Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: DraftKings NHL Optimal Lineup for November 12

It's not always a great idea to take the highest-priced player on the board, but we can't resist Thursday night when the Washington Capitals travel to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers.

Alex Ovechkin is almost always a top-level play in DraftKings fantasy hockey, but he should be even better than usual in your lineup in this game. Ovechkin was the busiest man on the ice when the Capitals faced the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday night, as he fired 15 shots on goal.

None of them went in the net as the Red Wings blanked the Capitals 1-0. 

There's no way Washington will abide getting shut out and come with a lackluster effort, especially against the Flyers, because there has long been bad blood between the two teams. More to the point, the Flyers are playing poorly, having gone 3-5-2 in their last 10 games.

Ovechkin comes at a price of $9,600, but he already has eight goals and eight assists this season, and he has fired 77 shots on goal.

There will be no stopping Ovechkin against the Flyers. He has scored three goals and two assists in his last four games, and he should be good for two goals against Philadelphia.

Position	Player, Team	Opponent	FPPG	Salary
C	David Krejci, Boston	Colorado	4.6	$5,800
C	Henrik Sedin, Vancouver	Ottawa	2.6	$4,400
W	Alex Ovechkin, Washington	Philadelphia	6.1	$9,600
W	Jiri Hudler, Calgary	Tampa Bay	2.8	$4,800
W	Jimmy Hayes, Boston	Colorado	3.1	$4,600
D	John Carlson, Washington	Philadelphia	3.7	$6,400
D	Alec Martinez, Los Angeles	New York Islanders	2.6	$3,300
G	Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay	Calgary	4.0	$7,400
U	Andre Burakovsky, Washington	Philadelphia	1.7	$3,300

Centers: David Krejci, Boston Bruins ($5,800) and Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks ($4,400)

When you go for a high-priced scorer like Ovechkin, you have to cut down at other spots in your lineup. We have done that at the center position, where we passed on Tyler Seguin, John Tavares and Claude Giroux to go with David Krejci and Henrik Sedin.

While the Boston Bruins have been somewhat erratic this season, they have been thrilled that Krejci has returned to full health after an injury-plagued 2014-15 season. Krejci is a dynamic offensive player who has already scored seven goals and 10 assists in his first 14 games.

Krejci is a confident puck-handler and a superb passer, but he is at his best when he is shooting the puck. He has been aggressive this year, and he is giving Boston dependable scoring.

Henrik Sedin remains one of the game's best playmakers. Sedin sees the ice extremely well, and when he spots an open teammate, he can thread a pass through a maze of legs and set up outstanding scoring opportunities.

Sedin has five goals and seven assists this season, and he is coming off a three-point night (two goals and one assist) against the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday. Look for him to get on the board against the Ottawa Senators.

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Wings: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals ($9,600), Jiri Hudler, Calgary Flames ($4,800) and Jimmy Hayes, Boston Bruins ($4,600)

In addition to the production that Ovechkin has already put on the board, he is due for a breakout on the power play. Ovechkin has just one goal with a man advantage after scoring 25 power-play goals last year and 24 in 2013-14.

Jiri Hudler is one of the most creative and intelligent players on the Flames, and when he gets the puck near the net, he almost always fires a strong shot or creates an excellent scoring opportunity. Hudler's confidence manifests itself when he holds onto the puck for an extra split second and then draws a defenseman or the goaltender out of position.

Hudler has four goals and eight assists for the Flames, and he is the player they look to when they need a goal.

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Jimmy Hayes does not figure to be in too many fantasy lineups most nights. But the big, rugged Boston winger will go to the net, plant himself and go after deflections and rebounds. He also has a quick pair of hands that allow him to get his shot off quickly.

He has four goals and seven assists in his first 14 games with the Bruins, but he should be ready for a big night against the Colorado Avalanche. When the Bruins went to Colorado October 14, he scored a goal and three assists. Look for another multiple-point night from him Thursday.

Defensemen: John Carlson, Washington Capitals ($6,400) and Alec Martinez, Los Angeles Kings ($3,300)

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Every time John Carlson is on the ice for the Capitals, he makes a positive contribution. He has a big shot from the point, he is an underrated passer and he is a smart player who can win the battle in the corners.

He is an asset to any fantasy lineup, and he is also one of the key players who has helped the Capitals become such a consistent team. Carlson has three goals and nine assists this season, and he has also registered 12 hits in his last 10 games.

Alec Martinez has not lit it up so far this year, but he has shown he can score important goals for the Kings. Not only did he score the Stanley Cup-winning goal in overtime versus the New York Rangers in 2014, he also eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks with a seventh-game overtime goal in the Western Conference Final that year.

Martinez has two goals and two assists so far, and he is never afraid to jump up in the offensive zone when he senses a scoring opportunity. He has also delivered 30 hits this season.

Goalie: Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning ($7,400)

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We are taking a bit of a risk here with Ben Bishop because he has not gotten off to a great start, but we like the matchup against the Calgary Flames at home. Bishop and the Lightning should be able to come up with a much-needed win in this spot.

Bishop has a 5-7-1 record this year, but he has a 2.24 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. Much of Bishop's problem has been that his teammates have not given him enough goal support, but that could change against the struggling Flames.

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