Ryan Kesler

Anaheim Ducks
Pos: C
Status: Inactive
player props

Ryan Kesler Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Veteran center showing signs of turning the corner

Ryan Kesler may have just six points in 40 games, but over his last five games, the underlying stats have been promising as Kesler is sporting a 60.68% CF at 5v5. Ottawa continues to get obliterated on the road where they have allowed an unbelievable 4.89 goals per game. Although both teams are in the midst of deep losing streaks, it is hard not to side with the home team here as their quality should prevail. Kesler is dirt-cheap across the industry and could be in for a big game as he looks to turn his season around.

Sneaky second line center certain to be overlooked

Nine points (6 goals, 3 assists) in 33 games while averaging 18 minutes of ice time is not exactly Kesler-like especially when you compare that with his 2016-17 numbers (58 points in 82 games). Kesler has struggled staying healthy all season long, but if there were ever a time to jump on him and the second line, tonight is the night against a thin Detroit team playing on consecutive nights. Kesler has yet to really get it going, but perhaps tonight is the night. Naturally, Anaheim's top line of Rickard Rakell, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry will be popular given their upside and matchup, but do not overlook the Ducks' sneaky second line which produced some massive games last season. Kesler is priced like a scrub across the industry which makes pairing the second line with another premium top line possible in tournaments.

"Shutdown" Line Role Reversal

After missing the most of the early season recovering from injury, Ryan Kesler is finally healthy and has been reunited with speedsters Jakob Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano on Anaheim's second line. Not typically known for his offensive prowess, the gritty power forward Kesler has assumed a larger role in Anaheim's scoring attack over the past few seasons despite typically playing against the opposition's top scoring threats. Tonight will be a different story however, as Edmonton will likely deploy star forward Connor McDavid away from Kesler at even strength. This benefits Kesler and Anaheim's second line, who will likely take on Edmonton's second line which has struggled in their own zone this season. Also featured on Anaheim's top power play unit, Kesler and Silfverberg should get plenty of quality scoring chances on the man advantage against an Edmonton penalty kill that ranks dead last in the NHL this season.