RADIO
We have a modest five-game main slate tonight for both DraftKings and FanDuel. Also, there are quite a few teams in action who are in the playoff hunt. You should be looking at teams in higher over-under games. Calgary and San Jose expect to be a high-event game full of pace, scoring chances, and likely goals. After all, their goaltending has been below average most of the season.
The bad news is that there is at least one sludge matchup (Columbus vs. Buffalo) and several more teams not rested. Remember, when picking around for plays, an over/under of 6.5 dictates offense, but an over/under of 5.5 tilts towards the goalies.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 3/31/19. 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?
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DFS Forwards to Consider
Andreas Athanasiou - C, DET vs BOS (FD - $5,700, DK - $5,500)
Athanasiou's price has been mostly steady in the past week. He is facing a team that the center plays well against and the center is at home. Athanasiou scored 20 goals this year in Detroit and averages 35% more daily fantasy points at home. The pivot avoiding the Bergeron line will be optimal to production as line matching indicates Dylan Larkin will see Boston line one. He played 22 minutes last game and is seeing 18+ minutes of ice time a night of late. Athanasiou creates nearly four high-danger chances for per 60 per game. That leads Detroit which is impressive considering how good Larkin has been this year. Again, this is about hedging a bit along with saving some money to spend up.
David Pastrnak - W, BOS vs DET (FD - $8,400, DK - $7,900)
There was a little bad luck that prevented Pastrnak from extending his point streak to five games. As it was, he fired five shots on net along with eight attempts and four scoring chances. Detroit allows 3.06 goals per game at home and their penalty kill is a woeful 77.7% on the season. Pastrnak tallied three goals in three games against the Red Wings on 11 shots and five high-danger scoring chances. Detroit had an awful time trying to contain the Boston power play in their last two meetings. There are a few ways to differentiate one's lineup on the five-game slate. One of them is using Pastrnak with a Torey Krug perhaps.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Mark Giordano - D, CGY vs SJS (FD - $7,200, DK - $6,600)
Giordano provided us more clutch points with a nice goal and has 11 points overall in his last ten games. His floor is good enough to offset his high-price tag. San Jose allowed 23 goals in their last five games. Even their penalty kill slipped below 80% this week which is not a good sign. San Jose is on the back end of a back to back while Calgary is rested. The Sharks cannot get out of their own way as they have allowed the most high-danger chances in the league during their losing streak. When Brent Burns is priced below Giordano on DraftKings, it is a sign that Giordano is doing a lot of things right. Giordano leads defensemen with four short-handed goals and six short-handed points on the season. Torey Krug or even Oliver-Ekman Larsson could be good choices on Sunday evening.
Brett Pesce - D, CAR vs PIT (FD - $3,900, DK - $4,500)
Pesce quietly has six points in his last nine games including five assists. Also, he provides a steady floor with 3.5 shots and blocks per game over the past ten contests. He delivered again on Saturday with a nice floor buoyed by a short-handed assist. The last month or so has been kind to the defenseman with 11 points in his last 14 games overall. Pittsburgh has been very up and down so at the least, Pesce should get chances to block shots and create a little offense on Sunday. His FanDuel price is quite the value on a night where some bargain plays do exist. Danny DeKeyser is a decent floor play for Detroit at just $3.700 on DraftKings. Even Olli Maatta could be worth a flier at $3,100 if he keeps attempting seven or eight shots a game on the net.
DFS Goalies to Consider
Jaroslav Halak - G, BOS vs DET (FD - $8,500, DK - $8,300)
Halak projects to start on Sunday night against Detroit. This will not be an easy play but the Bruins goalie could face 25-30 shots on goal and has a higher chance of a win than most. Halak winning eight of his last nine decisions helps here. In those games, he has a .937 save percentage and a goals-against average under two. The only other goalie on the slate who has been as hot as the Boston backup has been Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky playing in a "sludge matchup" has its drawbacks and he is priced at $7,900 on DraftKings which is enticing. Halak is more of a cash goalie play on Sunday evening. For a GPP choice, look to see if Mike Smith starts on Sunday against San Jose. Do not laugh. He is 6-4 in his last ten decisions with a goals-against average of just 1.72 and a save percentage of .926. He may only face 25-30 shots but at $7,400 on DraftKings, that is like a tournament play for value.
