Saturday, December 31, 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 | Sidney Crosby |
| C | Mikael Backlund |
| W | Anders Lee |
| W | Brian Boyle |
| W | Patrik Laine |
| D | Trevor Daley |
| D | Ryan McDonagh |
| G | Thomas Greiss |
| Util | Lee Stempniak |
| Salary | $49,700 |
| Expected Points | 133.25 |
Centers
Best Rating
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Crosby | PIT | $8,500 | 18.14 | 1.93 |
| Mikael Backlund | CGY | $5,400 | 17.08 | 3.05 |
| Tyler Seguin | DAL | $7,800 | 15.88 | 1.82 |
| Evgeni Malkin | PIT | $7,600 | 15.38 | 1.77 |
Best Values
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikael Backlund | CGY | $5,400 | 17.08 | 3.05 |
| Radek Faksa | DAL | $4,100 | 10.90 | 2.72 |
| Phillip Danault | MTL | $4,200 | 9.68 | 2.36 |
| Derek Stepan | NYR | $6,600 | 15.25 | 2.31 |
Wings
Best Rating
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Gaudreau | CGY | $7,000 | 16.63 | 2.22 |
| Anders Lee | NYI | $4,500 | 16.39 | 3.34 |
| Max Pacioretty | MTL | $6,500 | 15.76 | 2.16 |
| Alex Ovechkin | WSH | $8,300 | 15.26 | 1.73 |
| Joe Pavelski | SJ | $7,400 | 15.19 | 1.90 |
| Nikita Kucherov | TB | $6,900 | 15.17 | 2.00 |
| Leon Draisaitl | EDM | $6,100 | 15.14 | 2.29 |
| Mats Zuccarello | NYR | $6,000 | 15.14 | 2.37 |
Best Values
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anders Lee | NYI | $4,500 | 16.39 | 3.34 |
| Brian Boyle | TB | $4,000 | 10.71 | 2.55 |
| Derek Ryan | CAR | $4,100 | 8.57 | 2.45 |
| Ryan Spooner | BOS | $4,300 | 11.37 | 2.42 |
| Jonathan Marchessault | FLA | $5,100 | 13.49 | 2.41 |
| Lee Stempniak | CAR | $4,000 | 9.84 | 2.40 |
| Mats Zuccarello | NYR | $6,000 | 15.14 | 2.37 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | CGY | $4,800 | 11.19 | 2.33 |
Defensemen
Best Rating
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brent Burns | SJ | $8,300 | 16.76 | 2.02 |
| Victor Hedman | TB | $5,600 | 15.55 | 2.25 |
| Ryan McDonagh | NYR | $5,200 | 15.54 | 2.78 |
| Rasmus Ristolainen | BUF | $5,800 | 14.26 | 2.34 |
Best Values
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Daley | PIT | $4,200 | 11.70 | 2.79 |
| Ryan McDonagh | NYR | $5,200 | 15.54 | 2.78 |
| Nick Holden | NYR | $3,500 | 11.87 | 2.76 |
| Dmitry Orlov | WSH | $4,300 | 9.96 | 2.49 |
Goalies
Best Rating
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marc-Andre Fleury | PIT | $7,700 | 22.77 | 2.62 |
| Philipp Grubauer | WSH | $8,200 | 22.39 | 2.83 |
| Antti Niemi | DAL | $7,800 | 22.34 | 2.79 |
| Henrik Lundqvist | NYR | $8,300 | 22.02 | 2.37 |
Best Values
| Name | Team | Cost | Expected | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philipp Grubauer | WSH | $8,200 | 22.39 | 2.83 |
| Antti Niemi | DAL | $7,800 | 22.34 | 2.79 |
| Marc-Andre Fleury | PIT | $7,700 | 22.77 | 2.62 |
| Keith Kinkaid | NJ | $7,000 | 19.53 | 2.57 |
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.