There are plenty of games to choose from tonight. Let’s have a look around the league for the top contenders for your Starting Six in today’s NHL daily fantasy challenge!
C- Bryan Little, WPG
The Jets have been disappointing this year. They entered the season with playoff hopes and instead sit at dead last in the Central Division. Now that Winnipeg has found a bit of stability at the goalie position, they will need all the goal support they can get to back in the playoff picture. And if there’s any way to get the offense going, it’s a game against the Buffalo Sabres. Bryan Little has 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points. He’s on pace to set a career high in points. Look for him to rev the offense up tonight.
LW- Alex Ovechkin, WAS
Alexander Ovechkin will be at home tonight as he takes on the Ottawa Senators. He will be firing on all cylinders, looking to tally his 500th NHL goal. The Sens are one of the worst possession teams in the league, so stopping Ovi will be much easier said than done. This is one of the most obvious pieces of advice you will ever be given: put Alex Ovechkin in your starting six. He is always worth it, but he especially is tonight as he chases history.
RW- Jordan Eberle, EDM
Jordan Eberle is one of only two players on the Oilers to have double digit goals scored on the year. He leads all regulars in the Edmonton lineup with a shooting percentage of 15.6% . Plus, he has 5 points in his last five games. As the Oilers take on the Florida Panthers tonight, they will be relying very heavily on their top six to carry the load offensively. The red hot Roberto Luongo won’t be in net for the Cats tonight. Instead it will be Al Montoya, who currently has the best goals against average and save percentage of his career. It is no easy feat, but the Oilers will be giving it to the hot hand.
D- Ryan Suter, MIN
Ryan Suter has always been a workhorse. He has been very dependable in Minnesota this year, logging about a half hour of ice time a night. When someone is offensively talented as Suter, a half hour means a lot of shots generated. He’s one of the most consistently positive possession blueliners in the game. The Wild will be going up against the New Jersey Devils, who have a depleted defense thanks to injuries. Suter will have an opportunity to some real damage and spread the puck around. Put him in your daily fantasy lineup, he should be good for at least a few assists tonight.
D- Aaron Ekblad, FLA
Speaking of tremendous possession defensemen. Ekblad has a key cog in the Panthers winning machine this season, with a remarkable 52.2% 5v5 corsi. He operates at almost a point per 60 minutes played, about equal with Ryan Suter. As the Panthers travel to Edmonton tonight, there’s no reason to believe that Ekblad won’t be at least on the ice for a few more Panthers goals. He cleans up the +/- stat, for fantasy leagues that track that. He’s been taking more shots of his own lately, which is great for a man with a 9.7% shooting percentage as a defenseman. Ekblad is a savvy pickup for your starting six.
G- Connor Hellebuyck, WPG
About that stability in the Winnipeg Jets’ goal that was mentioned eariler. Connor Hellebuyck has been a godsend for the Jets. The rookie out of UMass-Lowell has a 9-4-1 record. His .937 save percentage leads the league, and his 1.85 goals against is second. He’s allowed just one goal or fewer in five of his last six starts. That includes a shutout and an incredible 43 save performance against the Predators. Hellebuyck is incredibly fun to watch. The Sabres are always a great fantasy opponent for starting goalies- they don’t score much but always put a decent number of shots up. Give Hellebuyck the start. He will surely surprise you, as he’s done all season.
