Reilly Smith Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

When starting to look for core plays a lot of DFS players go straight to the top of the list, and that’s fine. Sometimes though we have to look a bit deeper in terms of what is going on with a certain player in terms of playing time, opponent and recent production. This kind of research would lead you to a few different plays that could easily produce on a particular night. For Reilly Smith, tonight is that particular night. Vegas comes into this one fresh off a 3-2 loss to Minnesota on home ice last night so the jaunt over to San Jose shouldn’t be too big of a deal. In the midst of a seven game winless streak, the Sharks have given up a whopping 37 goals over the past 10 games while the Golden Knights have duplicated that number but only on the offensive side. This is where Smith comes in as he has lit the lamp six times to go along with six assists over the last three weeks which ranks him 13th in the league over that time frame. Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson will skate with him on the top line against a very leaky San Jose defense.

While they started off a bit slow, the Vegas Golden Knights have blown through their teams' "sophomore slump". Over the last month specifically, they have the 4th-best CF% with a 55.25 rate and they've also produced plenty of chances with a 63.86 CF/60 which also ranks 4th. The Golden Knights top line hasn't been as dominant as they were last season, but Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith have been better since March 1st. They are all at a point-per-game or better over the last month as they get into their best form leading into the playoffs. This line plays on the top power play unit in their entirety which gives them full-game correlation and elite upside.

Reilly Smith is well off his pace from a season ago, but he has also suffered from a poor shooting percentage (7.4%). With the fast-paced Toronto Maple Leafs making a visit to Sin City, Reilly has a good chance to produce, and his price tag is not prohibitive. The Golden Knights disappointed big time against the Coyotes last time out which should keep ownership in check. Prior to that game, Reilly picked up three assists in two games. Last season, Smith averaged more than a point per game on home ice. Look for Vegas to bounce back tonight.

We have not seen the morning skate for Vegas yet, but it is possible Reilly Smith will be back on the top line as fill-in Zykov has not been getting much ice time. Regardless, Reilly Smith skates on the team's top power play unit and his price is down to an attractive $4,200 on DraftKings. With a cloud hanging over Panarin and Bobrovsky's head, the Blue Jackets are ripe for the picking. And as we know, Vegas plays their best hockey on home ice. As a team, the Vegas Golden Knights are averaging a Western-Conference best 32.33 scoring chances per 60 minutes on home ice. It's a nice time to buy low on Reilly Smith.

The Vegas Golden Knights have had solid possession numbers all season but only recently have the results started to show. They're third in the NHL with a 54.60 CF% and their 6-3-1 is the beginning of the results starting to show. They host the NY Islanders tonight — a team that has performed surprisingly well this season despite their 27th ranked 46.83 CF%. This line of Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith is always a great play as the trio play on the top power play unit together so they have elite upside with full-game correlation.

With Max Pacioretty on the shelf for tonight, the top line for the Vegas Golden Knights is in play. This line is comprised of William Karlsson centering Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith and while they are not as dominant as they were last season, they're still putting together a respectable season that should improve. They're taking on the New Jersey Devils tonight and the struggling Cory Schneider. Schneider has been brutal this season with a 4.29 GAA and .862 SV% and is 0-15-3 in his last 18 starts. He hasn't had a regular season win since Since December 27th, 2017. Zero in the 2018 calendar year.

One of the best lines in hockey last season has been off to a bit of a slow start this season. William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith are in Arizona to take on the Coyotes. Arizona started off as a great possession team, but over the last month things have gone a bit awry. The Coyotes have a 63.49 CA/60 over the last month which is the second-worst mark in the NHL. Whereas the Golden Knights are third in the NHL with a 63.93 CF/60. This line sticks together on the top power play unit which gives them full-game correlation and elite upside.

The Vegas Golden Knights are hosting the Anaheim Ducks in what is one of the largest possession mismatches in the NHL. The Ducks have just a 43.29 CF% which is 30th, while the Golden Knights have a 57.36 CF% which is good for 3rd in the NHL. However, Vegas is 30th in the NHL with just 15 points, so their possession stats are not helping their cause very much at all and their 44 goals also sit 30th. However, this top line of Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith and William Karlsson was dominant last season and there is reason to believe they will turn things around. They also play on the same power play unit which gives them elite upside and correlation.

The Vegas Golden Knights sit 13th in the Western Conference this season, but they are under-performing and getting a bit unlucky. They have a 57.7 CF% which is the third-best possession number in the NHL and their 64.39 CF/60 is also the third-best. They have been getting plenty of opportunities but not putting the puck in the net. Tonight they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs who are allowing a 59.75 CA/60 which is the sixth-worst in the NHL. Being on the road isn't ideal for Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith and William Karlsson as Mike Babcock can hard-match the top line, but this game does present a lot of scoring chances at both ends of the ice. This line sticks together on the top power play unit giving them full-game correlation and elite upside.

After his breakout 2017-18 campaign where Reilly Smith registered 60 points (22G, 38A) in 67 games, he has not had the start to the season that he expected (3G, 3A in 13 games) even though he is logging more than two minutes of ice time more per game (20:17) than he did last season (17:55). Consequently, Smith has seen his price drop to a point where it enters not only tournament conversation, but also cash games (DraftKings - $4,600 & FanDuel - $5,400). Vegas' top line was dominant on home ice last season, and while Carolina is great at driving play, they are on short rest and their goaltenders have struggled to begin the season. Smith is a great source of salary relief.