DraftKings NHL: Monday Picks

Written by

Updated on December 10, 2018 1:17PM EST

GOALIE

Keith Kinkaid, NJ at SJ ($7,100): He's priced below most of today's starters for good reason, but there are a few reasons to like Kinkaid. The Devils' offense, once struggling, has now scored 11 goals in its past two games. It probably won't be pretty, but the Devils could squeeze out a win.

CENTER

Sidney Crosby, PIT at NYI ($7,900): Crosby scored three points in their last meeting, including a top-shelf goal from a near-impossible angle on the goal line, and played over 22 minutes. He now has 113 career points and a plus-29 rating in just 65 career games against the Islanders, his highest total against any team.

Adrian Kempe, LA at DET ($3,400): Who knows where that five-goal outburst came from, but it's at least a sign the Kings offense has some life. Kempe has scored two goals in his past four games, and both wingers Tyler Toffoli and Nikita Scherbak are considered skilled players. The Red Wings have allowed 17 goals in their past five games, so Kempe may not need many opportunities to score, negating the impact of his modest amount of ice time.

WING

Joe Pavelski, SJ vs. NJ ($6,400): The Sharks captain has four goals in his past six games and is well on his way to another 30-goal season. His shooting percentage is screaming for a regression, but that's unlikely to come against the Devils, whose goaltending has been a sore spot all season. The Sharks have been inconsistent, but Pavelski with Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl has been one of the best bets recently.

Andreas Athanasiou, DET vs. LA ($5,000): He hasn't scored in five games, but Athanasiou has an intriguing matchup against the Kings, who may have trouble containing the speedy forward. With Dylan Larkin's line likely drawing Drew Doughty, that gives Athanasiou a chance to take advantage of the other two pairings, including Alec Martinez and Dion Phaneuf, who rank 94th and 127th in CF% among defensemen with at least 300 minutes played.

Alex Killorn, TB vs. NYR ($3,800): He's putting together a little hot streak with a point in back-to-back games, and the Lightning should be heavily favored against the Rangers. The 29-year-old veteran seems to have established some chemistry with Anthony Cirelli and J.T. Miller, and remains on pace for a 40-point season despite getting less ice time than last year. The Lightning scored 13 goals in three games against the Rangers in 2017-18, with Killorn chipping in three points.

DEFENSE

Neal Pionk, NYR at TB ($4,600): A two-way defenseman with 16 points in 27 games, Pionk is reliable for a young player, and even if he doesn't score points, he's been able to get shots on net and block shots on a nightly basis. He's a potential value pick as the cheapest defenseman on this slate averaging at least three fantasy points per game.

Ryan Pulock, NYI vs. PIT ($4,300): Pulock has two points in two games, and like Pionk, is playing a big role despite his relative inexperience. He's been solid against the Penguins this season with four assists in three games, and ranks second in shots and third in blocked shots among Isles defensemen. In previous matchups Pulock has been matched against Sidney Crosby, which is a tough assignment but also ensures a lot of playing time.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.