Kevin Fiala Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

The Nashville Predators are missing four of their top eight skaters due to injury and have struggled recently because of it. They are just 5-5-0 in their last 10 games and riding a two-game losing streak but that could all change as they host the defensively inept Ottawa Senators. The Sens are dead last in the league allowing 3.94 goals against per game. The Predators, when healthy, have a potent offence but luckily the matchup against the Sens should allow the depleted Preds ample scoring opportunities. The top line is Ryan Johansen, Kevin Fiala and Ryan Hartman and while this line isn't the greatest, the matchup is so good that this game should see plenty of goals.

Due to injuries, the Preds first line looks quite different than usual. Instead of the usual Johansen, Arvidsson, Forsberg line, the Preds will be utilizing Ryan Hartman and Kevin Fiala as the wings surrounding Johansen. The absence of Arvidsson, Forsberg, and Kyle Turris has also opened up ice time for talented prospect Eeli Tolvanen, who is coming off a multi-point game against the Blackhawks. The matchup against a red-hot Buffalo team isn't ideal, but the prices for the Preds makes them appealing options in all formats.

Filip Forsberg, Kevin Fiala, and Ryan Johansen may go overlooked this evening with all the high-powered offenses in play. While Nashville has been plagued with injuries and have been relatively quiet as of late, this appears to be a great spot for their top line to get on the score sheet. Chicago has been a below average possession team posting a CA/60 of 57.74. They will also be starting back-up goalie Cam Ward tonight whom enters the game with a 3.73 GAA. Mattias Ekholm is the correlation play on defense as he plays on the top power play unit. This stack comes in at a very moderate price tag across the industry allowing you to pay up for some other studs.

With Antti Raanta injured again, Adin Hill will get the call tonight against a Nashville team that should bounce back off a home loss. While Arizona has been respectable defensively, much of that can be attributed to the play of Raanta. Nashville has been a bit of a mess with their injuries, and not having a true top-six center hurts some of Smith's value, but his price is down across the industry and he could do some damage on the power play. The last time these two teams met, two weeks ago, the Predators were coming off a tough loss in San Jose. The Coyotes edged the Predators 2-1 behind a career-high in saves (44) from second string goalie Darcy Kuemper. Neither he nor Raanta will play tonight. Smith is a cheap shooter who has a good chance of finding the back of the net tonight. A case can be made for other cheap Nashville skaters as well like Kevin Fiala and Nick Bonino.

Filip Forsberg has put up 14 goals and 22 points in 25 games this season which is pretty solid. It's the goal total that looks real nice which is a result of putting 84 pucks on net in the early part of the season. He's playing alongside Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala who is filling in for the injured Viktor Arvidsson. They host the Arizona Coyotes who are likely to be rolling with Adin Hill in net. Hill has been bad in the AHL 3.22 GAA and .871 SV% in 6 games this season. If you can't keep the puck out of the net down there you won't have much luck in the NHL.

With Viktor Arvidsson nursing an injury, Kevin Fiala appears to be joining the top line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen. Fiala has been a disappointment to start the season, but his cheap price across the industry does not reflect his skill set. While there is no guarantee he will stay on the top line, nor is the matchup with Boston an ideal one, Fiala is worth your consideration in all formats as Nashville is one of the best home teams and last season Fiala posted a goal and an assist in two meetings with the Bruins while only seeing under 14 minutes of ice time.

The Nashville Predators will host the New York Islanders tonight. The Pred’s second line is almost free, and provide huge upside in this matchup. The Islanders were one of our favorite teams to pick on last year, and they lost superstar John Tavares in free agency. Nashville’s second line featuring Craig Smith, Kyle Turris, and Kevin Fiala has a HDCF%(Percentage of high danger scoring chances) of 61.54 when they are on the ice together. This suggests that their one goal as a line so far is a result of bad luck. They also get a large percentage of the teams offensive zone face-offs. Look for this line to go under the radar tonight, and at their low salaries, they can be paired with other high priced lines. You can pair them with defensemen Roman Josi or Ryan Ellis. Josi being my preferred option is salary is available.

With plenty of high-dollar options looking appealing this evening, finding some quality salary relief is important. Luckily for us, Kevin Fiala's asking price has dipped to It's lowest point in the last few months on several sites. The former first-round pick has racked up 23 goals and 24 assists already this season and unloaded 177 SOG in the process. He'll skate alongside Kyle Turris and Craig Smith once again this evening in a very favorable matchup against a Buffalo Sabres team that has surrendered 3.29 goals against per game since the All-Star break. At this price-point, he doesn't need to do too much to exceed value.

The Nashville Predators top line may have the higher ceiling, but they are also much more expensive, which is why I am leaning towards their underrated second line this evening. Led by Craig Smith, this trio remains moderately priced industry wide, and they have multi-goal upside tonight at the KeyBank Center. The Buffalo Sabres are not necessarily a weak defensive team overall, but their goaltending is definitely sub-par, which is why they have allowed the third-most goals against per game in the National Hockey League this season (3.24), and the ninth-most goals against per game this month (3.43). By no means am I saying to fade Nashvilles top line tonight, they are definitely in play, but the Preds second line is the better point-per-dollar play once again. With P.K. Subban skating with the teams top line on the number one power play unit, you will want to pair either Roman Josi, or Ryan Ellis with the Predators second line on the second power play unit.

If you're looking for an under the radar stack tonight, consider Nashville's second line which features Craig Smith, Kevin Fiala, and newly acquired Kyle Turris. Back home where they play their best hockey, this trio draws a sneaky good matchup against a Winnipeg Jets team that will be playing on tired legs following a tough loss to Washington last night. Despite shoring up their penalty kill this year, Winnipeg continues to take too many penalties for their own good. This bodes well for the second line of Nashville, who have combined for 25 power play points at home this season and won't be tasked with shutting down Blake Wheeler or Patrik Laine with home ice advantage on their side.