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

by landsharkhockey Last Updated 2011-11-03 20:46:51

It’s Thursday (at last). For NHL fans, that mean a full slate of games after suffering through the last 4 nights of limited hockey action. More games means more choices for setting your roster on Draftstreet. This week, I’ll be going game by game and giving you my pick for a winner in net and highlight one target player to pay attention to in that matchup.

Toronto @ Columbus

The Leafs have been a surprising success early this season, despite seeing their #1 goalie missing the last few games. The Jackets have been absolutely awful. In this case, go with the trends.

Goalie: James Reimer (TOR) – $18.7k — Reimer may return from injury for this game
Target: James Wisniewski (D-COB) – The correction is coming soon. For now, he’s worth the $8k investment.

Winnepeg @ NY Islanders

Both of these teams are struggling lately, but I give the edge to the Islanders.

Goalie: Rick DiPietro (NYI) – $14.4k — With Nabokov apparently still on the shelf, default to the old #1.
Target: Mark Streit (D-NYI) – Streit is back to his old self in terms of fantasy production. Don’t expect him to linger near $6k for long.

Anaheim @ NY Rangers

Two teams mired in mediocrity so far this season. The Rangers are struggling at home, so the pressure is on there. Look for the Ducks to take this one.

Goalie: Jonas Hiller (ANA) – $20.5k
Target: Brad Richards (C-NYR) – $11.5k – Richards is starting to earn his pay. He’s priced below market.

New Jersey @ Philadelphia

The Flyers have scored twice as many goals as the Devils so far this season. While that stat isn’t terribly surprising, it is surprising that Philly has surrendered 50% more goals than the Devils. Of course, most of those came in one game. The bottom line here is that Philly is a MUCH better team than New Jersey. I play the odds and go with the Flyers.

Goalie: Ilya Bryzgalov (PHI) – $13.7k or Sergei Bobrovsky (PHI) – $16.4k — Flyers on a back-to-back, so check to see who’s starting. Either way, these are cheap options for a good shot at a win.
Target: Claude Giroux (RW-PHI) – $13k may seem high, but it’s only going up from there.

Calgary @ Detroit

I’ll be hard pressed to pick the Flames against anyone this season. They currently sit in 14th place in the West and I don’t expect them to climb above that all season long. Pitted against the Wings, this choice is obvious.

Goalie: Jimmy Howard (DET) – $21.3k
Target: Pavel Datsyuk (LW-DET) – Pavel is capable of giving your roster the edge on any given night. $11k is value here.

Chicago @ Florida

While they’re just over .500, there is hope in Florida for the first time in a decade. The team makeover seems to be producing results in the early going. Chicago also seems to be on track in the early going. This is a tough one to call.

Jacob Markstrom (FLA) – $15.6k — not clear who will start for the Panthers. If it’s the rookie, consider the value pick.
Target: Tomas Fleischmann (LW-FLA) – If you’re looking to fill in the flex at $9k or less, here’s a viable option.

Vancouver @ Minnesota

The records show that these two teams are about equal this season. Despite Vancouver’s struggles early on, they will distance themselves as the year goes on. Given a one-game proposition, I favor the Canucks.

Goalie: Cory Schneider (VAN) – $19k — the youngster is expected to give Luongo some rest tonight
Target: Ryan Kesler (C-VAN) – Kesler is just ramping up, and so is his salary hit. At $10.7k, he should be in your lineup tonight.

Nashville @ Phoenix

This may be the toughest game to call, and thus, a game to avoid in net. The teams are built in similar fashion and the statistics play out to be even so far. Rinne is the better option in net, but with 10 games on the schedule tonight, I’m looking elsewhere for my goalie needs. Not much to get excited about up front with either team as well.

Goalie: Pekka Rinne (NAS) – $22.2k — too pricey on a busy night, but in this game, he’s the best option
Target: Mike Fisher (C-NAS) – $8.7k — he’s only played a couple games, but he’s been very productive. Check injury status before claiming him.

Edmonton @ LA

The most shocking number in the NHL to this point is the goals against for the Oilers on the year. They currently sit on top of the league in that category. It can’t last, can it?

Goalie: Jonathan Quick (LA) – $22.8k — my guess is that it can’t.
Target: Taylor Hall (EDM) – $10.7k — Hall is starting to live up to high early expectations.

P*ittsburgh @ San Jose*

The case could made that this may be a preview of the Cup finals (getting ahead of ourselves, for sure). Two tough, but different, teams, making this a challenging call. I couldn’t argue with rostering either goalie in this contest, as I expect a low-scoring affair.

Goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT) – $23k — Fleury has been a monster for the past year. Ride him when you can.
Target: Evgeni Malkin (PIT) – $13k — still undervalued at 13k for one of the best players in the game

Thursday Roster on Draftstreet

Here are my picks for play on Draftstreet tonight:

I will be scouring Twitter before the puck drops tonight to find out who’s getting the nod for the Flyers in net. Both goalies come fairly cheap. Bryzgalov is crazy at $13.8k, so I’ll start there and stack my team up front.

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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.