NHL Daily Plays: Saturday, January 3rd
Happy New Year Grinders! With 2014 behind us, the New Year brings us plenty to look forward to as far as the DFS industry is concerned. And as the industry continues to blossom, even niche DFS sports like hockey are getting more action, which is incredible to see. Whether or not you like to make New Year’s resolutions, I encourage all members of the RG community to make realistic goals that you can achieve for yourselves during 2015 DFS season. Whether or not you reach those goals is not as important as evaluating how you got where you are at year’s end, which will ultimately make you a better player. With that said, it’s back to business tonight with a solid eight-game schedule in the NHL, so let’s ring in the new year the right way by taking a look at some of my top plays for Saturday, January 3rd, 2015.
Goalies
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to puck-drop
Henrik Lundqvist – New York Rangers – It may be obvious, but with few great matchups for goaltenders tonight, Lundqvist tops the list of goalies for me tonight with a home matchup against the lowly Buffalo Sabres. With a 17-8-3 record, a 2.39 GAA and a mediocre .913 SV%, “King” Henrik has not lived up to his name this season, but he enters tonight’s game with an 8-2 record to go along with a 2.08 GAA and a .916 SV% in his last 10 games. Strangely enough, this will be Henrik’s first meeting against the Sabres this season, but in three starts against the league’s worst team last year, he compiled a perfect 3-0 record, allowing just 2 goals with an incredible .975 SV%. There is always merit to fading an expensive goalie like Lundqvist in GPPs, but with the tremendous amount of value out there at other positions tonight, you should have no problem slotting him into your goalie position tonight in your cash games.
Michael Hutchinson – Winnipeg Jets – If you are looking to differentiate yourself from the herd tonight, Hutchinson is the guy I would pivot to in GPPs. With a 9-3-2 record to go along with a 1.87 GAA and a sparkling .937 SV%, Hutchinson has been a diamond in the rough for the Jets this season as they make a push for the playoffs in the tough Western Conference. A matchup against the Maple Leafs isn’t ideal, but if he is sharp, he should have no problems paying off his moderate price tag with the amount of shots he will likely face tonight.
Defense
Disclaimer: Kevin Shattenkirk, Alex Pietrangelo, Kris Letang, Brent Burns, and Keith Yandle are elite defensemen and are always in play.
Dustin Byfuglien – Winnipeg Jets – After starting the season at the forward position, a myriad of injuries to key components of Winnipeg’s defensive corps has forced Byfuglien back to the blueline for the Jets, a role he has opened with welcome arms. With an offensive mindset and a howitzer from the point, Byfuglien is my top defenseman to pay up for tonight against an inconsistent Maple Leafs team that allows the 2nd most shots per game in the NHL. He’s always capable of posting monster games and he’s a sucker for the limelight, making him an excellent option to target tonight on Hockey Night in Canada.
Dan Boyle – New York Rangers – If you’re looking for value tonight, consider taking Boyle, who is featured on New York’s top power play unit and will be taking on the Buffalo Sabres in Madison Square Garden. With just two goals this season, Boyle has been a major disappointment in his first season with the Rangers, but he has struggled with injuries and illness and is an offensive-minded defenseman that has a history of stringing together big games. He’s still averaging around 20 minutes of ice time per game and his price won’t get any lower than it currently is, so jump on him before he breaks out of his slump.
Top Value Plays: Marek Zidlicky (NJ), Grant Clitsome (WPG)
Center
Disclaimer: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Claude Giroux, Tyler Seguin, and Henrik Zetterberg are elite fantasy centers and are always in play.
Logan Couture – San Jose Sharks – After a slow start to the season, Couture and the Sharks have turned things around dramatically of late and are right back in the thick of the playoff picture as we approach the midpoint of the regular season. The Sharks are one of the most prolific teams on home ice and as any opposing team will tell you, heading into the Shark Tank is a matchup nightmare, making Logan Couture one of my top plays at center tonight. You really can’t go wrong with any of the Sharks’ top 6 forwards, especially when they are at home, but Couture stands out to me tonight mainly because he is the most dynamic all-around player the Sharks have. Featured on the team’s top power play unit and second line at even strength, Couture was nearly a point per game player at home last season and is right on track for another productive season with 15 points in 17 home games this season..
Matthew Perreault – Winnipeg Jets – If you’re looking for value at center tonight, consider taking the veteran Perreault, who skates on Winnipeg’s 2nd line and top power play unit. With 10 points in as many games entering tonight’s matchup, the secret to his success has been his new found desire to shoot the puck; leading all Jets forwards with 6 shot attempts per game over the last month. He should receive plenty of quality scoring chances tonight against a Leafs team that seemingly welcomes a nightly barrage of shots on goal from opposing teams. In a game that should feature plenty of goals, Perreault should have no problems getting involved in his team’s scoring tonight.
Top Value Plays: Martin Hanzal (AZ), Scott Gomez (NJ)
Wing
Disclaimer: Jakub Voracek, Chris Kunitz, Jamie Benn, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Vladimir Tarasenko and Phil Kessel are elite fantasy forwards and are always in play.
Zach Parise – Minnesota Wild – Arguably the league’s hardest working forward, Parise is one of my favorite players to watch, as he never takes a shift off which leads to consistent production night after night. With 29 points in 31 games this season, “Captain America” will look to continue his terrific all around play against a Stars team that is among the worst in the league defensively and rank near the bottom of the league in penalty kill percentage. He has already torched the Stars for 5 points in just two games this season and is almost a lock to be involved when the Wild score tonight. He won’t be cheap, but now that he is reunited with veteran playmakers in Koivu and Pominville, it makes him even harder to defend, regardless of home ice advantage.
Rick Nash – New York Rangers – After struggling throughout parts of his tenure with the Rangers, Rick Nash is finally starting to put all the naysayers to bed with his incredible start to the 2014-15 regular season. With 23 goals and 13 assists, Nash is back to playing at a superstar level that we are all used to seeing. Tonight he’ll have the pleasure of facing a Buffalo Sabres team that is a complete train wreck defensively and will be playing on tired legs, setting the stage for plenty of vintage Rick Nash highlight reel material. Don’t overthink this matchup folks, this game was over before it started.
Andrew Ladd – Winnipeg Jets – Another Jet that makes the list for me tonight is Ladd, who is quietly putting together a fantastic regular season campaign with 29 points in 38 games this year. Skating on Winnipeg’s top line and top power play unit alongside playmakers Bryan Little and Black Wheeler, Ladd always seems to remain under-owned and underpriced, but his production and matchup against the Leafs should not be overlooked tonight. He takes a high volume of shots per game and should easily pay off his moderate price tag tonight in a game that Winnipeg should score plenty of goals.
Nick Foligno – Columbus Blue Jackets – Skating on his team’s third line at even strength, Foligno is often an afterthought by many, but he does the majority of his damage on Columbus’ top-ranked power play unit, where 17 of his 32 points this season have come. He should be in a good position to add to those power play numbers tonight against Arizona’s 29th ranked penalty kill. I wouldn’t go so far to say that Foligno is a guy I would target in cash games because of the way Columbus plays, but he is definitely a guy to keep your eye out for in tournaments, especially if Mike Smith is in net for the ‘Yotes.
Top Value Plays: Steve Downie (PIT), Michael Raffl (PHI), Bryan Rust (PIT), Tobias Rieder (AZ)