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Tom Vecchio's top NHL DFS lineup picks on FanDuel, DraftKings for 12/31/18. Expert daily fantasy hockey advice, sleepers & player recommendations.
Bit of a change in the NHL schedule this week with the premiere games on Tuesday, making it a very small slate. That means we have an usually large slate on a Monday, which starts at 6 pm, not 7 pm, so take note of that.
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 12/31/18. 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
Patrik Laine - W, WPG @ EDM (FD - $7,800, - DK - $6,800)
Laine's price has dropped nearly $1K in the last 10 games and while he hasn't been producing insane numbers, he is a better player than his current salary. He comes in with just seven points in his last 10 games, which might be good for some players, but he is known for his multi-goal upside, which could be in the cards tonight versus the Oilers in a game where the over-under is set at six with the Jets at -135 road favorites. He is still on the first power-play unit, which should be a nice spot to stack tonight if you have the salary.
Alexander Wennberg - C, CLS vs OTT (FD - $4,400, - $3,000)
If you are need of some serious savings at the center spot tonight, look to Wennberg who has a solid matchup tonight. The Blue Jackets are facing off against the Senators who come in with a 66 Corsi Against this season, which is dead last in the league. This means they give up an insane amount of shots, which puts Columbus in a fantastic spot to rack up the fantasy points. Wennberg is on the second forward line and the second power-play unit, which is another spot to consider stacking tonight.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Victor Hedman - D, TB @ ANH (FD - $6,400, - DK - $5,800)
Hedman still seems a bit too cheap on DraftKings tonight as he is under $6K and playing up on the first power-play unit for the very dangerous Tampa Bay offense. He has nine points in his last 10 games, along with 25 shots, and 23 blocked shots. That is amazing production which makes him viable for all formats due to his solid floor, along with upside from being on the ice with Stamkos and Kucherov.
Vince Dunn - D, STL vs NYR (FD - $3,900, - DK - $4,300)
Dunn is very cheap across the industry and is really only GPP viable tonight, but has plenty of point per dollar upside due to his matchup. The Blues are up against the Rangers tonight, who come in with 61 Corsi Against, which is fourth worst in the league. That means they give up a ton of shots, which puts the Blues players in a spot to really rack up the fantasy points. Dunn has six points in his last 10 games, which is actually very strong for him, but still should only be used with a Blues second power-play stack.
DFS Goalies to Consider
Jimmy Howard - G, DET vs FLA (FD - $7,600, - DK - $7,600)
Howard and the Red Wings come in as +110 home dogs, but you should be looking to have a bit of exposure to him in GPPs tonight. He has only three wins in his last nine starts but has come away with over 30 saves in six of those nine games. That gives him some serious upside if he is also able to come away with the win, which is in the cards tonight against a very average Panthers team. His price is also very reasonable, which will help you load up on some skaters tonight.
