Daily Fantasy Hockey: Clayton Keller leads Tuesday picks
Sometimes I try to think of a clever way to intro these DFS articles. Other times I wake up with food poisoning and just need to get to it. There are 11 NHL games Tuesday, and here are some players to target and to avoid.
GOALIE
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at NAS ($35): Hellebuyck has once again shouldered a hefty load in net, but he's been up to the task. The American goalie has a 2.39 GAA and .924 save percentage. Nashville has averaged 2.76 goals per game, 27th in the NHL, which makes this a hospitable road environment for Hellebuyck.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Logan Thompson, VGK at NJD ($25): Thompson's rookie season has gone well, but he's slipped recently. Over his last 10 games he has an .899 save percentage. Now he has to face a Devils team that has averaged 3.48 goals and 34.3 shots on net per contest.
CENTER
Robert Thomas, STL vs. BUF ($19): Thomas had his first chance with a significant role last season and it paid off, as he had 77 points in 72 games. This year he's averaged 19:21 per contest in ice time, an increase from last year, and has 43 points in 46 games. The Sabres are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and they are in the bottom 10 in GAA and shots on net allowed per contest.
CENTER TO AVOID
Nick Suzuki, MON vs. BOS ($15): Suzuki has had some bad luck hit, as Cole Caufield is out for the rest of the season. And yet, that may not be the end of it. The center's 19.3 percent shooting is likely to regress, a trend the Bruins could kick-start as they have the lowest GAA in the NHL.
WING
Clayton Keller, ARI vs. ANA ($17): Fresh off a hat trick, Keller has himself a great matchup as it doesn't get easier than facing the Ducks. Anaheim has a 4.19 GAA and has allowed 38.8 shots on net per contest, both last in the league.
Jason Zucker, PIT vs. FLA ($16): Zucker skates on Pittsburgh's second line next to Evgeni Malkin, and that has helped him bounce back from a tough campaign last year. In fact, Zucker has seven points over his last eight outings. The Panthers are another team on the second leg of a back-to-back, and Spencer Knight is expected to make his first start since January 8. He could be rusty, even with an AHL conditioning stint.
WINGS TO AVOID
Carter Verhaeghe, FLA at PIT ($19): As I noted, the Panthers are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. Plus, Verhaeghe and company are catching a Penguins team who has Tristan Jarry back in net. Since returning, Jarry has made 67 saves on 70 shots over two starts.
Reilly Smith, VGK at NJD ($15): Smith has 18 goals this season, but he's been in a drought on that front. He has zero goals over his last nine games. It'll be hard to break that drought against a Devils team that has a 2.61 GAA and has allowed a mere 28.0 shots on net per contest.
DEFENSE
Jakob Chychrun, ARI vs. ANA ($19): I had to get another piece of this Ducks matchup. After all, they have a 4.19 GAA and have allowed 38.8 shots on net per contest. After returning from injury, Chychrun has hit the ground running. He has 24 points and 96 shots on net through 31 games.
Seth Jones, CHI at VAN ($17): Jones has 11 points over his last nine games. He's also averaged 3:23 per contest with the extra man and has nine power-play points in 35 contests. The Canucks may have a new head coach, but that isn't going to stop them from having the league's worst penalty kill overnight.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Roman Josi, NAS vs. WPG ($32): With so many options, I don't want to shell out for Josi's salary against Hellebuyck's 2.39 GAA and .924 save percentage. Also, the Jets have the second-ranked penalty kill, and 18 of Josi's 39 points have come with the extra man.
Devon Toews, COL vs. WAS ($19): Extra power-play time with Cale Makar sidelined hasn't helped Toews, as he still only has two points with the extra man all season. Of course, the Capitals have a top-eight penalty kill anyway. Washington also has former Colorado goalie Darcy Kuemper, who has a 2.55 GAA and .917 save percentage.
