Josh Bailey Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

There was plenty of talk of how Mathew Barzal would do this season with John Tavares out of town. On one hand, he was going to be the top line centre, top power play unit, he was going to be the man. However, he was also now going to face the toughest matchups rather than having a bit more freedom on the second line. Well, he has shut the critics down as he has been completely dominant this season. Barzal has put up 13 goals and 43 points in 46 games playing in more of a 1a/1b line role as Anders Lee anchors his own line from the left side. Barzal will be with Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier as the New York Islanders take on the Washington Capitals this evening. The Islanders are on the tail-end of a back-to-back which is not ideal, but the Caps have struggled from a possession standpoint as of late. Since the Christmas break, Washington has the 24th ranked CF% at 47.53 and allowed a 60.99 CA/60 which is the sixth worst in that time frame.

The Islanders like they are starting to buy into the system that Barry Trotz has laid out for them as evidence of the team going 8-2 in their last 10 games. Mathew Barzal has been big part of this as he has snagged nine goals and four assists over the last nine games. Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier skate with him on the 5x5 situations but Barzal has also tallied 14 of his 38 points while the team has had the extra attacker. This is important because the Blues just happen to lead the league with 11 power play goals given up over the last three weeks. This equates to a 60% penalty kill average for the Blues so taking a look at the Islanders power play unit is definitely worth a look this evening.

With 15 points in his last 10 games, Mathew Barzal is really starting to heat up. He's playing between Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey as the New York Islanders host the Chicago Blackhawks. The Islanders have won seven of their last eight games, scoring at least three goals in each of their seven wins. They now take on a team that has struggled as of late, with the Blackhawks sporting an ugly 63.18 CA/60 over the last three weeks which is the third-worst mark in the NHL. Barzal is a solid one-off play as his wingers don't play on the same power play unit as him, but they both play on the second unit together so there is some correlation on PP2 if you stack this line.

The Islanders have won four consecutive games, scoring three plus goals in the process. Although Bailey did not pick up a point in his last two games, he did have a multi-point game against Ottawa last Friday. Bailey's price across the industry is still quite attractive on a night where the expensive superstars are not must-haves in average road matchups. Chicago is allowing nearly four goals per game on the road and a confident Islanders' team will be tough to contain, especially with Mathew Barzal on a stellar run currently.

Mathew Barzal is centering Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey as the New York Islanders host the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa has been terrible defensively and whole they've been better as of late, they are still allowing a league-worst 3.89 goals against per game. As the top centre with John Tavares off to Toronto, Barzal has done a fine job picking up 29 points in 35 games. Barzal and Bailey are both on the top power play unit as well which is great considering Ottawa has the 30th ranked PK which kills off just 74.3 percent of their penalties.

Generally considered a very strong defensive team in recent seasons, some cracks are starting to appear in their own zone for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team has allowed a very mediocre 3.08 goals against per game away from Nationwide Arena and the team's penalty kill has limped it's way to an NHL worst (and horrendous) 66.7% penalty kill on the road this season. Enter Josh Bailey, who has thrived as John Tavaras' wing-man all season and will take the ice tonight just one point away from tying his career high of 56 points (he has 12 goals and 43 assists in just 48 games this season). Bailey's 22 power-play points is tied with Nikita Kucherov for eighth place in the NHL this season and he's feasted on this Blue Jacket's team this season; scoring three goals in their two prior meetings.

Even if you knew how well the top line for the New York Islanders had been doing, you likely would not have been able to name Josh Bailey as the player being tied with John Tavares for second in the NHL scoring race. This point-scoring surge has come seemingly out of nowhere, despite Josh Bailey putting up a career high 56 points last year. He currently has 10 goals and 46 points in 36 games which is insane, and his price is up to $6,900 on DraftKings which seems impossible to pay. However, it is justified with how he has played. Bailey and Tavares are joined by Anders Lee on the top line, and the trio stay together on the top power play unit. Although this line is very expensive and likely to be chalk, a home matchup against he Buffalo Sabres is a dream spot and eating this chalk tonight is a good play.

The New York Islanders just keeping scoring goals with their top line leading the way. The Islanders have now registered the second-most goals per game (3.50) in the National Hockey League this season, and they are number one overall when it comes to goals per game on home ice (4.20). As for production, the Islanders top line has been insanely good and consistent in December, combining for 16 goals and 39 points in 10 games. The Anaheim Ducks have now lost three straight contests, allowing 12 goals against in the process, and this will be their fifth game of a long six-game road trip, and I think we see the Islanders top line take advantage of that tonight at the Barclays Center.

An often forgotten superstar because of the team he plays for, Tavares is a guy that I really like tonight in a game that has plenty of scoring potential. He draws a sneaky good matchup against a Vancouver Canucks team that can be exposed away from ice and lacks the talent and depth to slow down the top line of the Islanders. Skating alongside talented playmakers Anders Lee and Josh Bailer on New York's top line and top power play unit, this trio should get plenty of opportunities to breakout on the man advantage tonight against a Vancouver squad that ranks 27th in penalty kill percentage on the road this season. Further increasing this line's potential tonight is the fact that home ice advantage will allow head coach Doug Weight to get his most talented playmakers in key offensive zone faceoffs and matched up against any number of weaker defensive lines of Vancouver, making them a solid line stack with arguably the most potential on tonight's slate.

Tonight is all about the Islanders, and the best source of salary relief looks to be Josh Bailey who has been on an absolute tear. Bailey has picked up at least a point in eight straight games, and altogether, the veteran winger has amassed two goals and a whopping 12 assists during this stretch. Somehow, Josh Bailey is just $4,600 on FanDuel and $4,500 on DraftKings. Roster construction should begin with this criminally underpriced New York Islander veteran as he looks to pick apart the poor-traveling Colorado Avalanche at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York tonight.