Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: NHL DraftKings Ideal Lineup Picks for April 17
After an exciting opening night of playoff hockey on Wednesday, the NHL followed up with a number of thrilling contests on Thursday.
Friday's action will feature Game 2 for each of the series that started on Wednesday, and it will be the last game before teams switch venues. The Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames and New York Islanders will look to take a 2-0 lead back home, and the Senators will attempt to tie the series heading back to Ottawa.
There are a number of different players to consider for Friday's action, and here are your ideal NHL DraftKings picks for April 17.
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With a $50,000 salary cap, you can draft the below roster and have some success:
| C | Jonathan Toews | Chi@Nsh | 3.4 | $6,400 | Three Points in Game 1 |
| C | Brock Nelson | NYI@Was | 2.8 | $4,600 | Two Goals in Game 1 |
| W | Marian Hossa | Chi@Nsh | 3.5 | $6,000 | 6.0 FP in Game 1 |
| W | Josh Bailey | NYI@Was | 2.7 | $4,500 | 6.5 FP in Game 1 |
| W | Johnny Gaudreau | Cgy@Van | 3.1 | $4,900 | Top Rookie Scorer in 2015 |
| D | Kris Russell | Cgy@Van | 3.4 | $5,000 | GWG in Game 1 |
| D | Duncan Keith | Chi@Nsh | 3.1 | $5,200 | GWG in Game 1 |
| G | Jonas Hiller | Cgy@Van | 4.2 | $8,700 | 29 saves in Game 1 Win |
| UTIL | Sam Bennett | Cgy@Van | 2.2 | $4,500 | 4.0 FP in Playoff Debut |
Center: Jonathan Toews, $6,400 | Brock Nelson, $4,600
You should pick up Jonathan Toews for Friday because he is a known playoff performer. He tallied three points for the Blackhawks in Game 1, and he has 34 points in 39 career games against the Nashville Predators. He is a factor in all areas of the ice, so he can help you earn points for goals, assists, shots and blocked shots.
Toews tallied nine total fantasy points in Game 1, and he could gain even more if he gets to play with Patrick Kane in Game 2.
If you want to go with a cheaper option down the middle, Brock Nelson is your guy. He played under 14 minutes in his playoff debut and found a way to pick up 8.5 fantasy points. He took five shots, scored on two of them and played pretty well against the Washington Capitals in their home building.
Wingers: Marian Hossa, $6,000 | Josh Bailey, $4,500
Marian Hossa is a skilled playoff contributor who should be in your lineup on Friday.
In 172 games, Hossa tallied 45 goals, 84 assists and 129 points, which equates to a 0.75 points-per-game average. He padded that total during Game 1 against Nashville, as he tallied two assists, six shots on goal and finished with seven fantasy points.
Josh Bailey was on a roll during the final 10 games of the regular season, and he tallied six points while averaging 2.6 fantasy points per game.
His play was even better in Game 1 against the Capitals, and the left winger tallied a goal, an assist and 6.5 fantasy points. Bailey comes in at an affordable $4,500, and he could be a nice low-cost, high-reward player for Friday.
Defense: Duncan Keith, $5,200 | Kris Russell, $5,000
Duncan Keith is a premier NHL defender who continues to be a key contributor for the Blackhawks. In addition to his solid defensive coverage, Keith is a top scorer on a talented Chicago team. He tallied the game-winning goal and added an assist in Game 1 and finished with six fantasy points.
Kris Russell was the hero for Calgary on Wednesday, as he scored the game-winning goal with seconds left in the third period. He stepped up this season when captain Mark Giordano went down with an injury, and he finished the season with 35 points. He played almost 30 minutes in Game 1, and a player getting that much time on the ice is bound to eventually generate some chances.
Goalie: Jonas Hiller, $8,700
Jonas Hiller was amazing in his first career playoff start for the Calgary Flames, and it was against a familiar opponent. Hiller battled the Vancouver Canucks while he was with the Anaheim Ducks, and he posted an 11-6-4 record with a .905 save percentage and a 2.96 goals-against average.
He was eons better than that in Game 1, and Hiller stopped 29 of 30 shots for a .967 save percentage and a 1.00 goals-against average. He's got a fair price tag at $8,700, and you should have confidence in him after he came up big for the Flames.
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DraftKings stats and details per its official site. Outside statistics via Hockey-Reference.com and NHL.com.
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