We have ourselves a full day of hockey today, with seven games on the schedule starting at 3pm Eastern Standard Time. With that in mind, let’s look around for the top candidates for the starting six of your NHL daily fantasy lineup:
C- Vladislav Namestnikov, TBL
This is the coolest name in hockey. For that reason he deserves a start on your fantasy team, but if you wanted legitimate hockey reasons to start Namestnikov, I suppose there’s an abundance of those as well. The 23-year old Russian got his first career hat trick on Friday night against the Penguins, and has amassed eight points in his last four games. His play has been elevated to the point he is now a regular on the top line with Steven Stamkos and Ondrej Palat. After getting limited fourth line minutes throughout the year last year, Namestnikov is quickly joining the already crowded party of great young Lightning forwards. Give him the start tonight on your daily fantasy team against the Panthers.
LW- Kris Versteeg, CAR
Versteeg currently sits at 28 points on the year, which puts him on pace to set a new career high. He has three goals and three assists in his last five games on the top line with Eric Staal and Elias Lindholm. He has been a pleasant surprise for Carolina this year with eight goals and 20 assists this season. When they acquired him from the Blackhawks, the expectation was certainly not for him to be a top line player but more of a middle-line role player. He has instead been one of the best playmakers on the team, leading in assists. Perhaps it is the shift from wing to wing; Versteeg played the right wing most of his time in Chicago and has moved to the other side in Carolina. The Hurricanes have a chance to beat the Penguins for the second time in a week. Versteeg is a great candidate for your starting six.
RW- Justin Williams, WAS
Justin Williams is going up against the Rangers tonight, a team he has done very well against over the course of his career. He has 12 goals and 13 assists in 35 career games. He has been a staple of the second line for the Capitals this season with Evgeny Kuznetsov and a rotation of Marcus Johansson and Andre Burakovsky. The line usually performs better with Burakovsky, and it looks like #65 will remain on the line for today’s game. Williams is always a scoring threat. Right handed shots always are against New York. He has four points in four games. Put Williams in your fantasy lineup tonight.
D- Nick Leddy, NYI
I normally hate the term “step up” in sports because it’s a very generic blanket term. But I can’t deny that Nick Leddy has really stepped up for the Islanders in the absence of Travis Hamonic and Johnny Boychuk on the blueline. He is one of the leading contributors of shots on goal in each game, and has been excellent at controlling his team’s breakouts. He had a five-game point streak from late December into early January. After a few games of being held off the scoresheet, Leddy got his second goal of the year against the Rangers on Thursday night. As the Islanders take on the Vancouver Canucks, a game where the possession battle will likely lean very heavily in New York’s favor, put Leddy in your starting six tonight.
D- Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI
I love playing Shayne Gostisbehere. I think he’s going to become one of the best fantasy defensemen in the league in a few years. He’s already one of the most consistently good choices available. In his first game back from injury, the GhostBear registered six shots on goal against the Rangers and was generating a lot of chances for his offensive attack. He has tremendous instincts in the neutral zone and great vision of the ice in transition. The Flyers will be battling the Detroit Red Wings tonight. It should be a very tightly played contest were one goal is the deciding factor. When push comes to shove, Gostisbehere is a better scorer than anyone on Detroit’s blueline. Philly is playing much better hockey since the turn of the calendar year. Start a healthy Shayne Gostisbehere tonight for your daily fantasy team.
G- Jaroslav Halak, NYI
Halak has had a very up and down year thus far. He has had a lot of difficulty staying on the ice, with a nagging injury that has already sidelined him twice this year. But even when he has played, he has been volatile in his performance. Thursday’s game against the rival Rangers was a big step in the right direction for him, stopping 34 of 35 shots. His athleticism seems to be coming back to him at full strength. Tonight’s game against Vancouver is a game that the Islanders have to win to keep their momentum going and potentially pass the Rangers in the standings. It’s a big game for Halak. Expect him to come up big tonight.
