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Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Week 21

With the trade deadline quickly approaching on Monday, February 29th, now is the time to lock in some players who may see a rise in production due to trades surrounding them or being traded themselves. Below, I’ll outline who these players are as well as providing you with some other adds and drops for the fantasy hockey waiver wire week 21.

Must Add

Rickard Rakell – C – Anaheim Ducks
13% Owned
OPP: CAL/EDM/VAN/CAL

Rickard Rakell has been thriving playing with Corey Perry. Rakell has already shattered his career highs in every category. At the time of writing this – in 16 less games played compared to last year, Rakell has 30 more shots and his shooting percentage is up to 11.1% from 8.6% last year. In his last five games Rakell has only played less than 17 minutes just once. The Ducks are high on Rakell and you should be too in your fantasy leagues.

Jordan Staal – C/LW – Carolina Hurricanes
32% Owned
OPP: WPG/OTT/SJS/TBL

Jordan Staal is a perfect example of someone whose production will sky rocket due to a trade. If his brother Eric is traded (And he doesn’t seem to care if he does or not) Jordan will almost certainly jump to the first line in Carolina. Already the points leader for the Hurricanes, a bump to the top line with more minutes would almost guarantee that he finishes the season the leading point getter in Carolina. A plus player with a 14.30% shooting percentage to go along with 100+ hits, Staal is a perfect fantasy stat stuffing machine.

Jason Pominville – RW – Minnesota Wild
16% Owned 
OPP: VAN/CAL/EDM/CHI

Jason Pominville is literally at the hands of the Minnesota Wild in the best ways possible. Pominville and the Wild are hot right now (Pominville – three goals over his last three games. Minnesota – winners of four straight) and they have to decide if they want to be buyers or sellers at the deadline. If they’re buyers – they’ll almost certainly get a complimentary player to help Pominville keep putting the puck in the net, but if they’re sellers – Pominville is definitely a big trading chip.

Michael Stone – D – Arizona Coyotes
16% Owned
OPP: MTL/DAL/STL

Mostly known as a shot blocker, Michael Stone has really been chipping in offensively as of late. With six points in his last five games, his trade value has never been higher. With the Coyotes five points out of a wildcard spot, it’s looking more and more like they’ll be sellers at the deadline. Stone is a perfect fit on a contending team looking for blocked shots with a bit of an offensive upside.

Drops

Mark Streit – D – Philadelphia Flyers 
42% Owned
OPP: NJD/MTL/TOR

With Shayne Gostisbehere as the go-to guy in Philadelphia, Mark Streit is basically fantasy irrelevant. He might be on the second powerplay unit, but it’s with nobody special (Sam Gagner is the biggest name on the unit). If he’s not scoring – he’s not helping you out fantasy wise.

Lee Stempniak – LW/RW – New Jersey
48% Owned
OPP: PHI/NYI/WSH

Lee Stempniak was good for providing some offence with Mike Cammalleri out of the lineup but at the end of the day, Stempniak can’t be relied on for a long period of time to do so. He’s cooled off considerably with no goals in his last nine games with only two assists across that span as well.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any NHL DFS or season long questions, feel free to contact me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

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DraftKings NBA DFS Must Plays, Stay Aways & The Bargain Bin, February 19

Jam packed slate of games on this Friday night so there’s plenty of selection for you out there. Who should you blow the bank on, who should you avoid and who did I yank out of the bargain bin? Continue reading and find out DraftKings NBA DFS Must Plays, Stay Aways & The Bargain Bin for February 19!

This DFS article is brought to you by TheSportsGeek.com.

TheSportsGeek DFS

 

Must Plays:

Pau Gasol – C – ($8,700) vs Toronto Raptors

This is too juicy of a matchup to ignore. It’s no surprise that the Raptors can’t guard anyone in the paint. It’s also no surprise that Pau Gasol has owned Toronto this year. In two games against the Raptors, Gasol has averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds to go along with 47.5 DraftKings points. Get this dinosaur killer in your lineup

Nicolas Batum – SG – ($7,400) @ Milwaukee Bucks

The Charlotte Hornets made a splash at the deadline acquiring Courtney Lee to fill in for the injured Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Unfortunately for the Hornets, Lee won’t be able to join the team for Fridays game. With MKG already out, Al Jefferson doubtful and Marvin Williams questionable – the offence has got to come from somewhere and that somewhere is Nicolas Batum.

 

Stay Away:

Steph Curry – PG – ($10,800) @ Portland Trailblazers

It’s not often you see ‘Steph Curry’ and ‘Stay Away’ near eachother like today but Curry is definitely a fade tonight. Curry is running into a Trailblazers team that has actually been good at guarding the point guard position over their last five (31.9 DraftKings points given up to opposing PG). Even with his skill-set, there’s a low chance he hits value for his high price tag tonight.

Karl-Anthony Towns – C – ($8,500) @ Memphis Grizzlies

People will be making their lineups and see the big KAT and remember the feel-good story that he was at the skills competition. Don’t fall into that trap. He’s over-priced at $8,500 because he’s running into a surprisingly good Gasol-less Memphis defence. JaMychal Green has been filling in admirably and the expected return of Brandan Wright should put a stop to Towns.

 

The Bargain Bin:

Deron Williams – PG – ($5,900) @ Orlando Magic

Prior to the All-Star break, Deron Williams was shooting the ball at a high rate. 32 FGA over his last two games to be exact. Orlando is simply not good at guarding the 1, giving up an average of 49.6 DraftKings points to opposing point guards. Williams is a perfect player to flex or even use as your starting point guard

Will Barton – SG – ($5,500) @ Sacramento Kings

Dubbed “Will The Thrill” at the dunk contest, Will Barton will thrill you tonight with how he’ll torch the Kings. The Kings are a mess. 2-8 in their last ten and still holding onto disgruntled players past the trade deadline. They also happen to not be very good at guarding the 2. Giving up 45.6 DraftKings points over the last five games to shooting guards makes Will The Thrill a definite play tonight.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any NBA DFS or season long questions, feel free to reach out to me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

TheSportsGeek DFS

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Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Week 20

With the NHL Trade Deadline fast approaching, it’s usually around this time players are being auditioned in hopes to raise their value. Other players are seeing their production rise because of new (or old, depending on how you look at it) line-mates & a D-man wearing blue and white is providing most of the offence for the 30th place team in the league.  Below I’ll discuss some important names for the fantasy hockey waiver wire for week 20.

Must Add

Benoit Pouliot – LW – Edmonton Oilers
21% Owned
OPP: ANA/MIN/COL

Nobody is safe in Edmonton. Nobody. Well, unless your name is Connor McDavid. If that’s not your name – you’re more than likely on the trading block. Pouliot has been hot as of late. Five points in his last three games is nothing to ignore. He’s on the top line with McDavid and Eberle and should reap the benefits.

Blake Comeau – LW – Colorado Avalanche
7% Owned
OPP: MTL/EDM/VAN

Blake Comeau is getting the perfect opportunity in Colorado to showcase his skills. Whether GM Joe Sakic intends to move the 29 year old is yet to be seen. For now – Comeau is lighting it up on the first line and first powerplay unit. 11 shots on goal over his last three games to go along with three points is perfect fantasy value. Slide Comeau into your roster now.

Jori Lehtera – C – St. Louis Blues
10% Owned
OPP: DAL/L.A./ARI

The STL (Schwartz/Tarasenko/Lehtera) line is re-uniting in St. Louis. Lehtera found most of his success last year playing with Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. Lehtera has been underwhelming this year but that’s mostly because of Schwartz’s asbence in the lineup. With Schwartz back – Lehtera’s fantasy value should see a boost.

Jake Gardiner – D – Toronto Maple Leafs
4% Owned
OPP: CHI/NYR/PHI

The Leafs don’t have much offence. At all. Their first line consists of Michael Grabner, Leo Komarov and Peter Holland. Since there’s not much offence up front, Toronto is going to rely heavily on their mobile D-men. Jake Gardiner has been hot as of late. Four points in his last three games including a pair of goals is supreme production for a blue liner. He’s paired with the rugged Roman Polak so Gardiner has a bit more freedom to play his offensive minded game. The Leafs might not be relevant right now but Jake Gardiner is.

Drops

Mike Condon/Ben Scrivens – G – Montreal Canadiens
29/20% Owned
OPP: ARI/COL/PHI

Montreal is a tire fire. Early on in the year Condon gave Price owners a solid short-term replacement between the pipes. Condon has never played more than 48 games at any professional level before and just doesn’t have the endurance to be a long-term replacement for Montreal. Ben Scrivens is a backup goaltender who is streaky at best. Unfortunately his hot streak came to an end. You’re safe to drop either of these Montreal goaltenders

Tyler Myers – D – Winnipeg Jets
29% Owned
OPP: CAR/TBL/FLA

This is just a friendly reminder to drop Tyler Myers if you have him on your roster. He’s 6’8” and has three hits in his last seven games. To make matters worse – he has no points in those seven games. The 2009-2010 Calder Trophy winner has certainly fallen from grace.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or comments regarding NHL Fantasy or NHL DFS, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @BESTofMATT

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Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Week 19

Busy week in the NHL with 12 teams playing four games. Players from these teams are exactly the type of player you want in your roster. They’ll maximize value and stuff your matchup stats if you can grab them from the fantasy hockey waiver wire in week 19.

Must Add

Mika Zibanejad – C/RW – Ottawa Senators
22% Owned
vs TBL/DET/COL/CBJ

Opportunity is the game. Zibanejad is the name. The 6th overall selection in 2011 is Ottawas top centre on both the first line and the first powerplay unit. “It’s an opportunity for myself to take a role that I have been expecting to grow into…” said Zibanejad to the Ottawa Citizen. He’s certainly grown into it. The best thing about Mika is his RW eligibility. You can take advantage of his success on the faceoff dot (412 FOW) even if he’s not rostered as a centre.

J.T. Miller – C – New York Rangers 
15% Owned
vs NJD/PIT/LA/PHI

No Rick Nash? No problem. J.T. Miller has filled in admirably. Slotted on the left wing next to Derick Brassard and Jesper Fast, Miller has produced. In his last 7 games, Miller has scored 7 goals while adding 19 hits. He’s seeing time on the second powerplay unit and the Rangers should give him a chance when Nash comes back from injury to play on the same line as him. Miller is the must add of the week.

Vincent Trocheck – C/RW – Florida Panthers
34% Owned
vs DET/BUF/STL/NSH

As of right now, February 8th – Vincent Trocheck is the leading goal scorer (17) for the Florida Panthers. By the end of week 19, I am almost certain he’ll still be the leading goal scorer for the Panthers. Trocheck is having a career year and he’s on a hot streak. He’s scooped up five goals and four assists over the last five games. Trocheck is centering the second line and second powerplay so the minutes are there for the 22 year old. The Panthers have won five of their last six and Trocheck has been a big part of that. Ride the streak while you can.

Alec Martinez – D – Los Angeles Kings
28% Owned
vs BOS/NYI/NYR/NJD

Alec Martinez is the perfect two way defenceman for fantasy formats. He’s averaging nearly 22 minutes on the ice per game while stuffing all aspects of the stat sheet. He has 100+ hits and blocks while chipping in 7 goals, the most by an L.A. D-man not named Drew Doughty. L.A. has four games on the schedule this week – a perfect opportunity for you to slide him into your lineup.

Drops

Tomas Hertl – C/LW – San Jose Sharks
33% Owned
vs CHI/CAL/ARI

As Hertl’s production goes down – so does his time on ice. Down to 14:34 in his last appearance, that is just not enough time to produce. Hertl is very much a hot & cold player. Until he starts producing again – you’re safe to drop him in all formats.

Louis Domingue – G – Arizona Coyotes
37% Owned
vs VAN/CAL/SJS

Domingue is still very much Arizonas starter, only because they’re stuck with him until Mike Smith comes back. Domingue has had three straight five-goal games. If you’re rostering him in hopes to just reach your minimum amount of goalie starts per week – there’s better options out there.. See – Al Montoya (8%). Florida has two back to backs this week. Or then there’s Jacob Markstrom (11%). Vancouver has one back to back and Markstrom has been steady.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or comments regarding NHL Fantasy or NHL DFS, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @BESTofMATT

 

 

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Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire and John Scott All Star MVP

After the All-Star break, teams go right back into action on February 2nd. Five teams have four games this week and there are some players that should immediately be picked up from the fantasy hockey waiver wire from those squads.  In this post I will discuss Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire and John Scott All Star MVP

At the end of the fantasy hockey waiver wire – my take on the John Scott story.

Fantasy Waiver Wire Must Adds

Nail Yakupov – LW/RW – Edmonton Oilers
36% Owned

Nobody has suffered more from Connor McDavid going down than Nail Yakupov. With McDavid recalled from the AHL, he should find himself back on a line with Yakupov again. It makes sense, too. The two had amazing chemistry together for the first 13 games of the season. McDavid had 12 points in 13 games while Yakupov had 10 points in the same amount of games. In the 16 games Yakupov played without McDavid, he only put up four points. The best part of this situation? Edmonton has four games this week. Capitalize on Yakupov’s value and pick him up.

Andre Burakovsky – LW – Washington Capitals
5% Owned

Another player with a four game slate ahead of him. Another player with a ton of potential to make some noise this week. Andre Burakovsky has saw his usage go up over the last two games. Moved from the third line, up to the second and he’s now been seeing powerplay time as well. With three goals in his last two games, Burakovsky is starting to get noticed. He’s seemed to find some chemistry with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Justin Williams. The 20 year old’s performance in the upcoming games will solely dictate how long he continues to spend time as a top six forward with PP time

Mattias Ekholm – D – Nashville Predators
14% Owned

Mattias Ekholm is the hottest D-man in the league right now. Riding a five game point streak (2G, 4A) Ekholm has found himself to be a major part of Nashvilles offence. If you’re in a league with plus/minus, Ekholm is a safe play. He’s +7 at home but -6 on the road. Good news – Nashville plays three games at home (STL, PHI, SJS) following the All-Star break. Ekholm has seen himself paired up with Petter Granberg so he’s had the freedom to take some risks from the blue line. Head coach Peter Laviolette has rewarded his defenseman with an uptick in power play time as well.

JT Miller – C – New York Rangers
9% Owned

J.T. Miller is the multi-purpose player you’ve always wanted in your league. He does a little bit of everything. He hits and he scores. Miller has found the back of the net four times in the last four games while also racking up 15 hits across those games. He’s a must add in dynasty formats and someone you should definitely pick up in re-draft leagues.

Drops

Sam Bennett – C/LW – Calgary Flames
27% Owned

If you’re in a dynasty league – ignore this and do not drop Sam Bennett. If you’re in a re-draft league, please drop Sam Bennett. Bennett is as streaky as they come this year and right now he’s cold. People are still on Bennett because of his four goal game almost a month ago and are hoping he does it again. Pointless in his last three games, Bennett should see himself drop in the depth chart this upcoming week. Until he gets hot again, Bennett isn’t worth rostering. Find production somewhere else for the time being.

Tyler Myers – D – Winnipeg Jets
35% Owned

I don’t know about you, but if I was 6’8”, 240 lbs and in the NHL – I would hit a lot of people. Tyler Myers doesn’t use his body enough to warrant a spot on any fantasy team. 41 hits through 49 games isn’t good if you play in a league with hits. 19 points in 49 games isn’t that great either. Until Myers strings together a point streak or starts to throw his body around – I’m off him for the whole year.

4,149 Miles – John Scott All Star MVP

I’ll admit it. At first – I was probably the biggest John Scott hater there could be (yes, even more than Phil Kessel). I didn’t believe that goons deserved to be in the All-Star game. I didn’t believe that Scott, a player who has never played more than 56 games in a season should be allowed to participate. I didn’t think that Scott, a 33 year old Edmonton boy with five goals in 285 NHL games played deserved to hang out in Nashville among the leagues superstars. I didn’t think that Scott, a family man with two young children with twins on the way – deserved a chance to stick it to the NHL. I was fully convinced that John Scott was the bad guy in all of this.

Was I ever wrong.

None of this was Scott’s fault. Blame the fan vote before you blame Scott. Don’t get me wrong – I’m still fully against having the fan vote the way it is now. Create a list of eligible players that can be voted for and go from there. It’s not Scott’s fault that he was selected to the game. He didn’t ask to be voted for. Heck, at one point he told people to vote for people more deserving than himself.

The All-Star weekend was about John Scott. The normally boring All-Star game can thank John Scott for bringing a storyline into the fold.

Previously asked by Arizona and the NHL to bow out of the All-Star game, he refused and was traded to Montreal (inevitably, St. John’s) seemingly taking care of any chance Scott had of going to the All-Star game.

Nice try.

The NHL did it’s damnedest to try and keep Scott away from the party in Nashville. Everything from telling him he couldn’t wear his requested AHL St. John’s Ice Caps jersey and forcing him to wear a team-less sweater, to someone in the NHL asking Scott if his kids would be proud of him. You’re telling a guy who made a living with his fists what to do and not do. Probably not a smart choice.

At the end of the day, the All-Star game is a laugh. It’s a chance where players can put on mullets and pretend to be someone else. It’s a time where players can wear a Chewbacca mask and bring their son on the ice. It’s a time where all the feel-good stories come out about all the players participating. It’s an event that players bring their families to.

It’s the All-Star game.

They play an exhibition game. They have a skills competition. None of this means anything in the grand scheme of the rigorous 82 game NHL season.

It did mean something to John Scott though. A 33 year old journeyman who punched his way through 285 NHL games. An Edmonton boy with a wife and two kids while also expecting twins. A player sent 4,149 miles away from his previous NHL team’s arena to his new AHL arena to try and rid him from an exhibition game that he was voted into.

A player who was told that his kids wouldn’t be proud of him.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or comments regarding NHL fantasy, NHL DFS or John Scott, feel free to reach out to me via Twitter @BESTofMATT

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DraftKings NBA DFS – January 11th – Must Plays, Stay Aways & The Contrarian Play of The Night

Just three games on the slate tonight so picking value is a must. Another must for tournament play? The Contrarian Play of the Night!

Must Play

Nikola Mirotic – PF – Chicago Bulls
$5,700
Mirotic is starting to look like the 2014-2015 version of himself which is a great thing. He’s been spending some time in the small forward position so he’s been able to body opposing small forwards. Mirotic is 6’10”, 220lbs. His opponent tonight? Otto Porter, 6’8”, 198 lbs”. Mirotic is also a big threat from deep (5-9 January 9th vs Atlanta) which equals DK bonus points. Slide Nikola into your lineups.

Klay Thompson – SG – Golden State Warriors
$8,100
If you’re going to pay for a Warrior tonight – Thompson is just right. Just like the Goldilocks and the Three Bears. One’s too hot (Expensive, for argument sake – Steph Curry $10,500). One’s too cold (Harrison Barnes $5,400). One’s just right – and that’s Thompson. Over his last six games played – just once has he not scored over 40 DraftKings points. With Curry playing on a bad shin – the other splash brother has been shooting the ball a lot more.

Stay Away

Tim Duncan – C – San Antonio Spurs
$5,300
While looking at defense vs position is a good indicator of how a player will perform – Tim Duncan is a straight up trap. While the Nets are a mess of a team – Duncan is just turning out to be a bad DFS play every night. Brooklyn is giving up 55.4 DK points over their last 5 games but Duncan just doesn’t stay on the court enough (Thanks, Pop..) His minutes can be as high as 32 (Christmas day vs Houston) but as low as 14 (Jan 2nd vs Houston). While his $5,400 price tag is attractive – the value just isn’t there.

Luol Deng – SF – Miami Heat
$4,300
Luol Deng looks like a nice value play. He’s anything but that. He does receive constant minutes but he’s not even close to being an offensive threat – even when the bench is on the court. He’s only managed six shots in each of his last two games and he hasn’t hit a three pointer in four games. Stay far away from Deng.

Contrarian Play of The Night

Gorgan Dragic – PG – Miami Heat
$5,800
Miami is going to lose against the Warriors tonight. Let’s just get that out of the way now. BUT Miami and Golden State are projected to have the highest point total out of all the games (207). If the Heat want a chance in the game – they’re going to need Dragic to hit his shots. In his revenge game against the Suns on the 8th, he secured a solid 39.5 DK points in 36 minutes. The Heat need Dragic to come up huge because Draymond Green is going to eliminate Miami’s number one scoring option – Chris Bosh.

Thanks for reading! If you have any DFS or season long questions – drop me a tweet! @BESTofMATT

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Fantasy Hockey – Mike Condon and Other Week 8 Transaction Trends

The Montreal Canadiens were dealt a big blow when they announced that Carey Price would be out for a minimum of six weeks. Chances are, if you’re a Price owner – your fantasy team is looking a little troublesome between the pipes. If you missed out on the Mike Condon train in fantasy hockey week 8 transaction trends, there are other goal tending options you can pick up.

Mike Condon – G – Montreal Canadiens
65% Owned

Let’s start with the man of the hour. Condon has filled in admirably for the all-star, Price. He’s 10-2-0 with a 2.06 GAA to go along with a .934 SV% as CP31’s replacement. Price is slated to miss the next 18 games (Estimated return Jan 14 vs Chicago) and those games are against some tough company. 15 of the next 18 games are against teams above .500 (Including two against Boston and two against the Capitals). Condon has shown that he’s more than capable to fill-in while Price is out but if he falters at all – the door is wide open for Zachary Fucale. If you have an empty roster spot – it might be a good idea to handcuff Condon with Fucale (1% owned).

Thomas Greiss – G – New York Islanders
20% Owned

Greiss and his counter-part Jaroslav Halak are fighting for first-string status. They have very similar stats (Halak: 2.02 GAA, .921 SV% | Greiss: 2.30 GAA, .925 SV%) and it seems like head coach Jack Capuano is not opposed to riding the hot hand. This week? It’s Thomas Greiss. The 29 year old has won his last two starts and looks to be the go-to guy for now. The Islanders have three games left this week so Greiss could bring you some short term value or a handcuff if you’re a Halak owner.

John Gibson – G – Anaheim Ducks
18% Owned

John Gibson just might be the best goaltender in the Ducks organization. He only has a four game sample size this year (2W, 1.82 GAA, .936 SV%, 1 SO) but he’s been pretty damn good. Frederik Andersen has been very average on the season but horrible over his last three games (.817 SV%). If Gibson and the Ducks keep rolling there’s no guarantee that Andersen gets his job back. If Gibson is available in your league – pick him up.

Leo Komarov – C/LW – Toronto Maple Leafs
16% Owned

Leo Komarov used to be an add strictly used if you were desperate for hits. He’s doing that (2nd among eligible forwards with 114 hits) and more. With 10 goals on the season, he’s already eclipsed his previous career best of 8 NHL goals. Komarov has found a home on the top line with Nazem Kadri and James van Riemsdyk while manning the middle on the top power play unit. Leo is on a hot streak (4G last 3GP) and the Leafs have three games left this week. Strike while the iron’s hot.

Frans Nielsen – C – New York Islanders
34% Owned

At age 31, Frans Nielsen is having the most productive season of his career. He’s shooting the puck way more (69 SOG) and it’s leading to points. Nielsen is currently on pace for 61 points which would be a new career high. He can thank life on the top power play unit with John Tavares for that.

Michael Stone – D – Arizona Coyotes
9% Owned

More ice time = more production in most cases. Michael Stone is no exception. Playing 22+ minutes per game over his last three contests – Stone has produced. One goal and two assists while firing seven shots on goal provides not only season long value but great DFS value. He’s paired up with Arizonas best player in Oliver Ekman-Larsson while seeing time on the second power play unit. Arizona has three more games this week including matchups against Buffalo and Carolina. Value. Value. Value.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions regarding season long leagues or DFS, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@BESTofMATT)

* All percentage owned and position eligibility based on Yahoo!

 

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DraftKings NBA DFS Must Plays, Stay Aways & The Bargain Bin – November 25

Stop watching Steph Curry cross over Jordan Clarkson for a second (If you haven’t seen it yet – it’s nasty) and take a look at some DraftKings NBA DFS picks.

 

Must Plays

Tristan Thompson – PF ($5,800) @ Toronto Raptors

Here’s the thing. Thompson is playing centre but is listed as a power forward on DraftKings. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t slide him at a cheap $5,800 into your lineups. With Timofey Mozgov out, Thompson is getting a lot of minutes and I mean a lot (40 vs ATL, 34 vs ORL). He’s matched up against Bismack Biyombo who cannot make a shot for the life of him. Missed shots = rebounds and that’s the name of Thompsons game. He’s been in double digit rebounds over his last three games. Look for that to continue tonight against the Raptors.

Russell Westbrook – PG ($11,300) vs Brooklyn Nets

I know. Westbrook is really expensive. The most expensive player on DraftKings tonight, but for good reason. The projected point total for the BKN @ OKC game is set at a lofty 210.5. Westbrook consistently flirts with a triple double and has the second most double doubles in the league (10). The Nets can’t guard against point guards at all, giving up an average of 52 DK points per game to the PG position. If you thought Clarkson getting crossed up by Curry was nasty, I can’t wait to see what Westbrook does to Jarret Jack tonight.

 

Stay Away

John Wall – PG ($8,300) @ Charlotte Bobcats

I don’t like back to backs for DFS purposes and I’m assuming NBA players don’t like them either. In Wall’s last game out he matched his season high of eight turnovers and that’s a big no-no in DraftKings. He’s up against a stiff Hornets defence (CHA gives up the 5th least DK points to the PG position) and things just don’t look good for Wall tonight.

Zaza Pachulia – C ($5,800) @ San Antonio Spurs

The price tag is more than appealing but the matchup is revolting. The Spurs know how to defend against bigs and they do it well. They give up a league low 40.3 DK points against opposing centres. Pachulia has been hot as of late, but expect that to come to a screaming halt tonight against Tim Duncan and LaMarcus Aldridge.

 

The Bargain Bin

Alonzo Gee – SF ($3,000) @ Phoenix Suns

This is a steal. Literally and figuratively. Gee is known for his defensive play (5 steals in his last three games) but has started to chip in offensively for the Pelicans. That’s great news because the Suns give up the second most DK points to the small forward position (43.7). If you’re putting a guy like Westbrook in your lineup, Gee is perfect salary relief.

Thabo Sefolosha – SF ($4,200) @ Minnesota Timberwolves

Sefolosha has been more than ok starting in place of the injured Kent Bazemore. He was lights out from the field (7-8 FGM-FGA) and was all over the stat sheet (15 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 3 blk) in his last game out. Sefolosha won’t be owned in many GPP’s across DraftKings which makes him a perfect Wednesday night play.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions regarding DFS strategy or season long leagues across all sports, feel free to tweet at me! (@BESTofMATT)

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Fantasy Hockey Transaction Trends – November 24

Tough break, literally, for Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher. Gallagher was well on his way to setting new career highs in virtually every category until he suffered two broken fingers while blocking a shot against the Islanders. What do you do with the winger? Drop him? No. Pick him up? Yes. Stash him on the IR? Yes. Read on for that and more fantasy hockey transaction trends.

 

Pick Ups

Brendan Gallagher – RW – Montreal Canadiens
77% Owned*

This is more of a “if anyone dropped Gallagher, immediately go and pick him up” kind of circumstance. Anyways, Gallagher has been the grittiest player for the Canadiens this season. Second on the team among forwards for blocked shots and that’s exactly the reason why he’s sidelined for at least the next six weeks (Gallagher Out). Up until his injury, Gallagher had 9 goals and 10 assists for a total of 19 points – good for second on the team. Gallagher is an important cog in the Canadiens offence and shouldn’t be dropped. If you have an IR roster spot in your league and number 11 is out there, go ahead and pick him up.

Boone Jenner – C/RW – Columbus Blue Jackets
49% Owned*

In his third season in the NHL, Jenner seems to have found his stride. He’s found a home on the top line with Ryan Johansen and Brandon Saad as well as spending some time on the first power play unit. Jenner is tied for fifth in the NHL in goals (11) and is on track to surpass his career high (16g in 72 games – 2013/14). Jenner has made a lasting impression on John Tortorella and everyone knows it’s important to stay on his good side. (Skip to 14 seconds and enjoy. NSFW (Language): Classic Torts)

Karri Ramo – G – Calgary Flames
23% Owned*

Ramo is clear number one goaltender out in Calgary. He’s won three of his last four outings while sporting a 2.00 GAA. Those matches have been against tough company for the most part (two games against Chicago, one against Washington). Ramo opened the season as the number one option, got sent to the minors, then had a “heart-to-heart” with head coach Bob Hartley. Whatever was said during that heart to heart has been working wonders for the 29 year old Fin. Jump on Ramo while he’s hot.

Drop Offs

Nikolaj Ehlers – LW/RW – Winnipeg Jets
26% Owned*

After picking up 7 points in his first 10 games, Ehlers has been extremely ineffective since. He has no goals since October 27th and has only notched two assists in his last nine matches. He was previously playing on the second line while getting steady powerplay time. He’s been dropped to the third line and has only been on the ice for an average of 12:35. While it may be tempting to hold onto a rookie with so much promise – it’s time to cut ties with Ehlers.

Nail Yakupov – LW/RW – Edmonton Oilers
49% Owned*

Things looked so good for Yakupov earlier this season. So. Good. He was finally looking like he was worthy of the Oilers first overall pick in 2012. When Connor McDavid went down, so did Nail Yakupov (metaphorically speaking). Yakupov has only recorded a single assist in the 8 games since McDavid was injured. His ice time has gone down significantly while also being bumped all the way down to the third line. Yakupov can easily be your next dropped player for someone off the wire.

 

Keep An Eye Open For…

Nazem Kadri – C – Toronto Maple Leafs
24% Owned*

Nazem Kadri has the worst puck luck in the NHL. He’s fifth in shots (87) but he’s just not finding the back of the net. With only two goals and six assists on the year, he doesn’t really warrant an add… yet. The opportunity is there for Kadri. Steady ice time on the first line while playing valuable powerplay minutes usually adds up to a valuable fantasy asset. Kadri has seen his face-off percentage go up as well (2015/16 – 50.7% | 2014/15 – 46.2%). If he can start lighting the lamp, he’ll be well worth the add.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any fantasy questions feel free to reach out to me (@BESTofMATT).

*Percentage owned & position eligibility based off of Yahoo! Fantasy.

 

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Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire – Thursday November 19th

About a quarter way into the NHL season, injuries are ravaging rosters, players are starting to settle into their roles and chemistry is building among line mates. Now’s the time to jump on the waiver wire and grab these players.

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire – Thursday November 19th

 

Artem Anisimov – C/LW – Chicago Blackhawks
30% Owned*

Did you have cold feet at your draft and didn’t want to take Patrick Kane? Did you miss out on rookie phenom Artemi Panarin? Well, remove the “i” in Artemi and you can have Artem Anisimov. Anisimov is in a comfortable situation in Chicago. He’s slotted on the second line between Kane and Panarin while anchoring the top power play unit. Anisimov has picked up six points in his last five games while winning 127 draws. If he’s out there, go pick him up.

 

Leon Draisaitl – C/RW – Edmonton Oilers
42% Owned*

There’s probably one person who deep down didn’t mind Connor McDavid going down with an injury. Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers top pick in the 2014 draft has been on fire since McDavid went down. The 20 year old German has been one of the few bright spots for the 6-12-1 Oilers. Draisaitl is only one of six plus players on Edmonton’s roster (7). He’s third in team scoring with 14 points in nine games, tied with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (who has played 9 more games) and seven points back of Taylor Hall who leads the team. Draisaitl is making the most of his shots (31.60 shooting %) and making the most of his opportunity.

Shayne Gostisbehere – D – Philadelphia Flyers
4% Owned*

After you go through the trouble of phonetically saying his name out loud, you can go ahead and snag Gostisbehere off the waiver wire. Nicknamed “Ghost”, he’s been exactly what the Flyers were hoping he would be after being called up from Leigh Valley. Ghost has picked up points in each of his last two games (1G, 1A) while seeing his ice time climb as high as 19:40. Gostisbehere isn’t afraid to put the puck on net, averaging 3 SOG/g. He’s found a home on the top powerplay unit and should find a home on your team.

 

Melker Karlsson – C/RW – San Jose Sharks
2% Owned*

Karlsson has been loving life with Joe squared on the top line (Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton). The 25 year old Swede has tickled the twine twice in his four games played this season while adding an assist. Karlsson is getting his shots (9) and hits (9) making him a valuable asset on your fantasy team.

 

James Reimer – G – Toronto Maple Leafs
42% Owned*

Don’t look now. The Leafs are winning. Leaf fans can go ahead and thank James Reimer now. The 27 year old has established him self as head coach Mike Babcock’s go-to option between the pipes. Can you blame him? Reimer has been unbelievable. Since November 2nd (a span of seven games started), Reimer has only had one game with a GAA above 2.00. He’s faced an average of 39 shots per game (10 above the league average of 29 shots per game). The saves are great for you fantasy-wise & the added bonus of wins on a losing team (4 wins in his last 4 games started) is just the cherry on top.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions regarding season long fantasy or DFS across all leagues – feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@BESTofMATT).

* All ownership and position eligibility based off of Yahoo Fantasy

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