Daily Faceoff NHL DFS Value Plays — October 22nd
Welcome to Daily Faceoff’s NHL DFS Value Plays, where five days a week from Monday to Friday, I break down hockey’s main slate, looking for the top value plays.
This value sheet includes salaries, projections for DraftKings and FanDuel for the top forward and defensemen values, as well as honourable mention forwards and three punt options for blue liners. While the main value plays look at spots to get different and their upside, the others revolve around their ability to produce peripheral points by taking shots and blocking them. These players are always live for the bonus on DraftKings, where all the value plays are directed for.
These projections don’t tell you exactly what’s going to happen. One game sample has too much randomness to pin down exact predictions. Instead, the projections represent a player’s average performance on average if that matchup was played repeatedly. There is a wide range of possible outcomes, and the projections represent each player’s average of those possibilities.
Connor Zary (W, CGY2) – (DK-$3,400 / FD $4,900)
DFO Projection: DK – 8.1 / FD – 10.9
Connor Zary and the Flames’ second line are in a tremendous spot against the Penguins, and based on Zary’s price tag, he’s my favourite play of the three. He’s got a strong scoring rate, and gets time on their top power play unit, too.
Will Smith (C, SJS2, PP1) – (DK-$2,800 / FD $4,800)
DFO Projection: DK – 7.7 / FD – 10.4
If you need to go dumpster diving salary-wise for a center, Smith is a decent option. He’s cheap, and while he has yet to find offence in the NHL, it will come in due time. The matchup against the Ducks tonight could be the night he finds his way.
Jake Walman (D, SJS-2) ($5,500 / $5,700)
DFO Projection: DK – 10.3 / FD – 12.8
The San Jose Sharks have the top power play matchup tonight, according to the DFO DFS charts, which is a wild, but true, statement. Walman is the quarter back of that unit, and since the Ducks take a boatload of penalties, there will be ample opportunity for him to get on the scoresheet.
Honourable mention forwards
- Anthony Mantha (W, CGY3, PP2) ($2,700/$4,800): DK – 7.7 / FD – 10.3
- Mathew Barzal (W, NYI1, PP2) ($5,600/$7,400): DK – 12.8 / FD – 17.0
- Josh Norris (C, OTT2, PP1) ($4,100/$5,500): DK – 9.1 / FD – 11.9
Top Punt Defensemen
- Michael Kesselring (UTA-1) ($2,700/$3,900): DK – 7.1 / FD – 9.3
- Victor Mancini (NYR-3) ($2,700/$3,600): DK – 5.8 / FD – 7.1
- Wyatt Kaiser (CHI-2) ($2,600/$4,000): DK – 4.4 / FD – 5.7
Tune into the DFO DFS REPORT Live at 4:00 PM EST!
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist and makes up one half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.