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Tom Vecchio's top NHL DFS lineup picks on FanDuel, DraftKings for 11/17/18. Expert daily fantasy hockey advice, sleepers & player recommendations.
We have an eight-game slate to look at tonight and we are starting to get a few games into the season, so we should be able to start looking at some more stats soon. Personally, I like Corsi For, which is an advanced shot metric shot which can help identify offensive opportunity.
Vegas lines are big when it comes to picking games to target, and that's a good place to start for goalies. When it comes to skaters, goal totals is another main place to start. Usually, 5.5 goals are average, so targets game at six, and can look for goalies in games with a total at five.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 11/17/18. 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 @DFS_Tom. Let's get to it, shall we?
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DFS Forwards to Consider
Vladimir Tarasenko - W, STL @ SJ (FD - $7,900 , DK - $6,700)
It still seems that Tarasenko is too cheap on DraftKings tonight and you should be willing to roll with him in GPPs tonight since the potential ceiling on him is high. Tarasenko is up on the first forward line and the first power-play, all while taking about four shots per game, but has only translated that to six goals this season. He's playing nearly 19 minutes a game, carrying a Corsi For rating of 15.21 and still seeing this inefficiency. I will chalk that up to the Blues being bad overall, which is why he makes the ideal option as a GPP one-off. You need just him to score to reach value, not an entire line scoring multiple points.
Jordan Staal - C, CAR vs CLS (FD - $5,000, DK - $5,400)
Staal is on the cheaper side tonight and as always with the Hurricanes, they love, love to take a ton of shots. The volume of shots they take is even more evident when they are at home, as we have them tonight, which means the potential for points is greater. Staal is on the second forward line and the second power-play unit and should be a good salary saver for cash games tonight due to his matchup and since he is taking almost four shots per game over his past 10-games.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Aaron Ekblad - D, FLA @ NYR (FD - $4,300, DK - $4,100)
Ekblad has goals in two straight games, which is a bit unusual for him, so we don't want to be chasing the goals, we want to be after yet another advantageous matchup. The Panthers got off to a very slow start but are looking good right now and have won five of their last six games. He will now be up against the Rangers, who have a Corsi Against of 51 so far this season, meaning they are giving up far too many shots. This will put Ekblad, who is on the second power-play for the Panthers is a great spot tonight if you are looking for a GPP stack.
Kris Letang - D, PIT @ OTT (FD - $6,200, DK - $6,700)
Yikes, the Penguins are in a bad spot right now sitting at the bottom of the Metro division and are performing well below expectations. With that said, they are up against the Senators tonight who give up over four goals per game this season. If there is any time for the Penguins to get things going in the right direction this is it. Letang gets you some cheaper exposure to the first power-play unit, but also brings a solid floor of points from his shots and blocked shots.
DFS Goalies to Consider
Martin Jones - G, SJ vs STL (FD - $8,400, DK - $8,300)
Jones and the Sharks come in as -205 home favorites against the struggling Blues team, which should make him good for cash games tonight. He has been a bit up and down as of late, but still has four wins in his last six outings. The potential downside comes from the fact he is giving up 2.9 goals per game and not seeing a massive amount of shots. He will likely come away with the win here, but just know he will give up a goal or two.
