Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: NHL DraftKings Playoff Strategy for May 18 and 19

The visiting Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks need to come out with more urgency in Game 2 of their respective series than they did in Game 1 or they will both fall into serious holes as they fight to get to the Stanley Cup Final.

However, the difficulty is that the New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks are brutally tough teams that are not about to give up their home-ice advantage without the visitors raising their level of play significantly. The Lightning and Blackhawks certainly have plenty of firepower and talent, and we believe both of those teams are going to be significantly better than they were the first time out.

We have a $50,000 budget, and here's our top lineup that should give you an excellent chance to win your DraftKings fantasy matchup.

Pos.	Player	Opponent	FPPG	Salary
C	Valtteri Filppula	N.Y. Rangers	2.0	$3,900
C	Jonathan Toews	Anaheim	3.4	$8,000
W	Brandon Saad	Anaheim	2.9	$4,800
W	Matt Beleskey	Chicago	2.6	$6,000
W	Teuvo Teravainen	Anaheim	1.7	$3,000
D	Duncan Keith	Anaheim	3.2	$7,200
D	Francois Beauchemin	Chicago	2.6	$4,400
G	Ben Bishop	N.Y. Rangers	4.8	$8,700
U	Andrew Cogliano	Chicago	2.0	$3,800

Centers: Valtteri Filppula, Tampa Bay Lightning ($3,900) and Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks ($8,000)

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The obvious choice is to go with Tyler Johnson because of his speed and explosive scoring ability. But with our $50,000 budget, we are choosing to spend the bulk of our money elsewhere.

Valtteri Filppula is a smart playmaker who should be able to diagnose what the Rangers are doing defensively after seeing them in Game 1 of the series, and he should be able to create time and space for his teammates in the offensive zone. Look for Filppula to come up with a pair of assists against the Rangers.

One thing that was quite noticeable in Game 1 of the Chicago-Anaheim series is that Jonathan Toews (one shot on goal) was not his usual game-changing force. We don't question his effort, but we are going to rely on his ability to rise to the occasion in a game the Blackhawks need to win.

Toews knows he will have to win his personal battle with Ryan Kesler. Look for Toews, who has scored four goals and seven assists in his last 11 games, to come up with a dominating effort in Game 2 of the series.

Wingers: Brandon Saad, Chicago Blackhawks ($4,800), Matt Beleskey, Anaheim Ducks ($6,000) and Teuvo Teravainen, Chicago Blackhawks ($3,000)

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Brandon Saad had several good chances to score in Game 1 of the series, including a backhand shot while the Blackhawks were short-handed in the second period and a rebound effort in the third that would have tied the score had he been able to lift the puck over goaltender Frederik Andersen's pad. Look for the explosively fast Saad to break through with a goal in Game 2.

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Matt Beleskey has been a huge fantasy find during the postseason for the Ducks. He did a solid job with 27 goals in the regular season, and he scored a goal in each of the five games in the conference semifinal series against the Calgary Flames. He also had a brilliant shot from the slot against Chicago, but Corey Crawford kicked it out. Look for Beleskey to convert that opportunity in Game 2.

The Ducks can't pay close attention to every offensive threat on the Blackhawks, and that means some players are going to have an opportunity to move the puck with time and space. The bargain-priced Teuvo Teravainen is one of those players. He had a couple of strong opportunities to score or register assists in Game 1, and he should be a much more confident player in Game 2. 

Defensemen: Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks ($7,200) and Francois Beauchemin, Anaheim Ducks ($4,400)

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Just like Toews, Duncan Keith knows how to rise to the occasion and come up with a big game when the Blackhawks need it most.

Keith is one of the best skating defensemen in the NHL, and he will be looking to advance the puck in the offensive zone and take every opportunity he can get to put Chicago on the scoreboard early in the game. Keith did not score in Game 1, but he did have three shots on goal, and he has scored 10 points in his last 11 games.

Francois Beauchemin is a smart, tough defenseman who will block shots and deliver hard body checks to help the Ducks survive against the Blackhawks, and he'll do whatever he can to help his team win. Beauchemin scored 11 goals this season, and he can put the puck in the net if the Blackhawks leave the points open.

Goalie: Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning ($8,700)

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

We don't think for a second that Ben Bishop is a better goalie than Henrik Lundqvist. However, when Bishop was tagged with the loss in Game 1 versus the Rangers, it marked the first time in his career that he lost to them after eight previous wins. Bishop has a 1.76 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in his last 10 games, and he won't give up more than one goal to the Rangers.

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