NHL GPP Plays: Thursday, February 11th
Every Tuesday and Thursday I am going to give you my top tournament plays for all Daily Fantasy Hockey GPPs (guaranteed prize pool). GPPs are a general term used across the industry for your big money tournaments.
GPPs are very different from your cash games and you use a different strategy with them. In our GPPs we are not interested in safe plays, since GPPs are all about UPSIDE. We want players who can explode, as all-or-nothing type players can become GPP gold, and your value players are just as important as your star players. You need your players to have huge nights in order to take down these big tournaments.
My goal is to provide players who will be under-owned and have that big game upside you are looking for. I will also try to find as much value as I possibly can. Now, let’s get to the NHL GPP plays!
GOALTENDERS
Make sure to check the RotoGrinders Starting Goalies Page prior to game time, to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting.
Nobody stands out to me tonight as the top tournament goaltender, so I plan to use a few of them in my tournament play. If you are looking to pay up for your GPP tender, as usual Semyon Varlamov makes a great choice. As the league’s worst possession team, Colorado allows a ton of shots against per game. If Varlamov can come away with the win in Ottawa tonight, he will be one of the highest scoring goalies. If you are looking to save a little and load up on offense, both Joonas Korpisalo (bargain on DraftKings) and Connor Hellebuyck (bargain on FanDuel) are great options. Korpisalo has been outstanding for the Columbus Blue Jackets and he continues to get peppered with shots on a nightly basis. Korpisalo has a shot at a win and 35-plus saves in this matchup. Hellebuyck has been inconsistent of late, but overall is having a very impressive season. He was superb in his last start and he has big upside at home versus the Boston Bruins tonight.
Other Goalies To Target – Braden Holtby, Jonathan Bernier, Karri Ramo
FORWARDS
Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks – Jumbo Joe tends to get overlooked in large field tournaments due to his pass-first mentality. Funny enough, Thornton has scored in three straight games, generating five points in total. Thornton should have another big game tonight against a Calgary Flames team he has lit up over the years.
Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators – Stone has been the Ottawa Senators best scoring threat of late, producing five goals and eight points in his last five contests. With everyone focusing on the Senators’ top line, Stone and his multi-point upside and he should fly under-the-radar in tournament play.
Andre Burakovsky, Washington Capitals – With the Washington Capitals on the road in Minnesota, I can see them being highly under-owned in tournaments. Burakovsky is riding an impressive eight-game point streak, generating six goals and 10 points during the streak. The Wild are not normally a team I pick on, but they have been dreadful of late. Minnesota has lost their last six games, allowing 23 goals in the process. The 21-year old Austrian is inexpensive and he will be low percentage owned.
Patrick Eaves, Dallas Stars – The matchup in Chicago versus a very good Blackhawks team may not be ideal, but as long as he continues to play alongside Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin at both even strength and on the Dallas Stars’ number one power play unit, he will see a plethora of scoring chances. Eaves has registered points in three straight games, including a multi-point effort in his last game. At his price across the industry, Eaves makes a great roll of the dice in GPPs.
Iiro Pakarinen, Edmonton Oilers – Iiro Pakarinen has been promoted to the Edmonton Oilers’ top line to play with Leon Draisaitl and Taylor Hall. This 24-year-old Finn is incredibly talented and he should see plenty of scoring opportunities playing against a defensively challenged Toronto Maple Leafs team tonight. I plan to target the Oilers’ offense heavily tonight and Pakarinen is a great punt option.
Other Forwards To Target – Mark Stone, Nikolaj Ehlers, Patrick Eaves, Leo Komarov, Jiri Hudler, Tomas Hertl, Rickard Rakell, Brandon Dubinsky
DEFENSE
Tyson Barrie, Colorado Avalanche – The run and gun style of the Ottawa Senators opens the door for Barrie to have a big game. The Senators are a bottom-four team in many defensive categories, including Corsi, scoring chances allowed and goals against per game. Barrie has multi-point upside against a weak defensive Senators squad playing in back-to-back games.
Other Defensemen To Target – Drew Doughty, Dougie Hamilton, Shayne Gostisbehere,