NHL Daily Fantasy Sports: DFS Picks of the Day (Jan.8)
By Ryan Ritchie
NHL Daily Fantasy Sports: Boston/Carolina, Tampa Bay/Pittsburgh face-off later this afternoon. Philly/Columbus drop the puck an hour later. Nashville/Chicago, Edmonton/Ottawa begin at 7pm et, while the Ducks play host to the Wild in the late game.
NHL daily fantasy sports (DFS) continues 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.
Welcome back to my NHL daily fantasy sports series intended to help give fans an edge selecting their DFS rosters today. 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 (Sunday, January 8th)
NHL Schedule (Sunday, Jan.8)
Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes (5pm et)
Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins (5pm et)
Philadelphia Flyers at Columbus Blue Jackets (6pm et)
Nashville Predators at Chicago Blackhawks (7pm et)
Edmonton Oilers at Ottawa Senators (7pm et)
Minnesota Wild at Anaheim Ducks (8pm et)
*Important Note: Prices from DraftKings.com
All NHL
Center – Vladislav Kamenev, Nashville Predators $3,000 (at CHI)
It doesn’t get much cheaper than this folks. But you might be wondering, why select a guy who made his NHL debut on Saturday? Well, it didn’t stop me from taking Nikita Scherbak in his first game, which paid dividends. Kamenev is simply a temporary filler with Mike Ribeiro and Viktor Arvidsson sidelined, but with 24 points in 31 AHL games, the Russian can produce and it’s only a matter of time before he records his first NHL point.
Winger – Ty Rattie, Carolina Hurricanes $3,300 (vs. BOS)
Recently claimed off waivers from St. Louis, Rattie is off to a hot start with his new club. In fact, he’s seeing time alongside Victor Rask and Jeff Skinner on the top line most recently. Who knows how long it will last, but it’s worth riding the wave until he settles into a lesser role.
Defenseman – Niklas Hjalmarsson, Chicago Blackhawks $3,600 (vs NSH)
With nine points in 41 games, Hjalmarsson isn’t exactly a hot commodity in DFS. That being said, he has a goal and an assist in two games versus Nashville in 2016-17 and is averaging twice his average fantasy points versus the Preds. Even if he doesn’t manage to find the scoresheet, the Swede is bound to collect a few blocked shots and shots on goal.
Next: NHL Trade Rumors: Weekly Update
Goaltender – John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks $7,500 (vs. MIN)
After a slow start in 2016-17, John Gibson is settling in nicely. He’s on fire of late having gone 5-0-3 since Dec.17, recording a 1.93GAA and .932 save percentage over that span. He faces a tough opponent in the red-hot Minnesota Wild, but Gibson doesn’t typically rank as one of the cheaper goalies in a given night. That extra $400-$500 dollars that you might usually spend on an elite netminder can now be put towards an upgrade elsewhere.