NHL Building Blocks – April 3
Solid five games tonight with more than a few with solid playoff implications. Let’s dive in!
The premise of each article in this series is to feature starting spots (building blocks) for your lines. These are plays that are cash-viable as well as GPP-worthy and can be considered in all contest formats.
Starting Lineup – April 3
The Goalie: Casey DeSmith ($8100 DK / $8500 FD)
The Canucks played last night, but I don’t mind some shares here given the matchup and the urgency that they should feel in fighting for the top spot in the West. Vancouver is in second place and has a solid defense (fifth in the league in GAA at 2.64 per game), and DeSmith is now carrying the bulk of the load until Demko comes back off of the IR. He has won three of his last five starts but has been solid, giving up just 10 goals total in those five contests.
The Center: Auston Matthews ($9800 DK/ $10400 FD)
Four goals and three assists in his last five and is up to 62 goals on the season; Bolts’ defense is average but not spectacular.
The Wing: Artemi Panarin ($7800 DK/ $1000 FD)
Continuing to play well with three goals and eight assists in his last five games; gets a bad Devils defense.
The Defenseman: Adam Fox ($6200 DK / $7500 FD)
Two goals and five assists in his last five games and averaging over a point per game this season; solid all around and always a good floor.
The Value: Matthew Knies ($2600 DK / $4100 FD)
Playing well recently; goal and four assists in his last five, and worth some shots even in a tough matchup.
The Stack: NYR2 (Panarin-Trocheck-Lafreniere)
The Rangers find themselves in a great spot as the season winds down, sitting in first place in the East. They get a Devils team that has been porous defensively for most of the season, and it should be a great spot to take advantage of. New York is averaging 4.2 goals per game over its past 10 games, and they have the league’s fourth-best power play at 25.7%. This trio has combined for nine goals and 18 assists over the past five games; mix in Zibanejad and Kreider as secondary/power play pieces.
The Builder: NYR/LAK ML parlay
Oct 26, 2023; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The New York Rangers celebrate a goal scored by defensemen Adam Fox (23) during the second period against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
