NHL GPP Plays: Tuesday, March 10th
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, as GPPs are all about UPSIDE. We want players who can explode, those 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 to confirm that the goalies listed below are starting prior to game time.
Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes – Despite giving up eight goals in his last two games, Cam Ward has won seven of his last nine starts. Ward is a tough goalie to roster in your cash games, but makes a terrific GPP play due to his ability to stand on his head and steal hockey games. Ward has been inconsistent this season, but he has been very good on home ice, posting a 1.93 GAA and a .923 SV%. The Columbus Blue Jackets are not a very potent offense, ranking 24th in goals per game this season. However, their offense is relevant enough to fire a decent amount of shots on goal, at average 28.6 shots on goal per game. So, Ward should see a decent amount of shots in this game tonight, and assuming he leaves with the win, he should have a very productive night at a moderate price.
Other Goalies To Target – Steve Mason, Kari Lehtonen, Cam Talbot, Craig Anderson
FORWARDS
Anders Lee, New York Islanders – Lee is riding a five game point streak and is a cheap way to get exposure to superstar John Tavares on the Islanders’ top line and top powerplay unit. The Islanders’ top line has been one of the most consistent and explosive lines in all of hockey for about six weeks now and I don’t see it changing any time soon. Lee has generated nine goals, 19 points and 68 shots on goal in his last 18 games. Despite the fact that the Islanders are playing on consecutive nights, I still think Lee and his linemates will be productive against the New York Rangers this evening. Lee is once again one of the top value plays on the board tonight.
Tyler Toffoli, Los Angeles Kings – When fantasy players are targeting the Kings, they tend to overlook Tyler Toffoli on the second line. He has been pretty quiet recently, but he has the ability to have a monster game on any given night. Toffoli is a very underrated scorer and he has been a top five player in the NHL in terms of points per 60 minutes of ice time. This is a great matchup for the Kings, and we know Toffoli has big game upside.
Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins – Marchand has been on fire for the Bruins recently with goals in four straight games. During this four-game stretch, Marchand has produced five goals, six points and 11 shots on goal. Boston is not a team known for lighting up the scoreboard, but I think Marchand and company make a sneaky play in GPPs tonight. With so many good offenses playing tonight, Boston’s top line is certain to fly under the radar.
Brayden Schenn, Philadelphia Flyers – Schenn has been reunited with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek on the Flyers’ top line and number one powerplay unit. Schenn has certainly not lived up to expectations this season, but he is worth a flyer tonight in GPPs. Dallas has struggled to keep the puck out of their net all season long. At some point many figured the Stars would put their defensive woes behind him, but they are actually getting worse, not better. They’ve allowed the second-most goals per game on the season, including the most in the month of February and 13 goals in four games so far in March. Schenn has struggled to score recently, but he has an ideal matchup to break out tonight.
Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes – Skinner scored two goals in Carolina’s 7-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday and he now has points in six of his last seven games. The Carolina Hurricanes have averaged over three goals per game in their last 15 games and have become a sneaky offense of late. The Columbus Blue Jackets are a poor defensive squad and they have allowed the fourth-most shots per game (32.8) and the fifth-most goals per game (3.15) this season.
Other Forwards To Target – Mike Hoffman, Gabriel Landeskog, Martin St. Louis, Elias Lindholm
DEFENSE
Tyson Barrie, Colorado Avalanche – Barrie has registered points in five of his last eight games, including three games in which he had three point nights. In his 16 games since the All-Star break, Barrie has tallied six goals and 15 points. The Colorado Avalanche have won three straight games, scoring 10 goals in the process, and with the Los Angeles Kings as their opponent, not many will be looking to the Avalanche for scoring tonight. However, Colorado is playing very good hockey these days and the Kings are not the same team on the road.
Other Defensemen To Target – Justin Faulk, Ryan Suter, Keith Yandle, John Klingberg
Good Luck Grinders!
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