Saturday Night DFS: Crosby, Guentzel to shine against Blackhawks
There’s no day for some Yahoo daily fantasy hockey quite like Saturday.
There are nine games on the main slate, which means lots of options for your lineup.
Here are some recommendations for some Saturday night DFS.
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 Sebastian Aho, @ OTT ($26)
Aho is a little pricier for a value play, but you will get value for what he will bring to your lineup. He struggled during the month of October, notching just three goals. Since the calendar flipped, Aho’s already matched that total in November. The matchup against the Ottawa Senators is favourable, as the Sens continue to allow a lot of shots on goal.
W Jake Guentzel, vs. CHI ($25)
Guentzel has been held in check recently, as he enters Saturday pointless in his last three contests. That’s part of the reason why I like him. Knowing how dangerous the Pittsburgh Penguins’ offense can be, it’s clear the winger is due for a big night. What better team to be playing than the Chicago Blackhawks? Chicago has given up 309 total shot attempts across its past six matches, the second-highest total in the league.
D Cale Makar, vs. CLS ($19)
Makar has seamlessly taken over as the Colorado Avalanche’s offensive defenseman and has been a reliable fantasy contributor on the back-end. The young blueliner notched three points in his last outing against the Nashville Predators and the matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets is favourable. Columbus has had difficulties limiting opponent shot totals while playing undisciplined of late with 24 penalties in their past 6 contests.
G Frederik Andersen, vs. PHI ($30)
At goalie, it’s hard to find a ton of value, but Andersen at his price offers some. He’s been shutting the door of late, only allowing two goals over the past two games. Additionally, he’s won each of his last three starts for the Toronto Maple Leafs. A home date with the Philadelphia Flyers - who Andersen defeated last Saturday - is not the worst setup. You’ll probably be better off either paying up or going very cheap at this position.
Offenses to Stack
When a team’s having a good night offensively, you want to have as many pieces as possible. Stacking offenses can be a rewarding strategy.
Pittsburgh Penguins
C Sidney Crosby ($33) + W Jake Guentzel ($25) + W Alex Galchenyuk ($14) + D Justin Schultz ($16)
Outside of paying up for Crosby, it won’t be too hard to fit members of the Penguins into your lineup. Kris Letang’s absence from the lineup means Schultz will get an opportunity to run the team’s first power-play unit. Additionally, Galchenyuk figures to be on the PP1, while also getting to play on Evgeni Malkin’s wing at even strength.
Colorado Avalanche
C Nathan MacKinnon ($34) + W Nazem Kadri ($17) + W Joonas Donskoi ($15) + D Cale Makar ($19)
Similar to the Penguins stack, loading your lineup with members of the Avalanche will not be too tricky to navigate. Spending a good portion of your budget on MacKinnon hardly fails, and the price on everyone else is more than reasonable. Makar’s consistency makes him a must-play when you factor in what it costs to get him in your lineup.
Toronto Maple Leafs
C John Tavares ($29) + W Mitch Marner ($28) + D Morgan Rielly ($24)
The dynamic duo of Marner and Tavares has been reunited, and it seems to be business as usual. After a buffer game against the Los Angeles Kings, Tavares and Marner teamed up to score the overtime winner on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights. Heading into a matchup against a less-defensively stingy Flyers squad, the two should put together a solid evening. If you want to go full blue and white on Saturday night, you can try to fit Rielly into your lineup as well. He’s posted a point in five of his last 6 matches.
Expensive, but Worth it
Sometimes you can’t help but fork over a decent amount of your budget to get elite fantasy production.
C Sidney Crosby, PIT vs. CHI ($33)
To put it simply, Crosby is due. The superstar has not recorded a point in three-straight games despite posting a modest 10 shots in that span. A matchup against a Chicago team that has surrendered a league-high 278 shots on goal over the past two weeks is the perfect bounce-back spot for Crosby.
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 Braden Holtby, WAS vs. VGK ($26)
Holtby’s start to the 2019-20 campaign can best be described as ugly. The 30-year-old opened up the year with a loss in four of his first five starts while allowing 3 goals or more in four matches. Although his numbers haven’t been much better of late, he’s been the beneficiary of the Washington Capitals’ elite goal-scoring, notching a win in 6 of his last 7 outings. On Saturday, Vegas will be playing its third-straight road contest, something that should also benefit the netminder.
Cash Savers
Spent some major cash on some potential game-changers? These inexpensive players can help fill out the rest of your lineup.
C Kevin Hayes ($15)
C Alexander Kerfoot ($14)
W Joonas Donskoi ($15)
W Alex Galchenyuk ($14)
W Martin Necas ($14)
W Joel Farabee ($15)
D Justin Schultz ($16)
D Jake Gardiner ($12)
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