Chris Durell's DFS advice for 4/7/16. Daily Fantasy Hockey Lineup Picks and sleepers for FanDuel & DraftKings NHL cash games and GPPs

Welcome to the Daily Fantasy Hockey (NHL DFS) lineup picks article for April 7th of the 2015/2016 NHL season. Each day we'll be providing you with a handful of forward, defensemen, and goaltender picks for DraftKings and FanDuel GPP and cash games.

With four days left in the regular season we are gifted with a huge slate tonight. There are 13 games on the NHL schedule and all but four teams are in action. Three teams(DET, VAN, TOR) are playing on back to back nights and eight teams(ARI, FLA, OTT, NYI, NYR, TB, TOR, VAN) are all playing a third game in four nights.

The playoffs now less than a week away and there are still some very interesting scenarios. The Red Wings beat the Flyers last night taking a two point lead in the Atlantic Division over the Bruins who they play tonight. Both teams have two games remaining and the Wings can clinch with a win. The Flyers sit tied with the Bruins for the final Wild Card spot with a game in hand. If the teams were to tie at the end of the regular season the Bruins win the tie break, so expect the Flyers to come out firing to avoid that scenario.

As always, be sure to check LeftWingLock before lineup lock to confirm all starting goalies for tonight.

RotoBaller's Premium NHL Cheat Sheets and DFS Lineup Picks

Our Premium DFS Cheat Sheets and Lineup Picks are published every single day - seven days a week - and can help you win your Daily Fantasy Hockey cash games or GPPs on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Our Premium cheat sheets provide you with 15 nightly DFS lineup picks, key advanced stats, deeper player analysis, and matchup breakdowns - seven days a week!

But wait, there's more! All Premium NHL subscriptions also get you access to our NBA, MLB and NFL Premium tools, cheat sheets and DFS lineup picks automatically - access to almost 20 Premium tools and DFS resources!

NHL DFS Picks for Thursday, April 7th

A couple strategy notes. For cash game construction look for players who can contribute to your score when they are not providing offense. Examples are guys who take a ton of shots, defensemen who block a lot of shots(DraftKings). Also, look for guys who get powerplay time and especially Top 6 forwards. You can find value in players who join a new line due to an injury or just get a promotion and more ice time.

For large field tournaments (GPP's) you want to find payers who have multi point upside and can grab double digit fantasy points. To stack the most upside in your forwards a common strategy is to punt the defense position. This doesn't mean just grab anyone. Try and look for a D man who will be playing more PP time or might get a boost in overall playing time due to an injury.

Let's take a look at some solid plays for today's action.

Henrik Lundqvist - Goaltender, Rangers (Draftkings - $8,500  FanDuel - $9,600)

King Henrik is starting to look in playoff form coming off a huge win vs. the Lightning where he stopped 39 of 41 shots. The Rangers host the Islanders tonight in what could ultimately decide 3rd place in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers currently hold a two point lead and each team has one game remaining after tonight. Expect a low scoring defense battle with the feel of playoff hockey.

Aleksander Barkov - Center, Panthers (DraftKings - $6,900  FanDuel - $7,400)

The Panthers top line has been red hot down the stretch and look to be ready for a playoff run. Barkov has scored in four straight and has points in seven straight games. They are extremely tough to fade as super chalky plays in another excellent matchup vs. the Senators who rank 27th in goals allowed per game.

James Neal - Winger, Predators (DraftKings - $6,800  FanDuel - $7,200)

The Predators have locked up the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference so make sure to use their offensive in GPP only as we don't know how motivated they will be tonight. It shouldn't be a problem as most teams will want to keep their foot on the gas heading in to the playoffs. Neal has been great for the Preds this season with 56 points and an impressive +26 rating. He has also tallied 12 points in his last 10 games with 40 shots on goal.

Mats Zuccarello - Winger, Rangers (DraftKings - $5,200  FanDuel - $6,100)

He leads the Rangers in points with 61 and has been solid lately with points in six of his last eight games including four on the powerplay. He adds a nice floor for the price averaging around two shots on goal per game and also gets bonus points on DraftKings for his blocking ability.

Shayne Gostisbehere - Defense, Flyers (DraftKings - $6,400  FanDuel - $5,100)

It has been a terrific rookie campaign for Ghost Bear who has tallied 43 points in 60 games for the Flyers. He could only manage one shot last night in a tough loss to the Red Wings but has a much better matchup tonight vs. the Leafs who rank 24th in goals allowed per game.

RotoBaller's Premium Cheat Sheets and Lineup Picks Subscriptions

Get an edge on your NHL DFS competition, every single night of the week. Our Premium cheat sheets provide you with 15 nightly DFS lineup picks, key advanced stats, deeper player analysis, and matchup breakdowns. Below is a sample cheat sheet - take a look for yourself.

But wait, there's more! All Premium NHL subscriptions also get you access to our NBA, MLB and NFL Premium tools, cheat sheets and DFS lineup picks automatically - access to almost 20 Premium tools and DFS resources!

NHL & DFS Fantasy Hockey Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-74" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]