RotoBallers, welcome back to our daily fantasy hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings. Below you will find our NHL cheat sheet - DFS lineup picks, sleepers and stacks for Saturday, February 25 of the 2016/2017 NHL season.
It's another wacky Saturday in daily fantasy hockey. We have eight total games but the sites have taken two separate approaches once again. DraftKings has a four-game early slate and a seven-game main slate which leaves out the Kings vs. Ducks game. FanDuel split the slate in half with a four-game early and four-game main slate. Let's jump right into the picks.
NHL Daily League Lineup Picks for Saturday, February 25
For those that are new to this, each day we'll be providing you with a few of our top DFS lineup picks for daily league cash games on FanDuel and DraftKings. We will also provide you with one of our favorite teams to stack for GPPs. You can grab the rest of our Premium DFS lineup picks and stacks through the NHL Cheat Sheet and DFS Premium Pass below.
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Nazem Kadri (C, TOR)
DraftKings - $6,300, FanDuel - $6,900
Kadri and the Leafs have a nice opportunity to take advantage of a struggling Habs team who has lost eight of their last 10 games. In those 10 games, they have also given up three or more goals eight times. Kadri makes a nice mid -tier play in any format who has averaged a point per game over the last 10 with 36 shots on goal.
Patric Hornqvist (W, PIT)
DraftKings - $6,500, FanDuel - $6,800
At almost the identical price point as Kadri is a winger from the top offensive team in the league. Expect everyone to be pumped up for this one as it will be another installment of the Coors Lite Stadium Series coming to you from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. On top of that, they get a prime matchup vs. the struggling Flyers. Hornqvist is back on the top line with Sidney Crosby and offers elite shot volume to make him a safe option in any format.
Ryan McDonagh (D, NYR)
DraftKings - $5,500, FanDuel - $5,500
He continues to come with a mid $5K salary which gives him a ton of safety and upside for any format. He is providing average offensive numbers with six points in his last 10 games which put him at 34 for the season. His biggest DFS value comes with his elite balance of shots and blocks. Over the last 10 games, he has blocked 30 shots and recorded 22 shots on goal while skating nearly 25 minutes a game.
Stacking Option
Buffalo Sabres - Jack Eichel, Evander Kane, Kyle Okposo(PP)
Even with a 24th ranked offense, the Sabres make one of the top team stacks in an elite matchup in Colorado. The Avs are in full tank mode right now with just 35 points, which is a full 14 points worse than the Coyotes. Wow! They rank dead last in offense and defense due ot having one of the league's worst rosters Take advantage with these three high multi-point upside players and thank me tomorrow.
NHL & DFS Premium Subscription
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- DFS Cheat Sheets and Lineup Picks: Access to 10 deeply researched lineup picks, and sample lineups. Includes advanced stats to unlock NHL player values, and boost DFS success.
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Lineup Optimizer/Generator & Sleepers Tool
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Premium NHL DFS Lineup Picks & Cheat Sheet
Want to know what the Premium NHL DFS Cheat Sheets looks like? Below is a sample. We go above and beyond standard daily fantasy hockey analysis.
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Bonus: General NHL DFS Strategy Notes
For cash games, look at players who can contribute to your score even when they are not providing offense. Some examples are guys who take a ton of shots and defensemen who block a lot of shots. Also, look for guys who get power play time. You can find value in players who join a new line due to an injury, or just get a promotion and more ice time. It is also recommended to spread out your exposure to three or four different lines, and not put all your eggs in one basket.
For large field tournaments (GPPs), find payers who have multi-point upside and can grab double-digit fantasy points. If you want to stack the most upside in your forwards, a common strategy is to punt the defense position. This doesn't mean just grab anyone - try and look for a defenseman who will get power play time, or a playing time boost due to an injury. For a contrarian approach, paying up at the defense position can be a great strategy - but it also comes with more risk. GPPs bring a great opportunity for goaltenders in the value price range - you can look for backups on good teams.