stack. If he finds the scoresheet, you\u2019re in great shape. On defense, I don\u2019t think you need to spend more than $6K tonight, which brings me right back to Nashville and Roman Josi<\/a>. Josi scored last week and also posted a three-assist game, which could be a nice indicator of future offense. Jackson LaCombe<\/a> ($5,900) continues to play nearly 30 minutes per night. At that workload, I\u2019m happy to pay the price. Lane Hutson<\/a> ($5,700) has three points over his last three games and makes for a solid one-off option as well.<\/p>\n In the upper-middle pricing tier, I like Adam Fox<\/a> quite a bit. He\u2019s priced below $5,500 and is averaging over 10 DraftKings<\/a> points per game this season. I also don\u2019t mind Neal Pionk<\/a> ($4,500), though he\u2019s the type of play you land on after building the rest of your lineup and realizing he\u2019s the best option remaining at defense \u2013 we\u2019ve all been there. If that\u2019s the case tonight, I\u2019m perfectly fine with it. For $4,000, Tristan Luneau<\/a> stands out. He has recorded a point in five straight games and continues to provide value at his price tag.<\/p>\n Among the cheaper plays, Rasmus Andersson<\/a> ($3,800) is perfectly playable. The offensive production hasn\u2019t been there consistently, but the blocked shots certainly have been.<\/p>\n Goalies<\/p>\n My preferred spend-up goalie tonight is Pyotr Kochetkov<\/a> ($8,200). His six-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday, but I like the matchup against the Islanders and expect Carolina to be in a strong position to win against the Islanders tonight.<\/p>\n I also don\u2019t mind going right back to Jacob Fowler<\/a> ($7,600). There\u2019s a good chance he\u2019ll face plenty of volume against Utah, which always raises the ceiling. If Montreal starts Jakub Dobes<\/a> instead, I\u2019d still have some interest, though I\u2019d likely look elsewhere at that price point.<\/p>\n For a cheaper option, Joel Hofer<\/a> stands out. The Devils generate plenty of shots, so the save volume should be there. Hofer has only recorded one 35-plus save bonus this season, but this matchup gives him a legitimate opportunity to add another.<\/p>\n That’s it for now \u2014 best of luck tonight!<\/p>\n For continued fantasy news and notes, follow me on Twitter<\/a> @ndySanz<\/a>. <\/p>\n
Defense<\/p>\n