The Wednesday slate will offer some good offensive matchups, most notably with the NY Rangers visiting Washingon, Colorado visiting Florida, and Detroit visiting Edmonton.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/18/19. The 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 @Roto_Nate.
DFS Forwards to Consider
Sidney Crosby - C, PIT vs DAL (FD - $8,800, DK - $7,500)
It's hard not to take Crosby every night until Evgeni Malkin comes back, as he has stepped up his game in his absence, scoring points in every game so far. I was high on Crosby on Wednesday night against a good team in Colorado, and he proceeded to put up a goal and an assist. Tonight, he faces a team that the league has been beating up on, in their second game of a back-to-back in the Minnesota Wild. I will have tons of interest in a Penguins stack, and I expect Crosby to add to the 12 points he has tallied so far.
James Neal - W, EDM vs DET (FD - $5,600, DK - $6,100)
The Edmonton Oilers powerplay has been clicking at a crazy rate to start the season, scoring on 45% of their opportunities. The acquisition of James Neal has been a huge part of it, as he has scored six of his eight goals with the man-advantage. They also get a matchup boost in this game, as the Red Wings are one of the worst penalty-killing teams, with a measly succession rate of 72.2%
Also, Consider:
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins shares the ice with Neal at both even-strength and on the powerplay. However, they have the good fortune of pairing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl on the powerplay. While it is risky to roster both Nugent-Hopkins and Neal when most of the Oilers offense radiates from McDavid and Draisatl, this would be the more contrarian way to go on a smaller slate when the Oilers offense can put up some big numbers against a weak Red Wings team.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Cale Makar - D, COL vs PIT (FD - $4,500, DK - $5,200)
Makar had his first point-less game on Wednesday night, only managing two shots against the Penguins. I expect him to bounce back here against a Florida team that has been struggling to keep the puck out of the net. The Panthers thought they fixed their goaltending woes with the acquisition of Sergei Bobrovsky, but to this point in the season have a team GAA of 3.33.
Kris Letang - D, PIT vs DAL (FD - $6,800, DK - $5,900)
Like I mentioned earlier, I will be heavily invested in the Penguins on tonight's slate, and every other team that plays the Stars until they can turn it around for that matter. Letang joined Crosby with points in every game until he was held without a point on Wednesday night, but I also expect him to bounce back. The Stars are one of the most penalized teams in the league, so there's a good chance we will see Crosby and Letang working their powerplay magic at least a couple of times tonight.
DFS Goalie to Consider
Petr Mrazek - G, CAR vs ANA (FD - $7,600, DK - $7,600)
Mrazek is coming off his best start of the season, a 31 save shutout against the LA Kings. Despite a five-goal outburst in their last game, the Ducks have been one of the least effective offensive teams in the league, only managing 2.6 goals a game. The price here is too low for Mrazek, and I will take him in hopes that the Hurricanes can also secure a victory.