RADIO
Thursday features a twelve-game evening slate with a spotlight on games like Edmonton and Buffalo, Toronto and Winnipeg, plus even San Jose and Pittsburgh among others.
Remember, when looking around for plays, an over/under of 6 dictates offense, but an over/under of 5 or sometimes 5.5 tilts towards the goalies. There are several games at 6.5, as that has become the new norm in hockey now.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 1/2/20. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @ChrisWasselDFS. Let's get to it, shall we?
DFS Forwards to Consider
Auston Matthews - C, TOR vs WPG (FD - $8,500, DK - $7,600)
A couple of days off has not cooled off Matthews much and the matchup against Winnipeg will only help. The Jets give up the second-most DFS points to centers and Matthews is hot right now with 15 real-world points in his last ten games. That includes nine goals on 32 shots which is a hair off for his normal shot per game outputs this season. Winnipeg's penalty kill has plummeted to 71.4% and Toronto's power play is third in the league under new coach Sheldon Keefe. This game has multiple options to consider if one wants to stack Toronto players on Thursday night.
Jonathan Huberdeau - W, FLA vs OTT (FD - $7,800, DK - $6,700)
The winger buoys the Florida attack and has a prime matchup against the Ottawa Senators. Huberdeau cooled off a bit against Columbus of all teams on Tuesday but that felt more like a blip than a trend. He still has 16 points in his last seven games and did have three scoring chances against the Blue Jackets. One rang off the post and another pass, Barkov rang off the crossbar. Sometimes it is just that kind of night. Look to Ottawa's top line as a viable alternative here and a good bit cheaper. They will get their chances when going against the Barkov line. Florida plays at a frenetic pace and Ottawa's top line may be the only one that can keep up.
Also, Consider:
- Jack Eichel, Aleksander Barkov, and especially Mika Zibanejad are excellent plays on Thursday night.
- Artemi Panarin (ten points last three games), Nikita Kucherov, and Taylor Hall are nice options on Thursday from the wing position.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Alex Pietrangelo - D, STL vs COL (FD - $6,300, DK - $5,900)
Pietrangelo unleashing his shot has been paramount to his success of late (four shots per game over his last ten). He has ten points in his last ten games and that includes four goals and three power-play assists. He is a player who will not block a lot of shots typically but has high-shot potential tonight against Colorado who yields 33 shots per game (fifth highest in the NHL). The defenseman has ten goals and 31 points in 41 games for St. Louis this year and is heating up.
Tyson Barrie - D, TOR vs WPG (FD - $5,100, DK - $5,300)
Barrie is based on the adage of going against the best matchup. Again, Winnipeg's penalty-killing woes have been well documented and Toronto may only exacerbate those numbers. Barrie is on a nice points run (nine points in ten games) and is averaging nearly three shots a game in that span. If he keeps hitting the net, he has value. It is as simple as that for Barrie. Barrie only blocks about a shot a game so do not expect as much of a floor as other plays tonight from the blueline.
Also, Consider:
- Simply Oskar Klefbom has to be considered against the Sabres (IF HE PLAYS -- DTD -- UNDISCLOSED INJURY) but so does Neal Pionk against Toronto who struggles on the penalty kill (75%) as well.
- Ryan Pulock is a nice GPP play against an awful Devils defense. Again, think teams that allow lots of points per game. Victor Hedman even plays Montreal again who has a penchant for giving up so many unblocked shot attempts.
DFS Goalie to Consider
Semyon Varlamov - G, NYI vs NJD (FD - $8,400, DK - $8,400)
The idea is to think the highest goalie win probability. It likely is Varlamov on Thursday night. Consider that New Jersey has managed just five goals in their last four games against the New York Islanders. Yes, New Jersey has played more fun and gun hockey of late but they seem to hit a brick wall when it comes to the Islanders. They have won five of their previous 23 games against New York and have scored less than two goals a game on Long Island in that span. If Varlamov faces around 30 shots and allows one or two goals against with a win then that is a solid return.
Also, Consider:
- The other good GPP choice on Thursday night may just be Marc-Andre Fleury but watch out for confirmations. Jordan Binnington could be worth a look against Colorado who shoots more but seems to have trouble finding the back of the net versus St. Louis.
