Seven games are on tap tonight in the NHL. Building a DFS team isn’t always easy, and on nights with a lot of options, it becomes even more challenging to find the right combination of players to go with. It’s easy to fall into the trap of targeting a bad defensive team, but even those teams occasionally play well. It’s important for cash line-ups to find the perfect balance of teams to go with (I usually like to target three good matchups and stack players from those teams). For GPP lineups it’s all about the high scoring games. With that, let’s take a look at each match up and sort through which players you should be looking to start tonight.

Game Breakdowns:

Los Angeles Kings @ New Jersey Devils—Start time—7:00PM

 Quick Stats:

• Kings are 12-14-7 on the road this season
• 18^th in goals per game (2.63 G/GP)
• 8^th in goals against per game (2.42 GA/GP)
• 12^th ranked power play (18.9%)
• 14^th ranked penalty kill (81.5%)
• Averaging 30.6 shots per game (13^th in the NHL)
• Averaging 27.1 shots against per game (1^st in the NHL)

 

• Devils are 18-11-8 at home this season
• 28^th in goals per game (2.21 G/GP)
• 9^th goals against per game (2.44 GA/GP)
• 11^th ranked power play (19.1)
• 18^th ranked penalty kill (81%)
• Averaging 24.3 shots per game (29^th in the NHL)
• Averaging 30.7 shots against per game (24^th in the NHL)

This is a tricky matchup to analyze. I’m not a fan of teams that aren’t great on the road. Most people don’t care too much about home/road splits, but I give it some value when a team has a large gap between how well they play at home and how poorly they play on the road. The Kings aren’t a great team on the road, but they are starting to peak at the right time (So L.A of them) and are looking for a spot in this year’s Stanley Cup race.

I’ll start with L.A who are playing the Devils. They don’t have a great matchup, seeing as Corey Schneider has the second-best SV% in the NHL (behind future Vezina trophy winner Carey Price), so it looks like it will finish a low scoring game. Marian Gaborik ($5000) and Anze Kopitar ($5300) are always a great choice, but if you want to go with L.A I would suggest Tyler Toffoli ($4400) and Jeff Carter ($5400). Toffoli grades out as the second best value play of the night and should be able to at least collect a point. On defense, Jake Muzzin ($4400) is perfectly priced to use and provides excellent value. I’m not completely against the idea of going with Jonathan Quick ($8800), but I don’t like his price and I think there are much better options out there. The logic for not going with him is simple—L.A gives up a league low 27 shots per game and New Jersey averages only 24 shots per game. It’s simple math really, but I don’t expect Quick to hit value* tonight.

*Value is determined as such: Player salary (multiply by) 0.7 (divided by) 1000. To learn more about this, check out Christopher Pacheco’s (@TheNumbers_Guy) “NHL DFS Goalies for Dummies” at www.dailyroto.com.

As for the Devils it’s really simple—don’t. Aside from Corey Schneider ($8800), no one on that roster can be trusted night in and night out. Save yourself the headache and use your money somewhere else.

All Games: Jeff Carter—C, Tyler Toffoli—W, Jonathan Quick—G, Jake Muzzin—D.

GPP Only: Anze Kopitar—C, Marian Gaborik—W, Drew Doughty ($5800)—D.

Chicago Blackhawks @ Carolina Hurricanes—Start Time—7:00PM

 Quick Stats:

• Chicago is 21-13-1 on the road this season
• 15^th in goals per game (2.73 G/GP)
• 3^rd in goals against per game (2.24 GA/GP)
• 18^th ranked power play (18.1%)
• 4^th ranked penalty kill (85.4%)
• Averaging 34.1 shots per game (1^st in the NHL)
• Averaging 29.9 shots against per game (20^th in the NHL)

 

• Carolina is 15-14-6 at home this season
• 27^th in goals per game (2.25 G/GP)
• 19^th in goals against per game (2.66 GA/GP)
• 9^th ranked power play (19.6%)
• 5^th ranked penalty kill (85.2%)
• Averaging 30.4 shots per game (14^th in the NHL)
• Averaging 27.4 shots against per game (3^rd in the NHL)

This matchup should be a fun one tonight. Most people will be high on the Hawks, but Carolina has some good value plays that can help you cash by the end of the night.

For Chicago it’s really quite simple—the top line. Coach Q has decided to put all his eggs in one basket, and with the exception of their last game against Dallas, it’s working out quite well. I know a lot of people are big on stacking a centre and a winger, but I like the stack of Marian Hossa ($7200) and Patrick Sharp ($7000). They will definitely set you back quite a bit, eating up close to 26% of your budget, and they don’t provide great value either. With that being said, they both play together on the second power play unit, and they both like to shoot the puck. If Cam Ward gets the start in net, it could be a multi-point night for both players.

On defense, Brent Seabrook ($4600) plays with both Sharp and Hossa on the power play and is very reasonably priced. I would roll all three together if you decide to go with Chicago.

For Carolina, I really like the pairing of Eric Staal ($5300) and Elias Lindholm ($3700). I understand it might be difficult to roster both, seeing as they are both listed at C, but they play together on the power play and both are very likely to hit value tonight. If you have to go with only one, Lindholm is the way to go. On the blue line, Justin Faulk ($5100) is almost a steal at that price. There’s no question Carolina lives by the power play and penalty kill, and Faulk is the go to guy on the back end for them. He also plays with Lindholm/Staal on the power play so if you want to go with all three in a GPP, I wouldn’t mind at all

All Games: Marian Hossa—W, Patrick Sharp—W, Brent Seabrook—D, Eric Staal—C, Elias Lindholm—C, Justin Faulk—D.

GPP Only—Jonathan Toews ($6100)/Hossa/Sharp/Duncan Keith ($5300)

Minnesota Wild @ Toronto Maple Leafs—Start Time—7:30PM

 Quick Stats:

• Minnesota is 20-14-2 on the road this season
• 9^th in goals per game (2.83 G/GP)
• 11^th in goals against per game (2.49 GA/GP)
• 27^th ranked power play (15.3%)
• 1^st ranked penalty kill (86.5%)
• Averaging 31.1 shots per game (9^th in the NHL)
• Averaging 27.2 shots against per game (2^nd in the NHL)

 

• Toronto is (bad) 19-15-1 at home this season
• 21^st in goals per game (2.58 G/GP)
• 27^th in goals against per game (3.18 GA/GP)
• 22^nd ranked power play (17%)
• 20^th ranked penalty kill (80.8%)
• Averaging 29.1 shots per game (23^rd in the NHL)
• Averaging 33.3 shots against per game (29^th in the NHL)

If this were a MMA fight, this game would be the main event. The Leafs have officially been eliminated from the playoffs (again), giving them even more reason to not show up tonight at home against a team that is fighting to hold on to a wildcard spot.

For Minnesota, every player is basically a great option. The only other team to give up more shots per game than Toronto is Buffalo, and we all know how bad Buffalo has been this season. You could argue that Toronto is a worse team than the Sabres, and I don’t think many people would disagree with you. Tonight seems like a great night to stack wingers, meaning I wouldn’t hesitate to go with Zach Parise ($8700) and Jason Pominville ($4900). Pominville is a steal at his price and should be on every roster you play tonight. Speaking of steals, if you’re looking to save some cap space, Marco Scandella ($3300) is under priced and could very well end up with at least a point on this night.

As for other defenseman, it’s really pick any one you want—Ryan Suter ($4600), Matt Dumba($3700), and Jared Spurgeon($4200) are all great options tonight. Suter and Dumba both play on the top power play unit, but Suter offers the better value based on price. If you’re tight on funds, Dumba is still a very good pick. In net, Devan Dubnyk ($8600) is worth paying up for tonight. The Leafs can’t play as a team, let alone score goals, and I wouldn’t at all be shocked if Dubnyk hits value tonight despite his high price tag.

For the Leafs it’s really simple—don’t. They are a mess both on and off the ice. There’s not one player on that team that I can recommend with confidence, and I wouldn’t want to. If you ABSOLUTELY want to use the Leafs tonight, go with James Van Riemsdyk ($5500) and Tyler Bozak ($3900), but make sure to pick up a lot of hard alcohol because you’re gonna need it.

Cash Games: Any Minnesota player mentioned above

GPP Only: Bozak/ JVR/ Phil Kessel ($6700)

San Jose Sharks @ Ottawa Senators—Start Time—7:30PM

Quick Stats:

• San Jose is 18-13-3 on the road this season
• 16^th in goals per game (2.72 G/GP)
• 21^st in goals against per game (2.72 GA/GP)
• 6^th ranked power play (21.4%)
• 25^th ranked penalty kill (79%)
• Averaging 31.2 shots per game (7^th in the NHL)
• Averaging 29.8 shots against per game (19^th in the NHL)

 

• Ottawa is 19-11-5 at home this season
• 8^th in goals per game (2.84 G/GP)
• 15^th in goals against per game (2,56 GA/GP)
• 23^rd ranked power play (16.7%)
• 9^th ranked penalty kill (83%)
• Averaging 30.9 shots per game (10^th in the NHL)
• Averaging 32.4 shots against per game (25^th in the NHL)

Ottawa comes into this one looking to continue their quest for the post-season. They have an above average matchup against a Sharks team that is on the verge of missing the playoffs this season for the first time in 10 years.

For Ottawa, their top line is definitely a good play, but the value of Mika Zibanejad ($4000) and Bobby Ryan ($5600) is just so hard to pass up on. The Sharks have decided to make a mess of their offensive lines, and I expect Coach Cameron to keep his talented line away from the Thornton line as much as possible. If you’re looking for a player who’s under valued, look no further than Mike Hoffman ($4200). He’s not undervalued by much, but the kid has done nothing but produce regardless of what line he plays on, and in cash games, he’s an excellent play all by himself.

On the back end, it’s really Erik Karlsson ($8500) or nothing, but I don’t like his price or his value, so don’t try to force him in there if you don’t have the budget. If you need a good value defenseman, Cody Ceci ($3400) is seeing power play time with Zibanejab/Ryan and isn’t too expensive. In net, it’s all about Andrew “Hamburglar” Hammond ($8900). Yes, he’s come back down to earth over the last two games, and yes his price tag is way up there, but he’s averaging a crazy 7.1 FPPG and has yet to lose a game this season, so he’s as reliable as any other goalie in the league when it comes to winning games.

For San Jose it becomes almost impossible to decide whom to go with. The only two players I would consider using would be Joe Thornton ($5000) and Joe Pavelski ($8800), but Pavelski’s price is way too high for my liking and I cant see Jumbo Joe having a good game. As for the rest, Patrick Marleau ($4900) and Logan Couture ($6900) no longer play together, and using either one alone just doesn’t seem like a good idea with so many options available tonight.

All Games: Mika Zibanejad—C, Bobby Ryan—W, Mike Hoffman—W, Cody Ceci—D, Andrew Hammond—G, Brent Burns ($6500)—D

GPP Only: Thorton/Marleau/Pavelski/Couture/Burns all together, Erik Karlsson—D.

Buffalo Sabres @ Dallas Stars—Start Time—8:30PM

 Quick Stats:

• Buffalo is 8-25-3 on the road this season
• 30^th in goals per game (1.76 G/GP)
• 29^th in goals against per game (3.33 GA/GP)
• 30^th ranked power play (11.7%)
• 30^th ranked penalty kill (74.2%)
• Averaging 23.3 shots per game (30^th in the NHL)
• Averaging 35.5 shots against per game (30^th in the NHL)

 

• Dallas is 15-14-8 at home this season
• 2^nd in goals per game (3.07 G/GP)
• 26^th in goals against per game (3.15 GA/GP)
• 14^th ranked power play (18.4%)
• 21^st ranked penalty kill (80.6%)
• Averaging 31.2 shots per game (6^th in the NHL)
• Averaging 30.2 shots against per game (22^nd in the NHL)

Every time Buffalo is in action, they are always a great matchup for the opposing team and tonight is no different. If you went with a winger stack earlier, this is where you get to benefit from it. Tyler Seguin ($9100) is the most expensive play of the night, and rightfully so, but pairing him with Jamie Benn ($8100) means you’ve locked up $17,200 for two players, and I just can recommend that. Good news, Cody Eakin ($3900) has found himself on the top line for now and his price is very nice. They are both listed as C, but that doesn’t bother me too much.

On the blue line, John Klingberg ($3900) is actually undervalued and that’s just too tempting to pass up tonight, so I’d roll with him in multiple lineups. If you don’t want to go with two centers, pairing Seguin/Klingberg in cash games is fine with me. Because the top line will be heavily owned on a night like tonight, pivoting off them to go with a stack of Jason Spezza ($5200) and Patrick Eaves ($4300) is a good idea, but Eaves’ salary is just a bit too high for someone who isn’t getting any power play time.

When it comes to goalies playing Buffalo, it’s an all or nothing thing. You’re almost certain to get a win, but the number of shots is always the main concern. Kari Lehtonen ($8400) is definitely someone to consider, but understand even giving up one goal might make it hard for him to hit value.

Usually I wouldn’t recommend any Buffalo player, but Dallas does give up a ton of shots, and they allow a lot of goals, so even the Sabres have a somewhat okay matchup tonight. If you want to go with it in a GPP, Tyler Ennis($4800), Matt Moulson ($4500), and Johan Larsson ($3000) are all playing together on the top line, and are arguably the team’s best players right now. It’s a long shot, but if each of them picks up a point in that game, it could be the difference between a small amount of money and a large amount of money.

All Games: Tyler Seguin—C, Jamie Benn—W, Cody Eakin—C, John Klingberg—D, Kari Lehtonen—G.

GPP Only: Jason Spezza—C, Patrick Eaves—W, Buffalo top line.

Colorado Avalanche @ Calgary Flames—Start Time—9:00PM

 Quick Stats:

• Colorado is 14-12-9 on the road this season
• 22^nd in goals per game (2.56 G/GP)
• 22^nd in goals against per game (2.73 GA/GP)
• 29^th ranked power play (13.6%)
• 6^th ranked penalty kill (84.6%)
• Averaging 28.2 shots per game (27^th in the NHL)
• Averaging 33.0 shots against per game (27^th in the NHL)

 

• Calgary is 20-13-4 at home this season
• 6^th in goals per game (2.88 G/GP)
• 17^th in goals against per game (2.6 GA/GP)
• 10^th ranked power play (19.3%)
• 23^rd ranked penalty kill (80.4%)
• Averaging 27.5 shots per game (28^th in the NHL)
• Averaging 28.9 shots against per game (11^th in the NHL)

It’s safe to say that Calgary is the surprise team of the season. They currently occupy the third seed in the Pacific Division and are trying to hold off the surging L.A Kings. Both teams don’t shoot the puck very often, and are just terrible when it comes to CF%. For the Flames, their top line should be a safe bet to roll with tonight. Sean Monahan ($6200) and Johnny Gaudreau ($5300) are reasonably priced, and although their potential to hit value isn’t great, they should be able to collect at least a point each by the end of the night. On the back end, Kris Russell ($5200) is a shot-blocking machine. The Avalanche don’t generate many shots towards the net, but Russell will definitely collect his fair share of blocked shots and plays on the top power play unit with Monahan/Gaudreau. I would roll with all three in Cash and GPP. In goal for the Flames, Karri Ramo ($7200) is confirmed to get the start and could help DFS owners save some much-needed salary.

For the Avalanche, there are not too many good options to go with tonight. Of course the obvious play is goalie Semyon Varlamov ($9200), but his high price tag is a turn off, coupled with the fact that his team gives up so many scoring chances, I just don’t seem him walking out of Calgary with the win. The only skater I would be confident rolling with is Tyson Barrie ($4700). If you want to roll with some Colorado forwards, the two I would go with are Ryan O’Reilly ($5300) and Alex Tanguay ($4200), but I wouldn’t trust them in cash games—GPP at the best is okay with me.

All Games: All Calgary players, Tyson Barrie—D.

GPP Only: Alex Tanguay—W, Ryan O’Reilly—C, Matt Duchene ($7100)—C, Jarome Iginla ($5900)—W.

Winnipeg Jets @ Edmonton Oilers—Start Time—9:30PM

 Quick Stats:

• Winnipeg is 17-12-7 on the road this season
• 17^th in goals per game (2.69 G/GP)
• 14^th in goals against per game (2.56 GA/GP)
• 15^th ranked power play (18.2%)
• 12^th ranked penalty kill (81.6%)
• Averaging 29.6 shots per game (20^th in the NHL)
• Averaging 28.6 shots against per game (9^th in the NHL)

 

• Edmonton is (bad) 12-20-3 at home this season
• 26^th in goals per game (2.32 G/GP)
• 30^th in goals against per game (3.33 GA/GP)
• 19^th ranked power play (18.1%)
• 27^th ranked penalty kill (77.6%)
• Averaging 28.4 shots per game (25^th in the NHL)
• Averaging 29.8 shots against per game (17^th in the NHL)

The final game of the night should be one full of goals are sub-par defense. The Jets are a team decimated by injuries, yet are holding down the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference. For Edmonton, the season was over before it even started.

The Jets have decided to split up Wheeler and Ladd, and this isn’t making DFS players really happy. If you had to pick a line to go with, I’d (literally) put my money on Mark Scheifele ($5300) and Blake Wheeler ($8300). Wheeler is definitely over priced, but Edmonton is giving up more goals per game than any other team in the league (worse than Buffalo), so paying up for Blake isn’t a bad thing if he can pick up more than one point on the night. If you can’t fit that combo into your lineup, Adam Lowry ($3000) and Andrew Ladd ($5200) are a cheaper stack option that could work out very well. On the back end the options as to which D-man to go with are endless. The player I would go with is Tyler Myers ($4100) solely because he plays on the top power play unit with Wheeler/Scheifele. Toby Enstrom ($3500) is a cheaper option if you need to save some cap space.

For Edmonton the choices are really limited. At first I was going to recommend going with Jordan Eberle ($8500) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($8000), but they are both over 8K and that’s just crazy! If you want to use them in a GPP that’s fine with me, but anywhere else and you’re taking a big risk. If you want to get some exposure to the Oilers, a second line stack of Derek Roy ($4000) and Nail Yakupov ($4500) is the way to go. They are a combined $8500 and should be able to find a way to get on the score sheet.

All Games: All Jets players, Derek Roy—C, Nail Yakupov—W.

GPP Only: Jordan Eberle—W, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins—C.

Price-Adjusted Cash Game Rankings

Forward Stacks

1. Jason Pominville/Zach Parise—Minnesota Wild—$13,600
2. Mark Scheifele/Blake Wheeler—Winnipeg Jets—$13,600
3. Mika Zibanejad/Bobby Ryan—Ottawa Senators—$9,600
4. Tyler Seguin/Jamie Benn—Dallas Stars—$17,200
5. Patrick Sharp/Marian Hossa—Chicago Blackhawks—$14,200
6. Sean Monahan/Johnny Gaudreau—Calgary Flames—$11,500

Defenseman

1. John Klingberg—Dallas Stars—$3,900
2. Jake Muzzin—Los Angeles Kings—$4,400
3. Ryan Suter—Minnesota Wild—$4,600
4. Kris Russell—Calgary Flames—$5,200
5. Justin Faulk—Carolina Hurricanes—$5,100
6. Matt Dumba—Minnesota Wild—$3,700
7. Erik Karlsson—Ottawa Senators—$8,500

 Goalies

(Make sure to check www.leftwinglock.com for starting goalies)

1. Karri Ramo—Calgary Flames—$7,200
2. Andrew Hammond—Ottawa Senators—$8,900
3. Devan Dubnyk—Minnesota Wild—$8,600
4. Jonathan Quick—Los Angeles Kings– $8800
5. Kari Lehtonen—Dallas Stars—$8,400