Saturday Night DFS: New look Maple Leafs poised for breakout
Saturday is finally here!
There are 11 games on the main slate for daily fantasy hockey on Yahoo and there are lots of options for your lineup.
Here are my suggestions on this busy night in the National Hockey League.
The Value Guys
These players are the ones that are not the most or least expensive on the board, but solid options for your lineup.
C Mark Scheifele, WPG vs. CLS ($25)
The Winnipeg Jets’ offense has been one of the more consistent units in the league recently. Over their past 10 games, the team has scored three or more goals in seven of those contests. During his past four matches, Scheifele has recorded five points. A home date against the Columbus Blue Jackets is a favourable setup for the centre, as the opposing team has allowed a porous 237 shot attempts over their last five games.
W Jonathan Marchessault, VGK vs. EDM ($21)
If you were to compile a list of the NHL’s unluckiest players this season, Jonathan Marchessault would certainly garner a mention. Despite ranking in the top-10 for shots on goal in the league this season, Marchessault owns the lowest shooting percentage (6.1%) amongst that company. A matchup against the Edmonton Oilers, who have been trending negatively when it comes to their defensive play, makes him a prime candidate get right. Additionally, he’s notched 16 shots on goal over his past three games.
D Tyson Barrie, TOR at COL ($17)
Setup for a revenge game against the Colorado Avalanche, the team who dealt him this past off-season, everything seems to be setting up for Barrie to have a big game on Saturday. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ coaching change from Mike Babcock to Sheldon Keefe seems to be already paying dividends, as the blueliner notched his first goal of the year on Thursday. Additionally, Barrie is running the Leafs’ first power-play unit, something which should only help the offensive defenseman turn his season around.
G Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs ANH ($30)
Vasilevskiy and the Tampa Bay Lightning have hardly resembled the team which we saw dominate the NHL during the regular season a year ago. This team, however, is more than capable of handling an Anaheim Ducks club which has lost seven of its last eight. While a vintage Vasilevskiy performance would be nice, he may not need one to get the win as the Lightning should have lots of offensive success in this matchup.
Offences to Stack
When a team is having a good night offensively, you want to have as many pieces as possible. Stacking offences can be a rewarding strategy.
Toronto Maple Leafs
C Auston Matthews ($35) + W William Nylander ($20) + W Andreas Johnsson ($17) + D Tyson Barrie ($17)
This stack, outside of forking up a good amount of your budget for Matthews, really isn’t that expensive. Anytime a team fires their head coach, it’s fair to expect the club to show an extra jolt of energy that may not have been there before. The Leafs’ offense looked better against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday, and I like the first line to put forward another strong effort against the Avalanche, who have not been the most impressive defensively.
Winnipeg Jets
C Mark Scheifele ($25) + W Patrik Laine ($25) + W Kyle Connor ($17) + W Andrew Copp ($13) + D Josh Morrissey ($17)
Going with a full Jets stack on Saturday night won’t be hard to do, as the team’s top players are all reasonably priced. Laine seems to be on one of his goal-scoring streaks, as the Finnish star has potted a goal in each of his past two games. Connor has been heating up lately as well with five points in his last four games. Copp’s recent play has given him an opportunity to play on Winnipeg’s top power-play unit. Given the low price, he’s an absolute steal.
Expensive, but Worth it
Sometimes you can’t help but spend a decent amount of your budget to get elite fantasy production.
C Auston Matthews, TOR at COL ($35)
Firing a coach typically sends a message to the players that the pressure is now on them to perform. Matthews seems to have gotten that message as he scored a goal in Toronto’s first game with Sheldon Keefe behind the bench. The centre is as dangerous of a scoring threat as there is in the NHL, and facing the Avalanche, who have allowed 47.6 shot attempts per game over their past six games, he should have a few chances to bury one.
Chasing the Cheap Win
It may be silly, but when selecting a goalie, the first question running through your mind should be: what is his team’s chance to win?
G Louis Domingue, NJ vs. DET
Let me preface this by saying I don’t like any of the cheaper goaltending options on the slate for Saturday.
If I have to go with one, however, it will be Louis Domingue who’ll be making his first start of the season against the Detroit Red Wings. Domingue was ok as a backup last year with the Lightning, but he has a much different team in front of him in New Jersey. Detroit’s brutal road record of 3-8-2 is encouraging in his bid to get a win, however.
Cash Savers
Spent some major cash on some potential game-changers? These inexpensive players can help fill out the rest of your lineup.
C Boone Jenner ($15)
C Cody Eakin ($13)
W Andreas Johnsson ($15)
W Ilya Mikheyev ($14)
W Martin Necas ($14)
W Andrew Copp ($13)
D Sami Vatanen ($15)
D Ryan Suter ($15)
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