NHL Daily Fantasy Sports: DFS Picks of the Day (Jan.6)

NHL Daily Fantasy Sports: Six games are on the schedule Friday night, including Toronto/New Jersey, Carolina/Chicago, Calgary/Vancouver, and more. We’ve got your DFS picks of the day at each position.

NHL daily fantasy sports (DFS) continue to grow in popularity despite the uncertainty surrounding the industry. Companies like Fan Duel and Draft Kings are still immersed in legal battles and in turn, are unable to offer their services in certain American states.

Even with restrictions, the DFS community continues to thrive and in likelihood will emerge victorious when all is said and done. Just think of the way fantasy sports, in general, has evolved over the last 15-20 years. Daily fantasy sports is just the next step. Instead of drafting a team, spending an entire season tweaking and adjusting your lineup. You can select a roster of players for that given night and compete against other individuals.

Today, I’d like to present a new series to help those folks looking for an edge in NHL daily fantasy sports. I’m targeting one player at each position (center, winger, defense, goalie) that make for quality value picks that won’t break the bank.

NHL Daily Fantasy Sports: DFS Picks of the Day (Friday, January 6th)

NHL Schedule (Friday, Jan.6)

Toronto Maple Leafs @ New Jersey Devils
Nashville Predators @ Florida Panthers
Carolina Hurricanes @ Chicago Blackhawks
New York Islanders @ Colorado Avalanche
Calgary Flames @ Vancouver Canucks
Arizona Coyotes @ Anaheim Ducks

*Important Note: Prices from DraftKings.com

Center – Mikael Backlund, Calgary Flames $5,700 (at VAN)

Backlund would have cost around $5,100 dollars about a month ago. He’s been on an absolute tear over his last 10 games with eight goals, five assists (13 points). Even better, the Swede is riding a five-game goal streak that began with back-to-back three-point nights. Backlund is bound to cool off at some point, but for now, he makes for a quality value pick in daily fantasy sports.

Winger – Anders Lee, New York Islanders $4,800 (at COL)

I wouldn’t typically advise selecting Islanders players unless they’re named John Tavares. That being said, any opponent of the Colorado Avalanche has an opportunity to fill the net with frequency. Lee is starting to heat up over the past month with six goals, two assists (eight points) over his last 10 games, so it could be worth taking a flyer on him. The only other Isles I might consider is forward Brock Nelson and defenseman Nick Leddy.

Defenseman – Mattias Ekholm, Nashville Predators $3,800 (at FLA)

The Preds are coming off a big win versus Tampa Bay on Thursday. They’ve shown the ability to win in front of Juuse Saros (the expected starter) and seem to be scoring a lot more goals lately. Ekholm isn’t tearing up the scoresheet by any means, but with six points in his last 10 contests, the price is worth the risk.

Next: A Guide to Fixing the Avalanche

Goaltender – Cory Schneider, New Jersey Devils $7,500 (vs. TOR)

New Jersey plays host to a surging Maple Leafs squad. The odds might favor Toronto heading into this one, but they’ll need Frederik Andersen to outplay his counterpart at the other end to do so. Schneider is on fire in 2017 after a sloppy start to the season and looks ready to turn a corner. Don’t be surprised if the Devils pull off the win at home.

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