DraftKings NHL: Friday Picks

DraftKings NHL: Friday Picks

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

GOALIE

Braden Holtby, WAS vs. BUF ($7,900): Holtby's cheaper than Philip Grubauer or Keith Kinkaid, but he has the better track record and is facing a team he's traditionally had little trouble with. He is 8-3-1 with a 2.62 GAA in his career against the Sabres. Scoring has not been a problem for the Sabres, and Holtby hasn't been elite, but there's some value to be had at this price.

CENTER

Matt Duchene, OTT at NJ ($6,800): He's been activated from injured reserve, so all signs point toward Duchene returning to the ice after a six-game absence. He'll return to his usual spot on the top line and power-play units, and the Devils' goaltending woes have been well-documented this season. Last time Duchene played them, he had three assists. He's a notch below Nathan MacKinnon ($8,300) and Jack Eichel ($6,800), but all three are above a point-per-game pace.

Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. BUF ($5,900): Any time you can get an elite playmaker at a discount to other elite forwards, you take it. Kuznetsov continues to be priced as a second-tier player; he's just $500 more than Nico Hischier ($5,400) and a step below Nicklas Backstrom ($6,200), but continues to rack up the points. He's had five shots in each of his past three games.

WING

Sam Reinhart, BUF at WAS ($5,800): Sure, Jeff Skinner and Jack Eichel are the engines that drive the top line, but Reinhart's a VIP passenger and playing like one with an 11-game point streak. He cost $5,600 last time he played the Caps but collected two assists, so there's a slight premium this time. However, consider how productive Reinhart has been, anything under $6,000 makes him a good value pick.

Alex DeBrincat, CHI at COL ($5,200): He's a streaky scorer but a pretty good one at that. With four goals in his past six games, that brings his total to 29 points in 37 contests, which isn't bad for an overlooked winger who hasn't always had the best center to play with. DeBrincat has 12 points in 12 games against Central Division opponents this season and the Hawks just beat two of them recently.

Jesper Bratt, NJ vs. OTT ($4,000): His ice time continues to be limited, but without much depth in their top-six, the Devils will continue to give Bratt opportunities. He hans't scored a goal since November, but he has as good a chance as any against the Senators. Bratt had eight points in 11 games in November but six in eight in December, so he's been improving.

DEFENSE

Thomas Chabot, OTT at NJ ($5,600): He's worth picking almost every night with 36 points in 35 games. The Devils shouldn't be a tough opponent with similar weaknesses between the two teams: lack of depth everywhere and questionable goaltending. The Devils want to play fast and the Sens don't mind swapping chances, so this game might feature a lot of offense.

Samuel Girard, COL vs. CHI ($3,500): Girard has gone ice-cold and hasn't contributed a lot this season, but it's evident Jared Bednar trusts him and he has the skills to be a power-play quarterback. Girard's a nice gamble at this price if Tyson Barrie ($5,400) feels too expensive.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason Chen
Jason won the 2021 FSWA Hockey Writer of the Year award, and was also a finalist on 2019. He joined RotoWire in 2013. Jason has also written for Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, The Hockey News, The Hockey Hall of Fame's Legends Magazine, and Centre Ice Magazine.
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