Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: NHL DFS DraftKings Strategy, Picks for April 30

The conference semifinal round gets underway Thursday night, and it's none too soon for the Anaheim Ducks. The Pacific Division champions swept the Winnipeg Jets out of the playoffs April 23, and that means the Ducks have accumulated a week's worth of rust. They will try to shake it off in the first game of their series against the resilient Calgary Flames.

While those teams get underway in the Western Conference, the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals get underway in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers handled the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games, while the Caps needed seven to get past the New York Islanders.

We have a $50,000 budget for our DraftKings roster, and we should have a unit that can cause plenty of damage.

Pos.	Player	Opponent	FPPG	Salary
C	Sean Monahan	Anaheim	3.4	$6,700
C	Andrew Cogliano	Calgary	2.0	$3,800
W	Jiri Hudler	Anaheim	3.4	$6,900
W	Jakob Silfverberg	Calgary	2.7	$5,500
W	Chris Kreider	Washington	2.6	$4,100
D	Sami Vatanen	Calgary	3.2	$6,000
D	Dan Boyle	Washington	2.3	$3,800
G	Henrik Lundqvist	Washington	5.4	$9,200
U	Marcus Johansson	New York Rangers	2.3	$3,600

Centers: Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames ($6,700) and Andrew Cogliano, Anaheim Ducks ($3,800)

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Why were the Calgary Flames perhaps the most overachieving team in the league this year and victorious in their first-round playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks? The play of Sean Monahan was one of the biggest reasons. Monahan scored 33 goals and 34 assists this season, and he was dynamic on the power play with 11 man-advantage goals. Monahan has been sharp recently with three goals and five assists in his last nine games, and he should be dangerous against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Ducks have a lot of big-name and high-priced talent throughout their lineup, but we are going with hard-trying center Andrew Cogliano based on his fearless play and relentless effort. Cogliano had 16 goals and 17 assists this season, but he has stepped it up with three goals and five assists in his last 10 games. Cogliano scored a goal in the clinching fourth game against the Jets, and he is not afraid to take a big hit in order to make a play for his team.

Wingers: Jiri Hudler, Calgary Flames ($6,900); Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks (5,500); and Chris Kreider, New York Rangers ($4,100)

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Jiri Hudler was a huge force for the Flames this season as proved to be an opportunistic playmaker. He scored 34 goals and 48 assists this year, largely because he is an economical skater who gets from point A to point B with speed and purpose. He has an excellent shot and is a pinpoint passer, and he is likely to give the Ducks a lot of problems because of his game-breaking instincts.

Jakob Silfverberg has come into his own this season as a three-zone player for the Anaheim Ducks. Head coach Bruce Boudreau knows he can count on Silfverberg in any situation, and he scored 15 goals and 30 assists this season. He has been playing his best hockey lately with three goals and seven assists in his last 10 games. Silfverberg could be an issue for the Flames, who will likely concentrate on stopping Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Chris Kreider has the kind of speed to break away from defensive coverage and create scoring opportunities. Big and rangy, Kreider can also go down low and score tough goals when he is close to the goal area. Kreider scored 22 goals and 25 assists this season, and seven of his goals came on the power play.

Defensemen: Sami Vatanen, Anaheim Ducks ($6,000) and Dan Boyle, New York Rangers ($3,800)

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Sami Vatanen is one of the most dangerous defensemen remaining in the playoffs, and he is likely going to be one of the Ducks' main weapons against the Flames. He is an excellent skater who has the instincts to move up into the play at the right time. He scored 14 goals and 28 assists this season, and he has two goals and three assists in his last five games. He had a goal and an assist the Game 4 clincher against the Jets.

Veteran defenseman Dan Boyle may not be at the peak of his physical powers, but his experience and intelligence mean that he is still dangerous in clutch situations. Boyle had nine goals and 13 assists for the Rangers this season, and he scored nine of his points on the power play. The Capitals may not pay much attention to him, and he has an excellent chance to become an impact player in Game 1.

Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers ($9,200)

If you look through this lineup, you see we did not tab some of the big-name stars like Alex Ovechkin, Ryan Getzlaf or Corey Perry, and that's because we had a desire to make Henrik Lundqvist our goalie. The Rangers are in an excellent position to win the Stanley Cup this year, and Lundqvist is the backbone of their team. He has been razor-sharp recently with an 8-2-0 record in his last 10 games along with a 1.76 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage. He is capable of shutting down any opponent, including the tough and physical Capitals.

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