DraftKings NHL: Friday Picks

Written by

Updated on February 22, 2019 1:12PM EST

GOALIE

Sergei Bobrovsky, CLS at OTT ($8,000): With the Sens expected to dress their AHL lineup again with Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and Mark Stone all potentially sitting out, this might be the easiest matchup Bob will see all season. Bob has alternated good months and bad months this season, and he's been very good in February with a .922 save percentage.

EDIT: Duchene has been traded to Columbus, which certainly doesn't hurt Bobrovsky's case Friday.

CENTER

Dylan Strome, CHI vs. COL ($5,600): An assist against Detroit on Wednesday gave him five points in three games and 36 points in 37 games as a Blackhawk. After struggling with the Coyotes, Strome's turnaround has been both surprisingly quick and effective, and having Alex DeBrincat on his wing obviously helps. The Avs are playing well, but the Blackhawks have made mince meat of almost every defense recently.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau, OTT vs. CLS ($3,700): The Sens were shut out by Cory Schneider and the Devils last night, which wasn't entirely unexpected, but the pesky center led all Sens centers in power-play ice time with 4:28 and in shots with six. There's no saying how effective the Sens offense will be, but at this price Pageau can provide some decent value.

WING

Artemi Panarin, CLS at OTT ($7,200): Panarin practised Thursday so he's expected to play, though there hasn't been any confirmation he's returning to the lineup. He's the Jackets' most creative and effective offensive weapon and comes at a $200 discount to Cam Atkinson, who has just one goal in five games. If Panarin can't play against the shorthanded Sens, expect Anthony Duclair ($3,700) to potentially take his spot.

Elias Lindholm, CGY vs. ANA ($6,700): He's on a six-game point streak with nine points despite being taken off the top line, which is an encouraging sign that he wasn't just riding the coattails of Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. The Ducks have won three of their past four, but two of them came at home and they have yet to face an offense as explosive as the Flames.

Mikko Rantanen, COL at CHI ($6,600): Jared Bednar splitting up the big three puts a damper on things, but Rantanen is good enough to produce on his own, scoring a goal in a 7-1 dismantling of the Jets. Sure, the numbers won't be as robust without Nathan MacKinnon, but at this price Rantanen offers up some fair value, and the Blackhawks have resorted to trying to outscore their opponents to win games knowing their defensive depth and goaltending will never keep teams off the scoresheet.

DEFENSE

Mark Giordano, CGY vs. ANA ($6,600): He's the only defenseman this year I feel comfortable picking every night, and with three points in two games is now back at point-per-game status. Like fine wine, Giordano has gotten better with age, and against a much weaker Ducks squad he should continue to dominate his opponents like he has all season.

Nate Schmidt, VGK vs. WPG ($4,900): We'll have to see how the Jets bounce back after the most horrific loss of a baffling season, but I like the Knights' chances at home and Schmidt continues to play a big role for them. He has three goals and four points in his past seven games and remains their most dynamic defender. On a night short on quality offensive defenseman, he's one of the better options under $5,000.

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.