Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: Best NHL DFS DraftKings Lineup for March 29
April is nearly here, which means the NHL playoffs are on the horizon. Before the postseason officially arrives, NHL fans can feast on a full slate of games to pick apart before the field is narrowed down.
Leading up to the Sunday matchups, here's a look at an optimal lineup and a breakdown of players to target.
| C | Brandon Pirri | @ OTT (12th) | 2.6 | $5,700 |
| C | Pavel Datsyuk | @ NYI (25th) | 3.6 | $5,200 |
| W | Blake Wheeler | CHI (16th) | 3.8 | $6,400 |
| W | Marian Hossa | @ WPG (12th) | 3.5 | $5,400 |
| W | Jonathan Huberdeau | @ OTT (21st) | 2.6 | $5,000 |
| D | Keith Yandle | WAS (21st) | 3.3 | $5,400 |
| D | T.J. Brodie | @ NSH (22nd) | 3.2 | $4,500 |
| G | Antti Niemi | @ PIT (18th) | 4.7 | $7,800 |
| UTIL | Aleksander Barkov | @ OTT (12th) | 2.1 | $4,400 |
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Draft Lottery Winners and Losers
C Brandon Pirri, Florida Panthers ($5,700)
All Brandon Pirri does is score goals. The Florida Panthers 23-year-old center has been on fire recently and can't be stopped. Pirri has 17 goals in his last 22 games and eight in his last 10—that's with just two assists all year.
The center spoke about finding his scoring touch this season, per Mike Lewis of FloridaPanthers.com:
"It’s been a combination [of myself and coaching staff]. We’re not the highest scoring team, so everyone has to do what they can. But for me, I’ve been on the power play especially put in situations where I’m the trigger man. For me, I’m trying to shoot everything and obviously the more you shoot, the better chance you have to score. I kind of treat it as a law of averages type of thing.
"
Coming off of a two-goal game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pirri has potted four goals in his last four games. Even against a decent Ottawa Senators defense, tab Pirri at center on Sunday and look for him to shine again for the Panthers.
W Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets ($6,400)
| 10 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 28 |
Speaking of goal scorers, Blake Wheeler has been on a streak of his own over the past several weeks. The Winnipeg Jets' second line has been productive recently, and Wheeler has been the beneficiary with seven of his 24 goals this season coming in the last 10 games.
He may not be on the top line with Andrew Ladd, but Wheeler has still been one of the most productive players on the team. With Wheeler's price surprisingly low, nab him for Sunday as a top wing for a winning lineup.
D Keith Yandle, New York Rangers ($5,400)
Despite being on the third pairing for the New York Rangers, Keith Yandle has made the most of his opportunities. The recently acquired defenseman has scored just five points over his last 10 games. However, he makes his presence felt in several other ways.
Tallying four assists over the last three games, Yandle is finally getting on the stat sheet with the Rangers. Adding blocked shots and a plethora of shots on goal—10 over four games—this defender will be a great addition to any lineup.
G Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks ($7,800)
He hasn't been quite as brilliant in the crease as he was earlier this month, but Antti Niemi is still a great start for DraftKings owners.
Just two weeks ago, Niemi's price was driven up to $8,800 on March 14 following a two-game stretch that saw him turn away 74 of 75 shots that came his way. Though he hasn't continued that success recently, Niemi is still averaging 4.7 fantasy points per outing this season.
In his lone matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Niemi allowed just one goal on 40 shots to secure a win. While he might not end up with another 9.8 fantasy points like he did in the first meeting with Pittsburgh, expect Niemi to still outplay his value on Sunday.
UTIL Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers ($4,400)
The top line for the Florida Panthers has been producing lately with Aleksander Barkov at the center position. At just 19 years old, Barkov is finally starting to come into his own for the Panthers.
With three assists in his previous two games coming into Saturday, Barkov was already heating up. After potting another two goals on Saturday night, it's clear there's no stopping the emerging star. Throw down $4,400 for Barkov in a utility spot and expect him to score along with the two other Panthers players in the optimal lineup.
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