Thursday, December 29, 2016 NHL Daily Fantasy (DFS) Picks for DraftKings Daily Fantasy League Competitions.
For full value reports and bulk linuep optimzers, check out FantasyPlus from Sports from the Basement.
Optimal Lineup
Updated Throughout the Day
| C | Mikael Backlund |
| C | Valtteri Filppula |
| W | Sam Gagner |
| W | Johnny Gaudreau |
| W | Mikael Granlund |
| D | Rasmus Ristolainen |
| D | Jeff Petry |
| G | Devan Dubnyk |
| Util | Nathan Beaulieu |
| Salary | $50,000 |
| Expected Points | 136.17 |
Centers
Best Rating
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Staal | MIN | $6,500 | 17.91 | 2.89 |
| Auston Matthews | TOR | $7,500 | 16.64 | 2.31 |
| Derek Stepan | NYR | $6,600 | 15.72 | 2.38 |
| Mikael Backlund | CGY | $5,400 | 14.94 | 2.82 |
Best Values
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radek Faksa | DAL | $4,000 | 12.69 | 3.25 |
| Eric Staal | MIN | $6,500 | 17.91 | 2.89 |
| Mikael Backlund | CGY | $5,400 | 14.94 | 2.82 |
| Mark Letestu | EDM | $4,200 | 11.21 | 2.67 |
Wings
Best Rating
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Gaudreau | CGY | $6,900 | 19.25 | 2.57 |
| Cam Atkinson | CBJ | $7,000 | 17.41 | 2.45 |
| Alex Ovechkin | WSH | $8,100 | 16.45 | 1.87 |
| Nikita Kucherov | TB | $6,800 | 16.00 | 2.13 |
| Jonathan Drouin | TB | $5,500 | 15.78 | 2.59 |
| Charlie Coyle | MIN | $5,800 | 15.11 | 2.56 |
| Anders Lee | NYI | $4,500 | 14.74 | 3.01 |
| Justin Williams | WSH | $5,000 | 14.45 | 2.89 |
Best Values
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anders Lee | NYI | $4,500 | 14.74 | 3.01 |
| Justin Williams | WSH | $5,000 | 14.45 | 2.89 |
| Jason Zucker | MIN | $4,900 | 13.51 | 2.87 |
| Jonathan Drouin | TB | $5,500 | 15.78 | 2.59 |
| Johnny Gaudreau | CGY | $6,900 | 19.25 | 2.57 |
| Charlie Coyle | MIN | $5,800 | 15.11 | 2.56 |
| Sam Gagner | CBJ | $5,300 | 12.79 | 2.56 |
| Ryan Spooner | BOS | $4,300 | 11.75 | 2.56 |
Defensemen
Best Rating
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Hedman | TB | $5,500 | 15.55 | 2.29 |
| Erik Karlsson | CAR | $7,000 | 15.05 | 1.98 |
| Rasmus Ristolainen | BUF | $5,900 | 14.66 | 2.36 |
| Ryan McDonagh | NYR | $5,000 | 14.40 | 2.62 |
Best Values
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan McDonagh | NYR | $5,000 | 14.40 | 2.62 |
| Jeff Petry | MTL | $4,900 | 13.03 | 2.61 |
| Dion Phaneuf | OTT | $4,500 | 12.24 | 2.60 |
| Michael Matheson | FLA | $3,800 | 10.94 | 2.60 |
Goalies
Best Rating
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devan Dubnyk | MIN | $8,300 | 28.48 | 2.94 |
| Sergei Bobrovsky | CBJ | $8,000 | 26.63 | 2.80 |
| Braden Holtby | WSH | $8,200 | 24.83 | 2.67 |
| Antti Raanta | NYR | $8,100 | 23.54 | 2.67 |
Best Values
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devan Dubnyk | MIN | $8,300 | 28.48 | 2.94 |
| Sergei Bobrovsky | CBJ | $8,000 | 26.63 | 2.80 |
| Braden Holtby | WSH | $8,200 | 24.83 | 2.67 |
| Antti Raanta | NYR | $8,100 | 23.54 | 2.67 |
Picks are based on historical performance and match-up. Keep up to date on late-day roster moves and injuries – those are not taken into consideration. Sports from the Basement provides no warranty on these suggestions and readers should make picks at their own risk.