NHL Daily Plays: Tuesday, March 3rd
The 2015 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, with several teams acquiring great talent as they make a push down the final stretch of the regular season. It generally takes time for players to adjust to their new teams, as team chemistry and new coaching philosophies are introduced. Fortunately for DFS purposes, many of the players that are expected to get a bump in value with their new teams are not featured in tonight’s slate, but it is always wise to proceed with caution in those situations regardless.
With 10 games on the slate tonight, let’s take a look at some of the players I’ll be targeting for Tuesday, March 3rd:
Goalies
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to puck-drop
Ben Bishop – Tampa Bay Lightning – One of the few established goalies I’ll be paying up for tonight is Bishop, who enters tonight’s game against Buffalo with a 21-5-1 record to go along with a 2.07 GAA and a .927 SV% at home this season. Despite only seeing 34 shots against in his two previous meetings against the Sabres, Bishop won both games and has only surrendered one goal during that span. In addition to his great matchup, Bishop’s price has come down from what we are used to and I expect him to receive plenty of goal support to cruise to an easy victory tonight.
Roberto Luongo – Florida Panthers – Another well-known starting netminder that makes the list for me tonight is Luongo, who has been a key component to Florida’s success this season with a 23-16-11 record, a 2.40 GAA, and a solid .920 SV%. He’ll have the luxury of facing a Toronto Maple Leafs team that is in full “tank mode,” entering tonight’s game with a 4-21 record since the start of the year which includes back to back shutouts in their two previous games. With few reliable options to choose from tonight, Luongo presents a slightly cheaper alternative to Bishop with similar upside in game Florida should have no problem winning.
Defense
Disclaimer: Shea Weber, Roman Josi, Drew Doughty, Brent Burns,Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman, Mike Green, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are elite fantasy defensemen and are always in play.
Aaron Ekblad – Florida Panthers – The first overall pick in last year’s draft, Ekblad is putting together a terrific rookie season for the Panthers with 33 points in his first 63 games to start his career. The 18-year-old standout has taken advantage of the opportunity the organization has given him on the team’s top defensive pairing and top power play unit. Despite a juicy matchup against the Maple Leafs, Ekblad likely won’t light the world on fire, but his discounted price across most of the industry makes him an excellent option if you’re looking for a mid-range salary defenseman tonight..
Nick Leddy – New York Islanders – After being run out of town in Chicago, Leddy has settled in nicely in Long Island with 26 points in 64 games this season. He was recently rewarded with a massive seven-year contract extension and has recently been moved to the Islanders’ top power unit. Leddy should be very active in a high-paced game in Dallas that should feature plenty of scoring, especially on special teams, as both teams have struggled to kill penalties this season. With a discounted price across most of the industry, Leddy will offer you moderate upside and allow you to load up your lineup elsewhere tonight.
Top Value Plays: Anton Stralman (TB), Cam Fowler (ANA)
Center
Disclaimer: John Tavares, Ryan Getzlaf, Logan Couture, Tyler Johnson, Ryan Johansen, Claude Giroux, and Nicklas Backstrom are elite fantasy centers and are always in play.
Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning – One of my top plays across the board tonight, “Stammer” has been on fire lately; entering tonight’s game with 10 points in as many games and goals in consecutive games. Tonight he has a dream matchup against the lowly Buffalo Sabres who rank dead last in nearly every statistical category this season. He won’t be cheap, but Stamkos is a guy that can severely burn your team if you decide to fade him, especially given the fact that Anders Lindback will be in net for the Sabres.
Jeff Carter – Los Angeles Kings – Reunited with Tyler Toffoli on LA’s second line, “That 70’s Line” which also features new member Dwight King has been the most dominant lines in all of hockey recently. Carter is the glue that holds the line together, and with 12 points in his last 10 games, including 34 SOG, there appears to be no end in sight for him as the Kings make another trademarked late season run heading into the playoffs. Tonight Carter and the Kings will be up against the Edmonton Oilers, a team that lacks discipline in their own end and gives up too many scoring chances for their own good. In an important game for Los Angeles, Carter should be very active and should have no problems paying off his modest price tag.
Top Value Plays: Aleksander Barkov (FLA), Sean Monahan (CGY)
Wing
Disclaimer: Corey Perry, Joe Pavelski, Zach Parise, Jamie Benn,, James Neal, Filip Forsberg, Phil Kessel, Tyler Toffoli, and Jakub Voracek are elite fantasy forwards and are always in play.
Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals – In case you haven’t noticed, Alex Ovechkin is absolutely on fire, entering tonight’s game with 14 points in his last 10 games which includes eight goals during that span. He now leads the league in goals (41), points (65) and shots on goal (312). Tonight he’ll have the pleasure of facing one of the league’s worst defensive teams in Columbus who also struggles on the penalty kill, which is where Ovechkin does most of his damage. For obvious reasons, he’s the most expensive player throughout most of the industry, but he’s playing like a man on a mission lately and I’ll be riding his hot streak until he cools down.
Patrick Marleau – San Jose Sharks – With goals in three consecutive games, the veteran Patrick Marleau is starting to heat up at a critical time for the Sharks. Tonight he’ll be facing a banged up Vancouver team that has been decimated by injuries, especially on defense. Marleau has historically fared well against the Canucks with 46 points in 66 career games and he should have no problems continuing his scoring streak tonight against backup Eddie Lack. Marleau’s 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.
Anders Lee – New York Islanders – Currently featured on the Islanders’ top line and top power play unit, Anders Lee is a guy that will prominently be featured in most of my lineups tonight with his cheap price tag. He has 11 points in his last 10 games for the streaking Islanders, and should have no problems finding his way back on the score sheet tonight against a Dallas team that has been getting terrible goaltending of late. Lee will likely be one of the most highly owned forwards throughout the industry tonight, but you can expect production from the young forward in a game that New York should score heavily in.
Nikita Kucherov – Tampa Bay Lightning – Skating on Tampa Bay’s productive second line along Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat, Kucherov is another value winger I’ll be targeting tonight with a home matchup against the Sabres. He has eight points in his last 10 and four points in as many games against Buffalo this season. In a game where Tampa Bay is favored heavily, there’s no reason to assume why Kucherov can’t get involved in the plethora of goals Tampa Bay is expected to score tonight.
Top Value Plays: Marcus Johansson (WSH), Alex Killorn (TB), Josh Bailey (NYI), Michael Raffl (PHI)