NHL Daily Plays: Wednesday, March 11th
It’s a busy night in the sports world, but sadly for hockey fans, the NHL only brings a three-game slate to the DFS party. With only six teams to choose from, the solid fantasy options are somewhat limited. Here are my top plays for Wednesday night’s action.
Goaltender
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to game time.
Jonathan Bernier, Toronto Maple Leafs – The Buffalo Sabres head to Toronto tonight, making Maple Leaf players some of the top options on the board for the first time in quite a while. Bernier hasn’t been an elite goaltender by any means this season, but the Sabres are averaging just 1.85 goals per game on the road and the Maple Leafs are the biggest favorites by Vegas standards. In his only other meeting against Buffalo this season, Bernier shut the door as the Maple Leafs cruised to an easy 4-0 victory. He may not see enough shot volume to be the highest ceiling GPP play, but he’s a nice option for your cash games.
Others: Braden Holtby
Forwards
Disclaimer: Rick Nash, Alex Ovechkin, Phil Kessel, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf are all elite option’s tonight and I’ll assume they’re already on your radar.
Tyler Bozak, Toronto Maple Leafs – Centering Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk on the Leafs top forward line and #1 power-play unit, Bozak is one of the best dollar-for-dollar options on the board tonight. He’s been rather quiet lately, but he owns 12 goals and 14 assists in 33 games at the Air Canada Centre and he’s already tallied a goal and an assist against the Buffalo Sabres in their two previous meetings this season. His 16 power-play points is the third-highest total on the team. and he should have plenty of chances to end his scoring drought tonight against Buffalo’s league-worst, and rather embarrassing, 74.2% penalty kill.
Jiri Hudler, Calgary Flames – When you’re named one of the NHL’s three stars of the week, then it’s safe to say you’re on a hot streak. After picking up a pair of assists on Sunday, Hudler has now recorded four straight two-point games. With 23 goals and 33 assists in 63 games, he’s in the midst of the best season of his career, and yet his asking price on several sites has failed to reach the level of his production. The matchup against the Ducks is not ideal, but he’s already lit the lamp twice against them this season and his offensive talent is undeniable.
Curtis Glencross, Washington Capitals – Hudler’s old teammate in Calgary has taken kindly to his new role with the Capitals. Glencross torched the Buffalo Sabres for a goal and two assists in his last game and has now found the back of the net in consecutive games. With the Rangers obviously keying in on trying to slow down the Ovechkin/Backstrom line, Barry Trotz should be able to utilize his second scoring line in many favorable situations here. He’s cheap and has flashed 30-goal potential in the past, so give him a look if you’re trying to build around some of those higher priced options listed in the disclaimer.
Others: Nicklas Backstrom, Johnny Gaudreau, James van Riemsdyk, Joffrey Lupul, Troy Brouwer, Tomas Fleischman, Sean Monahan
Defensemen
Kris Russell, Calgary Flames – The Mark Giordano injury was devastating to the Calgary Flames, but looks to be a major boost to the fantasy value of Kris Russell. Russell now finds himself on the point of the Flames #1 power-play unit and he’s flourished, racking up two goals and three assists (4 power-play points) during his current three-game point streak. He’s averaging over 29 minutes of ice-time per game since the Giordano injury and is still very reasonably priced on most sites.
Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs – If you’re not picking on this Buffalo penalty kill, then you’re not trying hard enough. The Sabres have allowed six power-play goals over their last four games and it’s been Dion Phaneuf and Morgan Rielly seeing nearly all of the work on the point of the Toronto power-play lately. While Phaneuf is a fine option in his own right, the price-tag on Rielly is generally much more affordable. Rielly has shown flashes of his offensive potential this season, and the 21-year-old is routinely logging 20+ minutes of ice-time per game. He’s already tallied three assists against Buffalo in their two prior meetings and is well worth a look for both cash games and GPP’s tonight.
Others: Dennis Wideman, Keith Yandle, John Carlson, Cam Fowler, Dion Phaneuf