RADIO
We have an eight-game slate to break down giving us plenty of options to look at tonight. There are a ton of high-priced skaters you want to be rostering tonight and plenty of games with high over-unders, so could be in for a slate with inflated scores.
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 12/22/18. 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?
DFS Forwards to Consider
Mika Zibanejad - C, NYR @ TOR (FD - $6,800, DK - $6,000)
If I've said it once, I'll say it 1,000 times, you should be looking to roster players with high shot totals in favorable matchups. The shots present opportunity, which can lead to goals and thus upside, but the initial shots bring the floor of points. Zibanejad is a solid option tonight who isn't too expensive and comes in taking about three shots per game while blocking just under one shot per game, giving him a very solid floor of points. He is up on the first power-play unit and in a game where the over-under is set at 6.5, so we should see plenty of scoring chances.
Andrei Svechnikov - W, CAR vs PIT (FD - $4,000, DK - $4,200)
Svechnikov is a rookie winger for the Hurricanes and if you don't know who he is, pay attention, because he has 18 points in 33 games and is on the first power-play unit. He comes in taking about three shots per game and is still in the $4K range on both sites, making him a solid cash game salary saver for tonight's slate. The Hurricanes come in with a 68 Corsi For this season, which is highest in the league, so we know they will be firing the puck plenty each and every night.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Jared Spurgeon - D, MIN vs DAL (FD - $4,700, DK - $4,500)
With Minnesota announcing that Matt Dumba will bout for a significant amount of time, we will see Spurgeon up on the first power-play unit, making him a bit of a value play at his current price. Minnesota are -160 home favorites tonight and facing off against the Stars, who come in with a 58 Corsi Against this season, which is ninth worst in the league. He won't bring a ton of pure offense but takes over two shots per game and blocks well over one shot per game.
Morgan Rielly - D, TOR vs NYR (FD - $6,500, DK - $6,600)
Rielly is up on the top power-play unit for the always dangerous Maple Leafs, who should be able to post plenty of goals and come away with the win tonight versus the Rangers. Getting up to a full Toronto stack is great, but it's also very, very expensive. If you are looking to get some exposure but not pay a premium, than Rielly could be the option for you. Don't get me wrong, he is certainly expensive for a defender but using him as a one-off in tournaments is a great call tonight instead of a full stack.
DFS Goalies to Consider
Semyon Varlamov - G, COL @ ARI (FD - $8,600, DK - $8,200)
Varlamov is confirmed as the Avalanche starter tonight and comes in as a -130 road favorite against the Coyotes. He is one of the more expensive options on the slate but should be used in GPP only, since there are better high-end options for cash games. He has only two wins in his last six starts and is certainly struggling right now, but up against this Arizona team he has the chance to get back on track and pick up a win.
