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DraftKings NHL Lineup Advice: Thursday (1/4)

DraftKings NHL Lineup Advice: Thursday (1/4)

With 12 games scheduled on tonight’s slate, we have a lot of teams to look at. Vegas has set two games at a six over/under. There are no teams playing on back-to-backs, so all 24 teams should be rested. However, six teams are set to play tomorrow night. Confirm starting goalies before locking in your lineups as some teams may start their backup tonight and starter tomorrow. Let’s dive in.

Center

Sean Couturier (PHI): $6,300 vs. NYI
Stacking offensive lines against the New York Islanders has proven to be quite successful this year. At even strength, the Islanders have allowed the second most goals against through 40 games. The Philadelphia Flyers are not exactly a potent offense, ranking very average in most offensive categories. That being said, the majority of the offense is quite predictable on a given night. Sean Couturier is one of the major contributors. Averaging 4.1 DK points per game, Couturier has a high floor against a bad defense at a fair price.

Patrice Bergeron (BOS): $7,100 vs. FLA
The Boston Bruins are in the midst of a scoring frenzy right now. Getting production from three forward lines makes them a very dangerous team. Patrice Bergeron and the top line is coming off scoring two goals which have reignited the trio. The Panthers are getting healthy and are not as soft as they were to start the season. They are, however, coming off of a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild. As the second game in their five-game road trip, the Bruins should beat the Panthers with ease. Patrice Bergeron is in a great spot to score multiple points.

Other centers to consider:
Cash – Ryan Getzlaf ($6,700 @ ANH), Mikko Koivu ($4,700 vs. BUF)
GPP – Kyle Turris ($5,600 @ ARI), Evgeni Malkin ($6,800 vs. CAR)

Wing

Claude Giroux (PHI): $6,400 vs. NYI
This season, Claude Giroux has outstanding advanced statistics, which not a lot of people look at. Posting a 53.66 CF%, 52.65 SF%, 62.96 GF%, and a 51.49 HDCF% is evidence that Giroux is putting together a great offensive year. Opposing teams have struggled to stop the talented forward and the NYI are no threat to shut down the top line.

Brad Marchand (BOS): $7,200 vs. FLA
In his last 10 games, Brad Marchand has recorded nine points. Marchand failed to record a point in five of those 10 games. That tells us that he is a multi-point producing player in any given game. He has had tough matchups, and the Bruins have not had to rely on the top line for scoring. Tonight, he is the second part of the Bruins top forward line stack which should get back on track.

David Pastrnak (BOS): $6,500 vs. FLA
On a goal-scoring slump, this is a “get right” spot for David Pastrnak. Although he has struggled to finish, he is still producing fantasy points at an elite level. There is only room for improvement here on out. On the season, he has 35 points in 38 games. As the third part of the Boston Bruins top line stack, Pastrnak will break out in a big way soon and we don’t want to miss it.

Mikael Granlund (MIN): $5,800 vs. BUF
The second forward line on the Minnesota Wild is also intact as the top power-play unit. This will provide an extra opportunity for an extremely talented forward group. The Wild will likely be a popular lineup build due to the low cost to stack. In addition, they will be taking on the Buffalo Sabres. Although on the surface this game looks like a snooze fest, the number of scoring chances and high danger scoring chances the Sabres allow are alarming. The top two lines of the Wild are in play.

Other wingers to consider:
Cash – Nino Niederreiter ($5,100 vs. BUF), Rickard Rakell ($6,800 vs. EDM)
GPP – Jakub Voracek ($6,500 vs. NYI), Danton Heinen ($4,500 vs. FLA)

Defense

Torey Krug (BOS): $5,400 vs. FLA
If you are inclined to do a full four-player team stack, Torey Krug is the final piece of a Bruins stack. The quarterback of the top power-play unit, Krug is the go-to offensive defenseman on the team. Averaging 20 minutes of ice-time a night, Krug has a high floor and ceiling which is what we look for in defensemen. With 22 points on the season, the Bruins d-man is in a great spot to add to his offensive numbers.

Ryan Suter (MIN): $5,000 vs. BUF
At just $5,000, Ryan Sutter and his partner Jared Spurgeon are among the best point per dollar plays on the slate. Averaging 27 minutes a night, Sutter logs even strength, power play, and penalty kill time. He scores goals, gets assists, shoots, and blocks shots every night. He is extremely consistent and will rarely score less than three DK fantasy points a night. He is the ultimate cash game play with GPP upside.

Other defensemen to consider:
Cash – Roman Josi ($6,700 @ ARI), Jared Spurgeon ($5,000 vs. BUF)
GPP – Cam Fowler ($4,900 @ EDM), Erik Johnson ($5,400 vs. CLS)

Goalie

Tuukka Rask (BOS): $8,400 vs. FLA
Can you tell that the Boston Bruins are a favorite tonight? Vegas thinks so too. At a -200 favorite, the Bruins are expected to be the most likely team to win tonight. The offense is clicking, the defense is limiting high-quality chances, and the goaltending has been elite. Tuukka Rask started the season slowly but has found his form and is putting together a great season. With a 2.09 GAA and a .925 SV%, the Bruins netminder will look to shut the door on the Panthers in a very favorable matchup.

Other goalies to consider:
All formats – Matt Murray ($8,100 vs. CAR), John Gibson ($7,500 @ EDM)

*Check starting goalies to confirm. In most cases, the theory doesn’t change, as selecting a goalie is very match-up based. Make sure to watch the betting lines after an announcement is made.

Jeremy Maw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jeremy, check out his archive or follow him @j_maw.

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