We were hoping to get Ovechkin against Buffalo today but after landing himself on the Covid protocol we are calling some audibles and looking at who will benefit the most from that. Samsonov is also out so the Capitals are also looking at a backup goaltender. A betting man might buy some stock in the Sabres. Today’s core lineup will be some reasonably priced stars looking to do some damage.
Here’s a Sharp Lineup For DFS Hockey 1/22/21 (using DraftKings Values)
C J. Eichel $7,600 (DK)
C __________ $6,400 (DK)
W Taylor Hall $6,800 (DK)
W __________ $4,500 (DK)
W __________ $2,500 (DK)
D __________ $6,800 (DK)
D __________ $3,500 (DK)
G L. Ullmark $7,600 (DK)
U __________ $4,300 (DK)
Jack Eichel and Taylor Hall have found an instant chemistry on the ice this season and have a juicy matchup against a depleted Capitals team. Linus Ullmark is a really interesting play here as he is more of a 1B goalie than a straight backup. With Carter Hutton out he will have the net the next couple games while Washington is missing Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Orlov. That is one of the cheapest goalies you can get backing a solid offense.
Now what do you get if you sign up for $99 now?
• More offensive mismatches.
• A bunch of alternates from a likely to be high scoring game.
• A backup goalie that rivals our main one for value.
In short, the other teams you should be interested in are Nashville, Detroit, Edmonton, and Toronto. Nashville is playing against Dallas who are finally getting to their first game of the season. Detroit is playing against Chicago. Edmonton vs Toronto should just be a high scoring affair. Here is who we are looking at in particular.
Dylan Larkin – C ($6,400 DK) earned the captaincy of the Detroit Red Wings and has continued to show why deserves it. We cannot count his faceoff win totals in fantasy but they do give him the opportunity for lots of shots on net. Look for him to slice up Chicago tonight.
Kailer Yamamoto – W ($4,500) is the poor man’s Leon Draisaitl. He greatly enjoys feeding off of Drai and does more than his part to set his linemate up for success. He had an unassisted goal last game so he can hold his own just fine.
Alex Tuch – W ($4,100 DK) is a subtle key to Vegas’ success. Their third line is sneaky good and Tuch has a bomb of a shot to go with a physical style of play. He has been producing well to start and we like the value he offers.
Roman Josi – D ($6,800 DK) is an elite defenseman playing against a team that has yet to play this season. If Dallas has rust Josi will help them shake it off with thundering shots and poise on the power play.
Adam Larsson – D ($3,500 DK) is not going to score you goals. He is going to block all the shots and may even get up to the bonus. He is a steady play at the bottom of your lineup that should give you more cash to swing big.
Alex Kerfoot – C ($2,500 DK). The best thing about Kerfoot is that he has Ilya Mikheyev on his wing. In what is likely to be a high scoring game we are picking up some depth pieces who will look to feast on opposing goalies.
Alternative Moves…
• Juuse Saros ($7,800 DK). At the time of writing this Saros is unconfirmed as the starter but he has been the go to guy in Nashville. His cost has not caught up to his play and he is just as good a play as Ullmark right now.
• Artemi Panarin ($6,900 DK). The breadman has already picked up where he left off last season and has four points in three games. He is a prolific shot taker and he succeeds no matter who his center is.
• Alex Pietrangelo ($6,400 DK) was a player fantasy players were worried about when he moved to Vegas. While he is splitting some time with Shea Theodore he brings his own offence and backs it up with blocked shots. He is an all around player if you want to save $400 on Josi.
• Jakub Vrana ($4,800 DK). We are not completely fading Washington as some players have the opportunity to shine. With Ovechkin absent Vrana will get top line time and will be trying to build on last years breakout season.
• Denis Gurianov ($4,700 DK). Gurianov has the best shot to score for Dallas and will be putting as much rubber as he can on net. He is a sleeper today but if he wakes up you will be on your way to winnings that no one else is going after.
• Zach Whitecloud ($2,600 DK). One more guy to keep your eye on. He is on the depth chart behind Pierangelo and Theodore but he is using his time well. If either of the other two miss anytime he will be looking to fill those holes.
Let us know how you did over on Twitter (@FantasyDFSX). We hope you are enjoying the non-stop content and all the NHL action after a few months off. Have a great weekend.
