NHL Thursday: DraftStreet $1,000 GPP Picks and Lineup

by landsharkhockey Last Updated 2011-10-20 18:03:41

One of my favorite things about playing daily fantasy hockey on Draftstreet is the player values. More than any other daily site, Draftstreet stays on top of player salaries. Salaries are updated daily to reflect the recent performance of NHL players. This means that value players don’t stay cheap for long, so you need to stay on top of things to gain an edge. On other sites, you might find a cheap player delivering good value and you can play him for weeks. The problem there is that your opponent has the same guy in his lineup 9 times out of 10. This rarely happens on Draftstreet.

Nonetheless, value can be found here if you dig deep enough.

Centers:

Tyler Seguin (BOS)
Seguin has started the season on fire, playing at a point a game through the first 5 games. His salary has recently been bumped up to $7.7k, but he’s still one of the best values at this position.

John Tavares (NYI)
Statistically, Tavares is the best bargain at this position right now. He has brought over 8 fantasy points a game for a bargain price of $8.8k. JT is poised for a huge season. In fact, I’m pretty high on all things Islanders this season. I see this young, quick team potting a ton of goals, and Tavares will be leading the charge. Look for his cost to go up considerably over the next few weeks.

Stephen Weiss (FLA)
If Weiss and the rest of the Panthers can keep this rolling, you won’t see him priced under $10k for long. He started the season with a surprising bang, racking up 3 goals and 3 assists in 4 games. He’s the most talented forward on this team by far, and gets as much playing time as he can handle.

Left Wingers:

Thomas Vanek (BUF)
Despite rising to a cost of $12.8k, Vanek is still a slight bargain, given his incredible production up to this point. His 3 goals and 4 assists in 4 games are probably a bit of a peak; however, he has produced at this level in streaks before.

James van Riemsdyk (PHI)
JVR has seen his cost rise by $2k over the past week, but he’s still worth a good look, lingering around $9k. As long as he plays sidekick to Claude Giroux, he’s a worthwhile play every night.

Taylor Hall (EDM)
Hall just cracked the $10k plateau in terms of salary, but I’m still using him most nights. A point a game so far is probably about what we should expect for the next 10 years from this young gun.

Right Wingers:

P.A. Parenteau (NYI)
It’s tough to find better value at the wing than Parenteau, another one of those hot shot Islander forwards. He’s priced under $8k, despite racking up 7 points in 4 games and seeing top notch minutes with Tavares.

Claude Giroux (PHI)
Giroux’s value has risen quickly, as expected. He’s sitting around $12.9k, but is absolutely worth the price of admission. I see Giroux finishing as one of the top 5 fantasy players by the end of this season. Until he crack $15k, keep him in your lineup at all times. Even then, he’ll be worthy of consideration.

Chris Stewart (STL)
Provided he stays healthy, this is another name that won’t stay cheap for very long. Stewart is the full package at the wing, delivering value in goals and PIMs on a regular basis. He’s just cracked the $10k level, but remains a good find.

Defense:

Bryan Allen (CAR)
Allen is not expected to produce points, but he’s a shot-blocking force. With the increase in value for blocked shots, he’s suddenly worth consideration. 18 blocks in 5 games, and priced at just $5.6k.

Dmitry Kulikov (FLA)
Kulikov has been on the radar for some time now as an emerging offensive force on defense. Playing in Florida has severely limited his production. With the Cats finally potting some goals, he’s seen some decent production thus far, and his salary hasn’t adjusted fully. He’s priced at a fair $5.5k.

Oliver Ekman-Larson (PHO)
3 goals in 4 games is quite a start for the Coyote defenseman. He’s been projected as a future star on the blueline, and it seems like he’s wanting to take that step this season. He’s currently valued low at $5.4k.

Goalies:

J.S. Giguere (COL)
The winning in Denver has come as a bit of a surprise, and it’s happening regardless of who is in net. Giguere is priced very low at $15.5k, making him a very affordable goalie option, provided you believe this run will continue.

Al Montoya (NYI)
Montoya has gotten off to an incredible start with the Isles, and remains a bargain at $19.5k. With DiPietro on the shelf, he has climbed into the number one role in New York. It’s probably just a matter of time before the defense starts to expose some holes, so he’s an iffy play. Given a weak opponent, he’s worth a look.

My Roster for Tonight’s Action on Draftstreet

Last Thursday, my roster landed me 2nd place in the league of 50. Draftstreet is running a couple more GPP contests tonight. Here’s hoping I can match that magic this week by using a handful of my highlighted players:

______________________________________________________________________________________

About the Writer: ‘Chewy’ aka Gary Wilson, operates LandShark Hockey, and has been helping others dominate Fantasy Hockey Leagues for almost 20 years now. Landshark Hockey provides fantasy hockey fans with daily news, updates, and draft strategy including the LandShark Hockey War Room for Daily Fantasy Hockey Lineup Help.