Jacob Trouba Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Even on this big slate, not many of the top defensemen stand out as must-haves as all the priority spends are at forward. Jacob Trouba is a nice option from the blue line without sacrificing too much. With Josh Morrissey and Dustin Byfuglien on the shelf, Trouba sees all the ice time at even-strength and the team's top power play unit. Checking in at under $5,000 on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Trouba could easily pay off his salary with a couple shots and blocks. The power play is just a bonus. Jacob has logged 26 and 27-plus minutes in two games this month, and while the multi-point games have not been there, we know he has the upside to do it as evidenced by his three-assist affair in Vegas two weeks ago. He is viable in all formats as a nice mid-range defenseman.

Ottawa has been one of the worst defensive teams all season long. They own a league worst GA/60 at 3.18, and CA/60 of 66.66. Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, and Kyle Connor all play together on the team’s top power-play unit and should have no problem finding the back of the net tonight against this porous Ottawa team. Dustin Byfuglien is an elite play in all formats and correlates on the top power-play unit with all three forwards.

*Update as Byfuglien is out Trouba is the play at Defense

Mark Scheifele and the Winnipeg Jets will host the Anaheim Ducks whom are giving up the second most high danger scoring chances in the league (12.87 HDCA/60). Scheifele and line-mates Blake Wheeler, and Kyle Connor all correlate on the team’s top power-play unit along with defenseman Jacob Trouba. This talented line stack has multi-goal upside against defensively challenged Anaheim team tonight.

With Dustin Byfuglien out, minutes open up on the team's top power play unit. While we have yet to get something firm on who will take Dustin's spot, it is likely to be Josh Morrissey who saw a good run earlier this season when Byfuglien was nursing an injury. Morrissey is far too cheap across the industry given the heavier workload he will see tonight. The same goes for Jacob Trouba who will continue to see power play time on either unit. No matter where Morrissey or Trouba skate on the power play, they draw a wonderful matchup against a generous Chicago defense allowing 3.56 goals per game on the road.

If you have some extra salary to work with tonight, consider taking Winnipeg's second line which features Laine, Ehlers, and the newly acquired Paul Stastny. Among the league leaders in shot attempts since acquiring Stastny, this line has found instant chemistry for the streaking Jets. A matchup against a stingy Montreal team may seem risky, but the Canadiens are still without a number of key defensemen and have allowed the second most shot attempts and own the third highest xGA/60 on tonight's slate over their past 15 games. Also featured on the league's fourth ranked power play, Stastny and Laine should have no problems paying off their steep price against a Montreal penalty kill that has dipped to 30th in the NHL this season.

With Dustin Byfuglien on the shelf, Jacob Trouba has taken over as the point-man on the top power play unit. He is a great DFS dman because he produces a lot of peripherals as well. He is averaging 2.06 blocks per game and 2.27 shots per game, numbers that should also see a bump with Byfuglien out. The Jets are home to the Blues tonight, and St. Louis is on a tail-end of a back to back. They were dominated yesterday and relied on a 47-save shutout from Carter Hutton. If St. Louis plays as poorly again tonight in the second half of this home and home, the Jets should put up a ton of shots and likely result in a pile of goals.

With Dustin Byfuglien out, Trouba has once again seen an increased role for the Jets, specifically on the power play. He and Tyler Myers are splitting duties a bit more this year, but Trouba has proven to be a dependable option with increased responsibilities. He is going to eat minutes and be a key contributor from the blueline now, and his price is still low. Though the Blues are not a team we typically like to pick on, the Jets are trending upward while the Blues are going through some rhythms due to injuries. For the record, Vince Dunn on the other side of the ice would have gone in this spot, but Colton Parayko (rightfully) usurped the power play god role from Dunn, who was relegated to a minority share.

If you're looking to differentiate your lineup in tournaments tonight, consider taking Winnipeg's second line which features Little, Laine, and Ehlers. A matchup against a stingy Vancouver team may seem risky, but this team has dealt with a number of key injuries and can be exposed away from ice; entering tonight's game allowing the most scoring chances among available road teams. In a game that could go overlooked in favor of higher projected scoring games, look for this trio to use their talent and speed to create prime scoring opportunities with the potential to carry you to the top of a GPP.