This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
We've reached the final week of the NHL season and I want to thank the readers of this corner of the site for following along. Daily fantasy sports can be frustrating, no more so than hockey – just ask anyone that has picked losing goalies for three or four days in a row.
That frustration could really set in this week, with teams that are cemented in playoff positions content to start resting players. This happened Sunday night with Pittsburgh, as it wasn't announced until pre-game warmups that Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz, and Brooks Orpik would not be playing with some type of "injury." This was probably just coach Dan Bylsma giving those players a night off, but these types of things may not be announced until 30 minutes before the game. For this week, it's advised to stay close by a computer or mobile device to make the appropriate lineup changes close to game time and avoid taking zeroes. Teams like Boston, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles can't move up or down from their playoff position, while teams like Minnesota, St. Louis, and Montreal aren't far off from that situation, either.
With that in mind, here are this week's FanDuel value picks.
Right Wing
Valeri Nichushkin, Dallas Stars ($3,700)
A few weeks ago, I talked about the revolving door at right wing on the top line in Dallas. That revolving door has become more of a "push only" door recently. For the last couple of weeks, rookie winger Valeri Nichushkin has managed to stay on the top line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin.
The results for Nichushkin personally have not been superb, as he's posted just two points in his last six games, with the majority of his time coming with that top duo. But there are a lot of good indicators for future success ahead. Nichushkin has started in the offensive zone at least 50 percent of the time in three of those last six games. Secondly, he's averaged just under two minutes of power-play time per game. In addition, he's drawn two more penalties than he's taken, and he's played over 14 minutes in four straight games for the first time since just after the Olympic break. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, he's registered at least one shot on goal in six straight games for the first time in four weeks. Nichushkin has been very much involved in the offensive play and while the direct point results aren't there, they could be very soon.
Nichushkin has gone plus-5 in his last six games while playing on the top line, and that's been a huge bonus trigger for his FanDuel scoring. The Stars get three home games this week, where they rank as the fifth-highest scoring team in the league. Even though one of those opponents will be the Blues, that team could be resting players by then. With the added incentive of being in a playoff race, it could be a big week for the top line, Nichushkin included.
Left Wing
Matt Beleskey, Anaheim Ducks ($4,200)
The Ducks have been stumbling a bit of late, having won only three of their last six games, but like most teams, this is just a hiccup in what otherwise has been a pretty stellar season. In somewhat of a similar vein as Dallas, Anaheim has had a bit of a revolving door on the top line beside Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, only on the left wing instead of the right. Their most recent game in Edmonton saw a familiar name for the duo to play with in Beleskey.
This has been a career year in a lot of ways for Beleskey. For the season, he's averaged a career-high in assists, points, and shots on goal. He's also averaged his most penalty minutes per game (1.18) for any season that hasn't been shortened by a lockout.
Before last night's game against Edmonton, Beleskey was averaging a point at five-on-five with Getzlaf and Perry just about every 22 minutes. Though it's been a limited 66-minute sample, that equates to about a game and a half per point. Beleskey has also been on the ice for just one goal against with Getzlaf and Perry and seven goals for, which is better than plus-1 for every full game of ice time. In short, with his price of $4,200, Beleskey doesn't really have to do that much individually to reach value. He's also found his way to the second power-play unit. It isn't prime real estate, but it's better than not being on the power play at all.
This is a fluid situation, as Beleskey could be on the top line Monday but on the third line by Wednesday. The Ducks still have a lot to play for – first place in the division would avoid a brutal first-round matchup with Los Angeles – so I expect them to play some of their best hockey of the season this week.
Center
Brandon Pirri, Florida Panthers ($3,500)
Typically, I try to avoid players from teams like Edmonton, Florida, and Buffalo that are prone to adverse plus/minus ratings. This can negate most (or all) of the value that a player produces on a given night. I will make exceptions when players on these teams hit a hot streak, namely because their prices are usually so low that it doesn't even take a spectacular night to double their value. One guy that is on such a streak right now is Pirri.
Pirri was among the most highly-regarded prospects in the Chicago organization pretty much until halfway through this season. Over parts of the last two seasons in the AHL, Pirri has had one fewer point (101) than games played (102), and he doesn't turn 23 years old until later this week. He's managed 23 points in 46 games so far this season between the Blackhawks and Panthers, arriving in Florida in a deal just before the trade deadline. More significantly is what he's done lately, as Pirri has managed five points in his last four games, with nine shots on goal and a plus-2 rating.
Always regarded as a highly-skilled player, Pirri was kind of buried on the depth chart in Chicago and needed a chance to play regularly. He's averaging over two and a half minutes more of ice time with Florida, allowing him to yield nearly an extra shot on goal per game. Of late, Pirri has been a regular on the top power-play unit, which has converted a goal in two of the last three games.
This one is purely about riding a hot streak until it's over. If it lasts the rest of the season, excellent. If not, he's not very expensive. The Panthers get the Flyers and Leafs this week, teams they've beaten a total of three times in five games this season.
Defenseman
Matt Donovan, New York Islanders ($3,700)
Another player on a non-playoff team that has been put in a pretty good position for success is Donovan.
The Islanders' defensive depth has really taken a hit throughout the season. With Lubomir Visnovsky out for the year, Andrew MacDonald traded to Philadelphia, and now Calvin de Haan likely dealing with a season-ending leg injury, it's been patchwork at times for the Islanders' back end. The result of late has been that Donovan has played a much more prominent role with the team, namely being the lone defenseman on the top power-play unit. That has resulted in much better fantasy production for Donovan.
Through his first 36 games of the season, Donovan had one goal and six assists. In his last 12 games, Donovan has one goal and six assists. He also had no more than four games in a row with at least two shots on goal through those first 36 contests. Conversely, he's managed at least two shots on target in 10 straight now. He's also played at least 20 minutes in four of his last five games.
The Islanders get the Senators, Canadiens, Devils, and Sabres to finish the season. Buffalo (20th) and Ottawa (24th) don't have particularly strong penalty kills, and it could very well be three non-playoff teams. The worrisome part is that there's a good portion of his value that is tied to the strength of his goaltenders – the Islanders as a team are 27th in five-on-five save percentage – but hopefully the difference can be made up with power-play points.
Goaltender
Eddie Lack, Vancouver Canucks ($6,800)
First things first, I must point out that Lack has played in every single game since the Olympic break. While thoughts of a slowdown might be in order, he has a .930 save percentage in his last couple of games against the Rangers and Kings. Not too bad.
Oddly enough, with the Canucks all but eliminated from the playoffs, this might be the healthiest the team has been in months. Both Sedins are back in the lineup, which has been infrequent occurrence in the second half. Alexandre Burrows and Ryan Kesler are also now healthy, and the Canucks have all of their defensemen back, with the exception of those that were expected to miss the rest of the year anyway. The team has averaged 22.5 shots against at five-on-five over the course of the season, but their average over their last three games is down to 21.
Lack hasn't been great this year, but he's been passable at times in DFS formats with a .913 save percentage. With most of their regulars back in the lineup together, and a schedule that includes games against the Alberta teams and a Matt Duchene-less Colorado team, Lack has a good price for what he could produce this week.
