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FanDuel NHL Lineup Advice: Thursday (10/4)

FanDuel NHL Lineup Advice: Thursday (10/4)

Welcome back to the NHL! This article will be posted every Tuesday and Thursday of the NHL season, breaking down each slate for DFS lineup advice.

Like any sport at the start of a season, there is a lot of guesswork involved in trying to predict outcomes. There were a lot of offseason transactions which changed the identity of so many teams. As more games are played, more data will be available for more accurate analysis. That being said, it is fantastic to have the coolest game back in action for another season. Let’s dive into tonight’s 10-game slate to discover some of the best options this evening.

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Center

Jack Eichel (BUF): $7,800 vs. BOS
Entering his fourth year as a pro, Jack Eichel is emerging as one of the young superstars. Averaging nearly a point per game in a disappointing 2017-18 campaign, Eichel is now surrounded with a lot more talent. Jeff Skinner has come over from Carolina and is bonified sniper who should slot in on the left wing next to Eichel. Rasmus Dahlin was the first overall pick in the 2018 entry draft and will look to make a huge impact for Buffalo offensively from the back end.

What makes the Sabres a good team to look at for offense tonight is the matchup. The Boston Bruins are coming off a back-to-back where they were just embarrassed, in Washington, at the tune of a 7-0 loss. The Bruins are dealing with a number of injuries, including one to their top defenseman, Torrey Krug. Considering the Sabres are at home, Eichel and the top line should see the easier matchup tonight and take advantage of a beaten up Bruins team.

Sebastian Aho (CAR): $6,600 vs. NYI 
Another team to look at as a stack are the Carolina Hurricanes. Tonight, the Canes will host the John Tavares-less New York Islanders. Last year, the Islanders were the worst defensive team in the NHL and all that has changed is that they lost their best player. Meanwhile, Carolina has made some intriguing trades and dynamic draft picks. The offense should be bolstered on this team as they continue to load up on fast, skilled players as they adapt to the changing game of the NHL.

Wing

Jeff Skinner (BUF): $6,300 vs. BOS 
It is no secret that the top Bruins line of Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, and Brad Marchand are elite both offensively and defensively. However, this line will be tied up with another very defensive Buffalo line all game. Patrik Berglund was acquired by the Sabres to be the second-line “shut-down” guy. He will be tasked with limiting scoring chances against. Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner, and Sam Reinhart will be line matched against the young second unit Bruins forwards. They will be outmatched by the Sabres much more talented top unit. In addition, the three Sabres will also play together on Buffalo’s top power-play which should see some action in a game where Boston might be a little sluggish after playing last night.

Jonathan Marchessault (VGK): $7,300 vs. PHI
Some have already written the Golden Knights off this year and believe that last season was just a fluke. It was certainly a surprise to witness what they accomplished, but there is a lot to like on this team. Coming off a career year, Marchessault will look to build off a successful 96-point season. Tonight, the Philadelphia Flyers travel across the country and will try to pull off a win in the toughest barn in the league. This game should go the way of the Knights this evening where the top line produces offense at will.

Mark Stone (OTT): $6,500 vs. CHI 
Although the Ottawa Senators will likely be the worst team in the NHL this season, they will still score goals. Mark Stone will play on the Sens second forward line but will log time on the top power-play unit. Chicago comes to Ottawa and is without their only real defensive player, Corey Crawford. Yes, their star goaltender is the last line of defense for the Blackhawks and was the reason for any sort of success a year ago. Once Crawford went down, the Hawks collapsed as a unit and became a team to pick on. Mark Stone is a skilled sniper who should see a lot of time against the Blackhawks second defensive pairing and forward unit. This is going to be an ugly game from start to finish, but ugly games usually result in fantasy points.

Defense

Dougie Hamilton (CAR): $5,500 vs. NYI 
In addition to stacking the Hurricanes top forward unit, Dougie Hamilton is a nice piece to look at on the back-end. Hamilton was part of a big trade with the Calgary Flames. He now finds himself as a top pairing defenseman looked to for offense. Through just two preseason games, Hamilton has recorded a goal and two assists to go along with 10 shots on goal. He is averaging 22 minutes a game, but this could be increased as he will see a lot of power-play time. Against the Islanders, Carolina should have no issue finding offense and Hamilton will surely be involved.

Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF): $5,300 vs. BOS 
The last part of a Sabres stack belongs to Rasmus Ristolainen. The offensive defenseman has a “questionable” tag next to his name, but his injury is minor and he is scheduled to suit up. He rounds out a very skilled power-play unit which is where the Sabres should do a lot of damage this season. The Bruins took nine penalties last night in their opener which led to the Capitals offensive onslaught. Something similar could very well happen tonight. The Sabres are not as good as the Capitals, but they are redefined and should give teams a lot more trouble.

Goalie

Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK): $8,900 vs. PHI 
The Golden Knights are one of the heaviest favorites going tonight at -165. The Flyers should get chances and shots which will give the Flower a high fantasy floor with upside. Vegas had the best home record last season and proved to be a very different team. They control line matching very well and feed off of the energy in the building. Marc-Andre Fleury has been one of the best goaltenders in the NHL over the last 13 seasons and has shown no signs of decline.

Check out today’s Breakaway NHL contest from FanDuel partner-arrow

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

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