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Spoweezy’s Daily Fantasy Hockey Breakdown – Fanduel and Draftkings NHL Strategy – Tuesday November 8

Welcome to Weezy’s Way. We’re into November now and so most teams have showed you either who they are or glimpse of who they want to be.

At this stage you all have some data to backup your picks. This is huge, because even though the sample size is still small, trends seem to stay constant over time.

As I mentioned a bit last season, I like to make my choices with the trends. Because if you’re right, and a team stays hot, you can ride that wave for multiple games. If you play against that target, and you’re wrong, you risk playing against the wave for multiple games, which, in turn, can hurt your bankroll.


**Editors Note – Do you want to talk Daily Fantasy Hockey strategy with Spoweezy? Join the DFS Army team and get access to all of our Pro coaches and writers. You’d be joining a team of hardcore DFS’ers that share research and strategies. Not to mention optimization tools, spreadsheets and projections for most sports. Use Promo Code: WEEZY to get 20% off your membership dues.

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Tonight there are 10 games on the slate, so we will have a pretty active Tuesday.

Most of the games (7), will start before 8 p.m., and the late game is only at 9, which means it’ll be a quick sweat tonight. You’ll most likely have your results before midnight on the east coast. So let’s find the goals tonight:


7 p.m. Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils

The Devils have started the season with a decent 5-3-3 record and are playing the worst team in the conference tonight.

The Devils are also 4-0-1 at home, which bodes well for their matchup.

The knock against them, however, is that goals are hard to come by in New Jersey. They’ve scored just 26 through 11 games, which is the lowest total in the conference. They’ve also allowed just 25, so plan for another low scoring affair tonight.

That’s not to say there won’t be fantasy value here. First and foremost, I would look to the goaltender in New Jersey. It will most likely be Corey Schneider, and with an undefeated record at home, it’s a safe play to roll with him.

There’s also a couple of skaters in Jersey worth taking a look at.

First line forwards Taylor Hall and Travis Zajac have played well together, and each have 8 points in 11 games. They’re a high-ceiling GPP play tonight.

Also, Devils defenseman Damon Severson has given consistent production this year, as he leads the team with 9 points and sees the PP1 minutes.

Severson showed flashes of offensive ability last year. He seems to have improved his confidence this year, and you can expect him to score between 50-60 points this year. He’s a safe play in all formats and should be pretty cheap as well.


7 p.m. Detroit Red Wings at Philadelphia Flyers

Both of these teams can score, and they also do not like each other. Expect a back-and-forth game similar to the 4-3 overtime win by the Flyers last Wednesday.

I wouldn’t trust the goalies in this game, except for complete contrarian plays, but having some exposure to the goal scorers in this game has potential for a big night.

Claude Giroux has started the year on an absolute tear, especially on the power play. Eight of his 14 points have been with the man advantage, which makes you think that if the PP bonus on Fanduel was proportionate, he would be an absolute monster.

Giroux is a play in all formats tonight, along with his linemate Wayne Simmonds who has 6 goals and 12 points. Four of his goals have been on the PP1, and he sees those minutes along with Giroux.

The most interesting player in Philly is second line wing Jakub Voracek. His start to the year is just as impressive, with 6 goals and 13 points through 13 games. He plays with Giroux and Simmonds on the PP1, so it’s a possible stack, especially when you consider how potent the power play has been.

But his best value might be with his even strength line mates in a GPP. He plays with rookie Travis Konecny (3 goals, 9 points) and Sean Couturier (3 goals, 5 points). If this line goes off, the only heavily owned player will be Voracek, so you could sneak past the field utilizing his under owned line mates.

Shayne Gostisbehere is also still a play in all formats on defense, with 9 points and 4 coming on the power play this year.

On Detroits side, they’ve lost 2 in a row and called up rookie winger Tyler Bertuzzi for his NHL Debut. He’s actually going to skate on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Frans Nielsen, but he wasn’t available in FD’s player pool just yet.

The best GPP plays for Detroit is on the third line. Leading scorer Gustav Nyquist is skating with Darren Helm and Andreas Athanasiou. Nyquist has 9 points this year, and Helm has added 7.

Red Wings defenseman Mike Green also has 9 points and is getting the PP1 minutes along with Nyquist.  He is a solid option on the blue line tonight.


7 p.m. Edmonton Oilers at Pittsburgh Penguins

This will be one of the better games of the night as the seasoned Penguins meet the young, hungry, and successful Oilers.

We’ll start with the Penguins first, because they have a slight advantage in this game playing to a  5-0-1 record at home, and a healthy Penguins roster is a dangerous thing.

Sidney Crosby has been scoring at an unbelievable clip since returning to the lineup. He has 8 goals and 10 points in just 6 games. This is as safe a play as there is in all formats tonight, even against this improved Oilers team.

Crosby is a gamer. He is as competitive as they come. And you can bet he hears the talk about McDavid being the best 19 year-old to ever play. Crosby will be out to defend his title as the best player in the world, and should capitalize on the end-to-end pace that Edmonton plays.

Crosby is currently skating with Carl Hagelin, and Patric Hornqvist. Hornqvist is a solid stack with Crosby, as he has 10 points through 12 games this year.

The first power play unit in Pittsburgh has an unreal amount of talent on it. Crosby and Hornqvist skate along with Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and defenseman Kris Letang.

Kessel and Malkin also skate together even strength, and are a play in all formats as well. Malkin leads the team with 12 points, and Kessel has has added 10.

For Edmonton, I’m a little confused as to why the Oilers dropped Milan Lucic off of the top line where he was playing with Connor McDavid and Jordan Eberle.

McDavid (5 goals, 14 points) had a lot to do with Lucic’s hot start (5 goals, 9 points), so the line shuffle will definitely hurt Lucic’s value.

For now McDavid and Eberle are still a solid play (probably leaning towards GPP though) tonight, along with linemate Patrick Maroon.

Maroon is a terrific net presence, and has proven he can score when given a bigger role. He has 4 goals so far this year.

Lucic has been dropped to the third line where he’s skating with Leon Draisaitl and Tyler Pitlick.

Draisaitl is a skilled player who has 8 points through 13 games this year while seeing less minutes in the Oilers offense that’s booming with talent. Adding Lucic might have been an attempt to add more production away from the first line, and it has a good chance of paying off. These two can be stacked in a GPP with a relatively high-ceiling.


7 p.m. Vancouver Canucks at New York Rangers

 The Canucks have been awful lately, going 1-8-1 in their last 10 and 0-5-1 on the road.

The Rangers are the highest-scoring team in the league with 55 goals, and are 8-2 in the last 10 and 8-1 at home.

Look to New York again tonight with a great matchup.

The problem with the Rangers is finding where the goals will come from. Their top three scorers right now are skating on the third line together and don’t see any power play time.

JT Miller, Kevin Hayes and Michael Grabner have combined for 35 points in just 13 games and they’re a GPP play again tonight as they’ve stayed hot for weeks.

The second line of Derek Stepan, Rick Nash and Jimmy Vesey have been almost as productive, combining for 29 points and seeing PP2 minutes together. These three are a safe play in all formats.

Then there’s the first line, Chris Kreider (10 points), Mats Zuccarello (9 points), and Mika Zibanejad (9 points), are also producing consistently and can be considered a safe play, especially since they see the PP1 minutes together.

With this much depth, you would think there’s nothing left to hide on the Rangers roster. But there’s the curious case of fourth line center Brandon Pirri.

Pirri sees less ice at even strength, but the Rangers utilize him and his quick release on the top power play unit. He’s got 4 goals and 9 points, with 2 goals and 3 points coming on the man advantage. He could be the only low-owned Ranger tonight and makes for an excellent standalone play in GPP’s if you need a plug for your lineup.


7 p.m. San Jose Sharks at Washington Capitals

The Sharks have cooled down considerably, losing 3 in a row coming into tonight’s matchup with one of the NHL’s elite in Washington.

By contrast, Washington has won 5 in a row and has looked the part of Stanley Cup contender.

Alex Ovechkin is obviously a play in all formats tonight with 7 goals and 11 points through 11 games. He also shoots the puck a ton with 49 shots on goal. Even if he doesn’t find the net, Ovechkin is picking up points, averaging over 4 shots a game.

The best value with Ovechkin might be to pair him up with his center, Nick Backstrom, who has 8 assists and 9 points this year. It’s a pretty good bet that if this line is scoring, these two will be connecting for double points.

Also for Washington, second line wing Marcus Johansson has had a hot start to the season with 11 points in 11 games. He sees PP1 minutes with Ovechkin and Backstrom, but skates even strength with Justin Williams and Evgeny Kuznetsov.


7:30 p.m. Los Angeles Kings at Toronto Maple Leafs

LA might have turned a corner and are playing better with a 6-6 record this year, but i still like the young Maple Leafs tonight.

The Leafs are 4-1 at home and have won 3 straight.

Auston Matthews has just 2 goals since his breakout 4-goal performance to start the year. He has 11 total points in 12 games.

Fellow rookie Mitch Marner has almost caught him with 4 goals and 10 points through 12 games.

Because 4 of Matthews goals came in the first game, i still think that Marner is the more consistent point producer at this point.

Marner’s linemates, James vanRiemsdyk (10 points, and Tyler Bozak (9 points) have also been able to match his production, while Matthews has William Nylander (12 points) and then Zac Hymen (1 assist).

So what sense can we make of all these numbers?

I think that Marner, JVR and Bozak have the higher upside and can be used as a full line stack in GPP’s. They see even strength and PP2 minutes together, and the line is consistently creating scoring chances with a combined 94 shots between them (JVR leads with 37 shots).

Matthews obviously has fantasy value as well, mainly because he shoots the puck even more (51) than anybody else, and he and Nylander also see PP1 minutes together.

Matthews and Nylander might be the better cash play, mostly because they see the bigger minutes and their shared penchant for shooting (Nylander has 34 shots). But as for their other linemate Hyman, his fantasy value is at the very best a cheap punt because of his access to ice time with the leading scorers. They might eventually bounce one off his shin pads and into the net.

If you want a cheap defensive option, Jake Gardiner will give you exposure to the Leafs star players as he quarterbacks the PP1.


7:30 p.m. Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens

Yes, Montreal got Shellacked on Friday, losing 10-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. But that might be just a small blemish on the record when all is said and done.

They rebounded the very next night it a 5-4 win over Philadelphia, and their record is now 10-1-1.

Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber is loving his new home, scoring 4 goals with 10 points and playing to a +15 in 12 games. He’s a play in all formats tonight.

So is Montreal’s top line of Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher and Alex Radulov. They have a good matchup tonight as Boston played last night, and this line is producing while seeing all the important minutes for the Habs.

Galchenyuk has 11 points while Gallagher and Radulov have added 9.


8 p.m. Ottawa Senators at Nashville Predators

This is the rare matchup where I might actually go away from the trends and play just on feel. Because this game feels like a couple of teams with talented players that have just had plain bad luck when it comes to scoring goals this year.

The goals are coming soon, and so while the options here are strictly for GPP’s, you have a chance to get ahead of the competition and pull some goal scorers right as they wake up.

For the Predators it’s Ryan Johansen and James Neal. They’re playing on the top line together and also the PP1.

I’ve watched the Predators quite a bit over the last week because I love the makeup of this team. They had a 5-1 win over the Avalanche, and then 3-2 shootout losses to both Arizona and Carolina.

In both of the losses, the Preds outshot their opponents and just were’t able to capitalize. They’ve been all around the net and the goals are coming.

Johansen has been the best player on the ice in each of these games. His only goal this year was a beautiful one, and he has a modest 6 points. Neal is a finisher, and he has just 2 goals and 5 points this year, but he’s fired 44 shots on goal. Neal had 31 goals last season. They’re going to eventually start going in for him. And when they do they’ll come in bunches. This will be a great opportunity to get ahead of the curve for this.

For the Sens, defenseman Erik Karlsson is a play in all formats still. He has 10 points in 11 games, sees all of the minutes, and also blocks shots.

Also in Ottawa, Mike Hoffman seems to have found his scoring touch with all 3 of his goals coming in the last 4 games. He’s seeing PP1 minutes and skating even strength with Kyle Turris (5 goals, 7 points). This is a trend I can get on board with for tonight.


8 p.m. Dallas Stars at Winnipeg Jets

Why do I feel like these teams play each other every other night?

This is their 3rd meeting already this year, with Dallas coming away with a 3-2 win at home, and then losing 4-1 in Winnipeg.

Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn are back together on the top line, and they’re starting to produce at the rate we are used to seeing from them. Seguin has 6 points in the last 4 games and 13 total points on the season through 12 games.

Seguin and Benn have a decent matchup tonight and are a play in all formats along with linemate Patrick Eaves who has chipped in 6 points.

The PP1 QB for Dallas is defenseman John Klingberg and he can also take consideration tonight in GPPs and cash games.

For Winnipeg, Mark Scheifele is emerging into a legitimate fantasy hockey MVP. He has 7 goals and 14 points through 13 games. He’s playing on the top line with Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers, both of whom have added 9 points. This line is a go in all formats tonight.

Also in Winnipeg, rookie Patrik Laine is tied for the league lead with 8 goals. He’s seeing third line and PP2 minutes, and works as a standalone in cash, but can be stacked with players he sees time with in GPPs.

Right now he’s skating with Nicolas Petan and Adam Lowry at even strength. He also could have some value with defenseman Tobias Enstrom, as Laine and Enstrom play the top of the umbrella together on the PP2, and could be a cheap stack that produces if the PP2 puts a couple in.


9 p.m Arizona Coyotes at Colorado Avalanche

It’s nice to have an early late game as the slate will end almost 2 hours earlier than usual for a Tuesday night.

This game might have something to do with how GPP’s shape up, as both teams in action have pretty horrendous defense as of late, so the goals could come often in this one.

The Avs are fresh off a 5-1 loss to St. Louis on Sunday. The Yotes haven’t played since Thursday, but they also lost their last game 5-1 to the Ducks.

If these trends continue, fade the goalies here and pick some forwards to round out your night with some goals.

It seems like the Yotes have been shuffling their lines constantly since opening night, looking to find some chemistry that will actually stick.

Max Domi has yet to score a goal, but he has 7 assists through 11 games and he’s playing with Radim Vrbata who also has 7 points. Centering them is Jordan Martinook who has 5 points. This line is a GPP option if you should choose to go with Arizona in this one.

Also for Arizona, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson seems to be the only player on the team producing at his normal rate. He has 5 goals and 7 points.

A cheap punt for Arizona could be third line center Brad Richardson who actually leads the team with 8 points. Two of his four goals have been shorthanded, and he plays with veteran Shane Doan who can still find the back of the net.

Doan has just 1 goal this year, but he had 28 last year which was the most he’s had since scoring 31 in 08-09.

The Avs are in a similar situation, with only forward Matt Duchene scoring at his regular pace with 10 points in 11 games. He’s playing on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon at even strength who has added 6 points this year. These two are a high-ceiling GPP play tonight.

On defense, the Avs have given the PP1 minutes to Erik Johnson. He’s a capable player and has a high upside since he sees the power play minutes.


That’s it for Tuesday November 8th. Good luck tonight and I’ll be in slack prior to lineup lock talking last minute strategies and pivots!