Differences are one way to look for value among the fantasy hockey sites, and any savings are usually a good thing. Here are options for Saturday on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Nick Bjugstad (Florida – Centre)
DraftKings – $4,200 – Use on DraftKings
FanDuel – $5,800
Bjugstad has hit a bit of a wall lately, having gone pointless in his last five games. What’s worse is that he’s managed a minus-seven rating in those five games, and that kills FanDuel value. The Panthers host the Buffalo Sabres, but the fact that he’s so cheap on DraftKings where there is no plus/minus concerns makes Bjugstad more appealing on that site.
Patrice Bergeron (Boston – Centre)
DraftKings – $8,000
FanDuel – $6,000 – Use on FanDuel
Bergeron’s price on DraftKings isn’t terrible given that there are not many expensive options on the early slate (one early slate, one late slate), so he’s almost necessary to get close to the salary cap. The savings going to FanDuel, though, provide a much better value opportunity. With Arizona coming into town on Saturday, Bergeron is a near must-play on FanDuel.
James Neal (Nashville – Wing/Right Wing)
DraftKings – $5,200 – Use on DraftKings
FanDuel – $7,400
Nashville isn’t in a particularly great spot Saturday with Detroit being one of the best team at shutting down the opposing offence. The top line is loaded with Neal, Mike Ribeiro, and Filip Forsberg, while Jonas Gustavsson is expected to start in net for Detroit. In terms of shot attempts, Nashville is very productive with Neal and Ribeiro on the same line, so it’s a good opportunity to get use out of him now, especially with that depressed price on DraftKings.
Rick Nash (NY Rangers – Wing/Left Wing)
DraftKings – $7,300 – Use on DraftKings
FanDuel – $8,500
Nash is fourth among regular NHLers in shots per game at 3.76, trailing only Alex Ovechkin, Tyler Seguin, and Max Pacioretty. That’s having a good floor for his price – if Nash can manage four shots on goal Saturday and nothing else, he recoups over 40 per cent of his total DraftKings cost; if he does that on FanDuel, he recoups under 32 per cent of his total cost. Nash appears to have a higher floor on DraftKings because of his price and there are no plus/minus concerns. With all the good value at centre Saturday on DraftKings, I wouldn’t hesitate to spend for Nash on the wing.
Anders Lee (NY Islanders – Centre/Left Wing)
DraftKings – $5,000
FanDuel – $4,900 – Use on FanDuel
The Islanders are hosting Carolina, and both teams played on Friday night. Given the Vegas moneyline and total for this game, the Islanders should get to at least three goals. Anders Lee has been extremely productive over the last month or so: in February, Lee has 14 points in 14 games (with most of that time spent playing with John Tavares), and has averaged 3.5 shots on goal per game. He’s underpriced on both sites, but presents the most upside on FanDuel.
Zach Parise (Minnesota – Wing/Left Wing)
DraftKings – $7,700
FanDuel – $7,200 – Use on FanDuel
Across the industry, Zach Parise’s price has dropped over the last couple of weeks, which is kind of odd considering he has four points in his last four games (and nine in 13 February games). Parise has formed a new “second” line with Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville. In their last game, the trio was given five offensive zone starts to just one in their own zone. It’s intuitive, but starting in the offensive zone that often is very good for their point-producing prospects. On top of that, it limits the downside with plus/minus. Parise is a fine expensive wing option on FanDuel Saturday.
Sign up for Sportsnet’s Fantasy Hockey Pool! There are still great weekly prizes until the end of the season. Next week, Minnesota has a four game week, including Carolina and Colorado. Mikael Granlund is just two of a possible four points in cost, making him a good play.
Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis – Defence)
DraftKings – $5,700
FanDuel – $4,400 – Use on FanDuel
Since Kevin Shattenkirk was injured, Alex Pietrangelo has slowly taken over all defensive duties for the Blues, including the top power-play unit. With his price tag on FanDuel, he doesn’t even need to register a point to reach value Saturday.
The final pairings for Sportsnet’s Pick ‘n Play were released, focusing on the Edmonton-St. Louis game on Saturday night. I would use Pietrangelo’s partner Jay Bouwmeester over Justin Schultz.
Aaron Ekblad (Florida – Defence)
DraftKings – $3,400 – Use on DraftKings
FanDuel – $4,500
This is kind of like Anders Lee. The price on Ekblad (mostly because of his matchup) is fine on both sites, but he is priced outside the top-20 defencemen Saturday afternoon on DraftKings. That’s a very low bar to cross for fantasy purposes.
Some stats courtesy of Hockey Reference, Hockey Analysis, Left Wing Lock, and War On Ice.
