NHL Daily Plays: Tuesday, December 2nd
Welcome back Grinders! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend with friends, family, food, and football. With 10 games on the schedule this Tuesday, it’s time to get back to the DFS grind and there are several great matchups to exploit tonight. Fortunately for us, there is some great value to be had throughout most of the industry, which should give us plenty of flexibility when it comes to roster construction. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of my top plays for Tuesday, December 2nd:
Goalies
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to puck-drop
Kari Ramo – Calgary Flames – If you haven’t been paying attention to hockey recently, you probably haven’t noticed that Ramo has been one of the hottest goalies in the league. Entering tonight’s game with back to back shutouts, Ramo has extended his winning streak to 4 games for the red hot Flames. Tonight he’ll be back in net against the Coyotes; the same team he shutout in his last start. Calgary has been one of the best teams at home this season defensively, holding their opponents to 25 shots per game. Ramo’s .896 SV% at home this season is nothing to write home about, but he has only made 4 starts in the Saddledome which is not a large enough sample size to scare me away. His price has yet to rise throughout most of the industry making him my top option in net with a nice home matchup against the ‘Yotes.
Jonathan Quick – Los Angeles Kings – With many players likely gravitating towards Ramo in net tonight for salary relief, Quick makes for an intriguing GPP for me tonight. Quick has been playing elite hockey for most of the season, especially at home, where he has a 9-2 record to go along with a 1.60 GAA and a stellar .946 SV% at the Staples Center this season. The former US Olympian got torched for 3 goals in his last start against a red hot Blackhawks team, but tonight he’ll have a great opportunity to bounce back against the Bruins, who will playing on back to back nights on the road. Quick won’t be cheap, but as a result, he won’t be highly owned and he has tremendous upside in a very winnable game for the Kings.
Defense
Disclaimer: Shea Weber, Mark Giordano, Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, and Drew Doughty, are elite defensemen and are always in play.
Victor Hedman – Tampa Bay Lightning – After missing more than a month with a broken finger that required surgery, Hedman is back in action for the Bolts and instantly becomes my top play with a great matchup against the Sabres. Buffalo has been playing some inspiring hockey of late, winning 5 of their last 6 games, but I think that changes tonight, as Tampa Bay is riding a 4 game winning streak and now lead the NHL in goals per game. A guy like Hedman is worth his hefty price because he logs heavy ice-time, top power play minutes, and is a wizard with the puck, which is why I’ll be doing whatever it takes to get him in my lineups tonight.
Christian Ehrhoff – Pittsburgh Penguins – With Kris Letang reported to be out of the lineup again tonight, the Penguins will turn to Ehrhoff as the point man on the league’s deadliest power play unit. He should get plenty of scoring opportunities tonight against a Devils team that takes too many penalties for their own good and ranks 27th in the league in penalty kill percentage. With just 8 points on the season, Ehrhoff hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, but with 33 points last year playing for the Sabres, we know he’s capable of making things happen offensively. His moderate price across the industry makes him a near must play for me tonight, especially since many will be gravitating towards Maatta on defense.
Top Punt Plays: Seth Jones (NSH), Matt Donovan (NYI)
Center
Disclaimer: Sidney Crosby (if starting),Tyler Seguin, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Pavel Datsyuk, Claude Giroux, and Logan Couture are elite fantasy centers and are always in play.
Evgeni Malkin – Pittsburgh Penguins – Malkin is off to yet another incredible start with 28 points in just 21 games this season. After starting the season at right-wing with an undisclosed injury, Malkin is back to his normal position as Pittsburgh’s second line center and is also featured on the league’s best power play unit. As I explained with Ehrhoff, the Devils have been abysmal defensively for most of the early part of this season; allowing too many shots and taking too many penalties to keep the puck out of the net. With Sidney Crosby’s status in question for tonight’s game, Malkin will be expected to step up and carry the offensive load, a role he has proven very capable of doing in the past which is why I’ll be paying up for him tonight.
Sean Monahan – Calgary Flames – If you’re looking for value at center tonight, look no further than Monahan, who is having a terrific season in just his second year in the NHL. With an increased role on offense, Monahan already has accounted for more than half of his point total from last season and has done so in only a third of the games. The 20 year old is currently riding a 3 game point streak and will have a great opportunity to continue his strong play tonight against a Coyotes team that has been mediocre at best away from home ice this season. Seldom to you see a top line center that is also featured on his team’s power play remain so cheap, so jump all over him while he remains a bargain.
Top Punt Plays: Nick Spaling (PIT), Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH)
Wing
Disclaimer: Alex Ovechkin, Patric Hornqvist, Jakub Voracek, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, Filip Forsberg, Joe Pavelski, Phil Kessel, and James Neal are elite fantasy forwards and are always in play.
Patrick Marleau – San Jose Sharks – After snapping a 4 game losing streak against the Ducks on Saturday, Maluear and the Sharks will look to make it two in a row tonight against the struggling Philadelphia Flyers. With just 9 home games on the season, the schedule hasn’t been nice to the Sharks, but after notching two assists in his last game, Marleau has 8 points at home this year. The Flyers have surrendered 14 goals during their current 4 game losing streak and their 3.45 goals allowed per game on the road ranks 3rd in the NHL. Marleau price has come down across most of the industry, presenting owners with a great opportunity to capitalize on one of the most productive players of his generation at a discounted price.
Kyle Okposo – New York Islanders – With 21 points in 24 games this year, Okposo is quietly putting together another excellent season for the Islanders. Skating on the team’s first line and top power play unit, Okposo should have plenty of opportunities to get involved in the scoring mix tonight against a Senators team that is among the worst in the league defensively; entering tonight’s game allowing the second most shots per game on the road this season. Taking Okposo gives you exposure to John Tavares at a discount, and he makes for a great play in a game that should be very high scoring.
Alex Killorn – Tampa Bay Lightning – After failing to find the score sheet last night, Killhorn snapped a career best 7 game point streak which included a 4 game goal streak. As a result of his outstanding play, he has been bumped up to Tampa Bay’s top line alongside Steven Stamkos and Ryan Callahan. It’s not unreasonable to assume that the move won’t last for long, but he is still moderately priced and should get plenty of cracks at getting back on track tonight against the Sabres.
Top Punt Plays: Nikolai Kulemin (NYI), Blake Comeau (PIT), Ales Hemsky (DAL), Tom Wilson (WSH)