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The NHL playoffs are off and running! Wednesday brings four more first-round matchups featuring Montreal-Philadelphia along with Vancouver squaring off against St. Louis.
Remember, when looking around for plays, an over/under of 6 dictates offense, but an over/under of 5 or sometimes 5.5 tilts towards the goalies. There are several games at 6.5, as that has become the new norm in hockey now more offense in the league than ever before.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 8/12/20. 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 @awlenn. Let's go!!
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DFS Forwards to Consider
Nathan MacKinnon - C, COL vs. ARI (FD - $8,700, DK - $8,500)
Nathan MacKinnon should be an automatic pick for your DFS lineup when the Colorado Avalanche is in action. MacKinnon tallied a point in all three Avs round-robin games, scoring one goal and adding two assists. Against their first-round playoff opponent, the Arizona Coyotes, MacKinnon had a goal and an assist in regular-season play.
Alex Ovechkin- W, NYI vs. WAS (FD - $8,400, DK - $8,300)
Captain Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals struggled to find the back of the net, scoring just four goals in three round-robin games. With the stakes now higher and the real playoffs starting, the Caps sniper should contribute more offensively. In four regular-season games against the Islanders, Ovechkin had four points, including a hat trick on 1/18.
Also Consider:
Mikko Rantanen played well for the Avalanche in three round-robin games, adding four assists.
It may be worth exploring Elias Pettersson. The Canucks forwards play improved steadily with each game against the Wild. Pettersson racked up a goal and three assists in four games.
Two Flyers players that have floated under the radar and have low DFS salaries are Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Joel Farabee. Both forwards had strong performances in a 4-1 victory over Tampa Bay.
DFS Defenders to Consider
Quinn Hughes - D, Van vs. STL (FD - $5,200, DK - $5,200)
The sky is the limit for 20-year-old Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes. Hughes played in all but one of Vancouver's 69 regular-season games. In the 68 games he did play in, Hughes tallied eight goals and 45 assists. In four cup qualifying games against Minnesota, Hughes elevated his game to the next level as he scored a goal and added five assists. Hughes averaged 24:11 minutes of ice time against Minnesota and will receive a ton of power-play time against the Blues.
Cale Makar - D, ARI vs COL (FD - $5,600, DK - $6,000)
The NHL is indeed not suffering from any shortage of star-studded defensemen under the age of 25. Colorado's Cale Makar, like Quinn Hughes, has a very bright future in the NHL. In three games of round-robin play, Makar had only one goal(GWG) and added zero helpers. He did, however, add eight shots on goal and averaged more minutes of ice time at 22:30 minutes then he did in the regular season. Makar should be an automatic pick for your DFS lineup as he scored 13 goals and added 38 assists in 60 regular-season games.
Other choices for Tuesday may include Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Weber, Colton Parayko, Ivan Provorov.
DFS Goalie to Consider
Darcy Kuemper - G, ARI vs COL (FD - $7,700, DK - $7,000)
Kuemper will get the nod in game one against Colorado. In four games against Nashville, the netminder has had an excellent record of 3-1 with 2.71 GAA and a .933 save percentage. He made 49 saves in game four, clinching the series for Arizona. In just one regular-season start against Colorado, Kuemper made 33 saves and shutout the Avs.
Keep an eye on Flyers goaltender Carter Hart. In two round-robin starts, Hart's play was sensational as he turned away 57 of 59 shots that he faced.
Montreal's Carey Price should always be considered, but the Habs do face an uphill battle against the Flyers.
