There are no clinching scenarios today but there are opportunities for strangleholds in all four series. The Lightning, Avalanche, Bruins and Blues are all up two to one on their opponents and are the heavily favored teams to advance. Will any of the upstarts keep it close? With injuries starting to build who takes advantage of the increased playing opportunities? Stick with us and see who we think is going to come out on top.
For our free pick today we are looking at the Boston Bruins second line. Ondrej Kase ($3,900 DK, $3,500 FD) was acquired at the trade deadline from the Anaheim Ducks but was still dealing with a nagging injury. He never had the proper time to gel with fellow countryman David Krejci who has been the Bruins best player this postseason. They are finally seeing time together and the chemistry the front office was looking for is starting to show. Krejci is known more for beautiful assists than goals and Kase will be the benefactor.
Goaltending DFS Picks For 8/17/20
With Tuukka Rask opting out of the bubble to tend to family matters Jaroslav Halak ($8,000 DK, $8,500 FD) is the go to go in Boston. He may be 35 years old but he still has a lot of talent in him. Other than a foolish clearing attempt that destroyed his own chance at a shutout Halak had a masterful game. We may not see him these playoffs but Dan Vladar is now the backup and worth keeping tabs on.
We are going with another veteran backup turned number one today. Jake Allen ($7,600 DK, $7,400 FD) was a brick wall against the Canucks yesterday and is likely to get the nod again today. Binnington will come back but it is Allen’s net for now. He came up huge to help the Blues cut Vancouver’s series lead in half and he will be looking to tie it up tonight.
Center DFS Picks For 8/17/20
We may have found too many deals for you today so let’s spend the rest of that budget on big man Nathan MacKinnon ($8,500 DK, $8,800 FD). What else is there to say about him at this point? He is a workhorse and every shift is an opportunity to change the game.
For someone who won the award for best playoff performance last year we are not sure why Ryan O’Reilly ($4,900 DK, $6,500 FD) is so cheap. He continues to put up points and dominate the face off circle. He is the top line center for the Blues and is worth every penny.
Winger DFS Picks For 8/17/20
Wingers are looking depleted today. Pastrnak, Stamkos, Tarasenko, and Svechnikov are all likely not playing. Let’s start with a discount deal for an elite winger. Brad Marchand ($6,500 DK, $8,000 FD) is a big savings over Nikita Kucherov ($8,000 DK, $8,300 FD) and has been driving the Bruins offense in Pastrnak’s absence. He is one the most responsible players on the penalty kill and while it is unlikely to happen he is one of the best in the league at scoring short handed goals. Pick him with confidence.
With Andrei Svechnikov out for the foreseeable future the Hurricane’s are going to need Teuvo Teraveinen ($5,600 DK, $6,400 FD) to step up. He will be seeing a lot of power play time with Sebastien Aho and the pair just produce together. Nino Niedrreiter got lucky last game with Halak’s blunder. Teuvo and Aho are the most likely to be putting up points in this one.
Defencemen DFS Picks For 8/17/20
The Tampa Bay Lightning would be a completely different team if it were not for the likes of Victor Hedman ($5,700 DK, $6,500 FD). Everytime you look he is out on the ice easily putting up the most minutes on this squad. With all that time he is sure to score you more points whether from blocking shots, taking shots, or just straight up scoring. He scored the game winner against Columbus on Saturday and will likely continue his clutch play today.
We have sung our praises about Seth Jones from the Columbus Blue Jackets as he is their number one guy but don’t overlook Zach Werenski ($5,100 DK, $5,600 FD). Those two will be the top pairing for years to come. Werenski may not get the lion’s share of power play time but whatever time he sees he makes the most of it. The 23 year old is a rising star and is worth a look.
Avoid DFS Picks For 8/17/20
We actually don’t have any true picks to avoid today. Everyone that is healthy looks to have something worth investing in. Of the injured players we mentioned earlier David Pastrnak is the only one likely to play and so be careful but we can’t outright say no to an elite goal scorer. Trust your gut and take who you feel good about.
Get out there and make your moves you legend.
