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Chris Wassel's top NHL DFS lineup picks on FanDuel, DraftKings for 8/21/20. Expert daily fantasy hockey advice, sleepers & player recommendations.
Friday features a two-game main slate which starts at 7:00 pm ET for DraftKings and FanDuel with the Philadelphia Flyers attempting to finish off the Montreal Canadiens. The nightcap features the Vancouver Canucks trying to finish out the defending champion St. Louis Blues.
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. Also, note that FanDuel and DraftKings have split options for those who do not want to play the all-day slate.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 8/21/20. 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 @ChrisWasselDFS. Let's get to it, shall we?
DFS Forwards to Consider
Ryan O'Reilly - C, STL vs VAN (FD - $6,900, DK - $5,900)
O'Reilly has been on fire this series as he has shown again the ability to lead this Blues team even if they have not looked their usual selves defensively. With seven points in the series and the potential to hit the DraftKings shot bonus, the center has added point potential. Honestly, Vancouver has had few answers for his body positioning and crafty play off face-offs in the offensive zone.
Some other choices might include Elias Pettersson and Sean Couturier.
Joel Farabee - W, PHI vs MTL (FD - $3,500, DK - $3,600)
The young forward remains vital and on Philadelphia's top power play unit which has been lethal against Montreal's 27th ranked road penalty kill. Montreal just has issues from a scheme standpoint and Farabee has been one to benefit. He scored and had several scoring chances to pad those totals in Game 5. Expect more of the same on Friday night as Montreal's last line of defense is Carey Price far too often when they are shorthanded.
Also, Consider:
It is a prudent idea to go exploring for more secondary scoring on Friday. With just two games, searching for differences is paramount.
Exploring the second and third lines this time of year has to be done more than the top power-play units, etc. Typically, games feature less penalties on average as the playoffs move along. Even strength play develops more and more importance. Finally, look at players like Sammy Blais, Joel Armia, etc. This is besides the usual suspects like JT Miller, Tanner Pearson, and even Jakob Voracek (more of a DraftKings play arguably).
DFS Defenders to Consider
Shayne Gostisbehere - D, PHI vs MTL (FD - $4,000, DK - $3,600)
This is a reasonable option and his offensive upside could help. We did not get Miro Heiskanen in enough lineups last night and that hurt some. "Ghost" is a much higher risk but that shot is Shea Weber like. It is a chance worth taking on such a short slate.
His floor is a bit low normally but lately that has not been the case. In his last game, he had four shots and four blocks. Gostisbehere has exceeded value in two of his last three outings. Ben Chiarot is another value floor play from Montreal (three shots, three blocks) last start.
Quinn Hughes - D, VAN vs STL (FD - $5,600, DK - $5,300)
Easily, this comes down to getting chances and creating. Hughes does an A+ job there. Furthermore, he has 13 shots in his last three games while hitting the DraftKings shot bonus twice. At some point, his name could hit the goal or assist column and soon. The floor is enough to keep him in your lineups as he is slightly below platform averages (as far as per player cost).
DFS Goalie to Consider
Carter Hart - G, PHI vs MTL (FD - $8,600, DK - $8,100)
This is all about taking a goalie most likely to get a win with a good performance. That should be Hart who has bounced back every time he has been shelled (consecutive shutouts after giving up four goals in Game 2).
For FanDuel, some may take a shot at Jordan Binnington at just $7,500 as St. Louis tries to stave off elimination at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks. Shot volume would be the only risk as while Hart could face 30+ shots, Binnington is less likely to do so. Jacob Markstrom is the most likely to as Vancouver allowed 35+ shots in eight of his final ten starts of the regular season. That has continued during the playoffs.
We will be in the RotoBaller Premium Slack Chat throughout the afternoon and evening. Also, if there are any other questions, the expert chat will be open throughout Thursday. Good luck today.
