NHL DFS Tournament Picks and Strategy | Snipes, Grinders, and Hard Passes Projections for Fanduel and Draftkings 11/20

DFS NHL is a volatile sport centering around correlation, stacking and game theory.  Learning how to win cash games and tournaments requires nailing those great upside plays/stacks, grabbing obvious value, and making the proper fades that sink everyone else’s ships.  Let’s look through today’s slate and identify those winning picks in “Snipes, Grinders, and Hard Passes!”

Snipe = Good Play
Grinder = Value Plays (Grinders are Valuable)
Hard-Pass = I’m fading in tournaments

DFS NHL Slate Overview:

This specific slate’s strategy for tournaments is quite simply what are we doing with the Oilers/Blackhawks game? Fading? Stacking? If we can play 3 guys over $8000, where are we saving? Well, if I had all of the answers to the test, I wouldn’t be sharing them with you; I’d be on my yacht in the Bahamas not giving a damn about you guys. However, it’s my job to tell you guys where my mind is at before the slate, and what my best guess is as to what these hockey players are going to do. The hockey players in the Oilers/Blackhawks are viable with how fast that matchup looks, and the high-priced pieces in that game have higher ceilings than normal; but how can you get there?

Snipes and Hard Passes for Tonight

Correlated Snipe #1

Dylan Larkin $7000DK/$6800FD
Tyler Bertuzzi $6700DK/$5000FD
Lucas Raymond $5300DK/$5400FD

Obviously more price friendly on FD, but I really like these guys’ point potential on both sites tonight. The Coyotes are the Coyotes, I know I haven’t stopped insulting them since the season began, but have they done anything to change my stance on them. The Devils waived Wedgewood, and as soon as the Coyotes claimed him he is starting every game in the NHL. Usually when a player is claimed off of waivers, they are an extra depth piece for a team to finish the year, not the new starting goalie. The top line for Detroit as been a great story for Detroit this year, and I really don’t see them slowing down in the desert. They are young, hungry, and talented; which is none of the things the Coyotes are. Stack with confidence.

Correlated Snipe #2 (DK only – Price)

Jamie Benn $3200DK
Denis Gurianov $2800DK

The little cheap ass correlation that could pay for your expensive Bruins, Oilers, Capitals, or Blackhawks correlations. Dallas is at home against the Blues, which is just kind of a whatever spot, but how active these 2 have been have shown that they will be decent plays until they are in the high $3000’s. This is the 2nd straight slate where previously Benn has scored and his price has gone down, which totally makes sense, right? Gurianov on the other hand has had a quiet year, but he has been active lately on both ends by both shooting and blocking that puck. Also, both of these guys are on the PP2 I believe. Cheap, kinda risky, hugh upside, I like it; and if I’m right, I get to dunk on the haters.

Snipe #3 (DK specific)

Mario Ferraro $4900DK

Quick blurb again, because Ferraro blocked shots again and got the bonus again; just like every game. High floor for cash games still.  In fact, if you want to freshen up your 2021-22 cash and tourney strategy skills, read “How to Win DFS NHL in 2022.”

Correlated Snipe #4 (FD specific)

Jakub Voracek $4400FD/$4000DK
Zach Werenski $5600FD

I mentioned Voracek’s DK price as well, because he is criminally devalued on DK, but I am only mentioning Werenski on FD because he is $1700 more expensive on DK. These DFS sites I don’t think even know who these Blue Jackets even are because they are super awkwardly across the industry at all times. Mikko Lectonen was a CBJ player that got sent to the AHL after camp, he didn’t report there, got released, and now plays in Europe somewhere; and he is $4000 on FD, $600 more than the young promising rookie Yegor Chinakov, who is on the CBJ’s top line. Voracek and Werenski are probably 2 of the top 3 most important Blue Jackets, and you can get them both for cheap on FD; also, they both are the 2 quarterbacks for the CBJ’ PP1 who are surprisingly not trash even without Patrick Laine.

Snipe #5

Patrick Kane $8100DK/$8900FD

Sure, you can correlate him with Debrincat, Dach, Seth Jones, etc; but, I’m ok with Kane as a one-off in this spot, as long as your major correlations make sense and you possibly spent some salary on another expensive guy as well. Kane is unlikeable, I personally think he is a douschebag (German spelling?); but, he is an uber-talented hall of famer that is also a showman. He is the type of guy that cares about how he looks at all times and Edmonton is a major hockey market with the 2 best players in the world on it, and Kane is going to want to say “what about me, I’m supposed to be the headline.” McDavid is Canadian, Draisaitl is German, Kane (with the olympics coming up) may want to stir the pot and show the Canadian hockey market that the USA is still a team to be worried about. Kane seems like an egotistical guy, and there might be more on his mind that just a high-flying matchup vs Edmonton.

Hard Pass #1

Pittsburgh vs Toronto

Anybody that’s worth a damn in this game is way too expensive for me to enjoy rostering them. If you want low ownership in a tournament you can stack this game or one of the teams, but I just don’t see a reason to, when there are so many ways to get unique on this slate. I’d obviously rather player Detroit or CBJ for cheaper, I’d rather play Boston or Chicago at basically the same price, and I’d rather play the Edmonton guys if I’m paying up. Pittsburgh typically is stout defensively and slows the game down as well. Lots of star power in this game, but meh, I’m staying away.

NHL Grinder Value Plays

Grinder#1

Cole Caufield $2600DK/$3400FD – We saw last year that this kid is super talented. He is the definition of a high upside play with little risk do to salary. He played 15 minutes in his welcome back game to the NHL, might as well buy him while he is low.

Grinder #2

Brandon Saad $3700DK – DK specific grinder at this price-point. He scored 2 goals on 6 shots in his last affair, and his price dropped significantly; because who the hell knows.

Good luck, I hope you all come in 2nd.  😉

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