NHL Daily Plays: Friday, January 16th
After an eventful and entertaining Thursday night of hockey, the NHL presents up with a solid six-game schedule on this Friday evening. The Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks are huge favorites tonight and you will want some exposure to them in your cash games. As far as GPPs go, avoiding the top two teams and going contrarian is always a great option on a short slate. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators are sneaky offenses tonight and may be under-owned.
GOALTENDERS
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to game time.
Frederik Andersen, Anaheim Ducks – Andersen has won four consecutive starts and he has been very good at the Honda Center (2.13 GAA, .926 SV%). The Devils are an offensively challenged team, ranking 29th in shots on goal and 28th in goals per game this season. The Devils are not a team that travels well (9-14-2) and Anaheim is one the NHL’s best on home ice (16-5-3). Look for a strong performance and the win from Andersen tonight.
Other Goalies To Target (Cash Games) – Corey Crawford, Carter Hutton
Other Goalies To Target (Tournaments) – Henrik Lundqvist, Cam Ward, Jaroslav Halak
CENTER
Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks – Getzlaf had a big game versus the Maple Leafs Wednesday night with two points, a +2 rating and three shots on goal. Getzlaf is the straw the stirs the drink for Anaheim and he is my top play of the night. Look for another multi-point effort from the Ducks’ center this evening.
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks – Toews is coming off back to back multi-point performances and now has points in five of his last six games. The Jets are playing on consecutive nights and have played six games in nine days, and you would expect Winnipeg to be a tired bunch tonight. Chicago is a strong team on home ice (15-5-1) and they should dominate this game from puck drop. Toews has a very moderate price and makes an excellent play tonight.
Other Centers To Target (Cash Games) – Sidney Crosby, John Tavares, Mike Ribeiro
Other Centers To Target (Tournaments) – Ryan Johansen, Nicklas Backstrom, Ryan Kesler, Brad Richards
WINGERS
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks – Kane had a multi-point game versus the Wild on Sunday and is having another all-star season (20 G, 47 PTS, 137 SOG in 43 GP). Having some exposure to both Blackhawks scoring lines seems like a recipe for success. Pairing Kane and Toews together gives you two-line exposure and they both play on the Hawks’ number one power play unit. I expect another big game from Kaner tonight.
Colin Wilson, Nashville Predators – Wilson is one of the hottest players in hockey right now, including a four-point game against the Canucks Tuesday night. Wilson has points in four straight games and a total of eight points during that stretch. The Predators have scored 24 goals in their last six games and have been a very good offense all season long (seventh in goals per game this season). Wilson is inexpensive and smoking hot, what’s not to like?
Patrick Maroon, Anaheim Ducks – There is a not a lot of value to be had tonight, but Maroon is one of the top options. Anyone playing with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry automatically has their fantasy value increase dramatically. Maroon is not just playing on the Ducks’ top line, he is also a member of the Ducks’ number one power play unit. Get Maroon in your lineup and load up elsewhere.
Other Wingers To Target (Cash Games) – Corey Perry, Patrick Sharp, Filip Forsberg, Chris Kunitz
Other Wingers To Target (Tournaments) – Andrew Ladd, Nick Foligno, Radim Vrbata, Eric Staal
DEFENSE
Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm, Anaheim Ducks, & Seth Jones, Nashville Predators – It will be hard to pay up for the likes of Kris Letang, Duncan Keith and Roman Josi when you are already trying to roster studs from the Ducks and Blackhawks. Value defensemen are very important tonight, and these three are worth considering for your lineups. All of Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, and Seth Jones are seeing power play time and are in great spots to produce tonight. In order to afford the superstars tonight, you may need to roster at least one and maybe two of these three solid value options.
Other Defensemen To Target (Cash Games) – Kris Letang, Duncan Keith, Roman Josi, Sami Vatanen
Other Defensemen To Target (Tournaments) – Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy, Justin Faulk
Good Luck Grinders!
Pepsi7