Good day to all my DFS peps out there in the world today! We're coming up on a loaded Thursday slate following a Wednesday where I didn't end up making a lineup but did watch the Blue Jackets/Maple Leafs game. I can't tell if the Leafs looked sluggish or Watch ESPN was lagging for no reason last night, possibly a combination of both.  

Slate Preview

Columbus versus Carolina

I looked to see if there was anything off the depth from Columbus that was worth playing here tonight instead of just going right back to the top line, but why mix up a good thing? Even without Sean Monahan in the lineup, the Columbus top line has been one of the best lines for DFS and I'm happy to have been able to play them back in the old days (December) when the top wingers were cheaper. This is a matchup going into Carolina on the road, which is never fun for anyone, but I don't mind going right back to Columbus on this slate. Kirill Marchenko ($7,300), Dmitiri Voronkov ($6,200), and Adam Fantilli coming off a hat trick at $5K, are decent plays. My only caution in playing them would be that this is an 11-game slate on DK, and I wonder if the Columbus top line in Carolina is what breaks the slate? Still, I'm tempted to roll the dice here as this line has carried lineups all season long.  

Now on to Carolina and the question is just where will the offense come from? It's not concentrated scoring with them, and while that's great for the team on the ice, it can make it difficult for DFS. I tried to look back at different games to see which line we can use to stack the Canes tonight and all I could come up with is we roster Jordan Staal as a one-off and hope he gets another hat trick here tonight. It's a sound strategy. For me, I do have Carolina circled on this slate going up against a Jackets club that played last night and will be starting Daniil Tarasov in net. If you like Carolina here you could mix and match forwards from the power play and get, say Seth Jarvis at $6,600 and Martin Necas at $6,400, and pair them with a cheaper defenseman on the team. Honestly, I'm not shutting the door on this strategy at all, and I do think that there's real reason to go to Carolina at home. If I'm prioritizing lines tonight, they're right up there as far as a team I will want to stack if I have the money to do so.  

Ottawa versus Boston

We just saw this game a week ago get to a 6-5 score in overtime, so yes, I have interest here. I didn't watch the Bruins last night but because I have access to the internet, I can surmise that it didn't go great last night in New Jersey. The only issue I'm running into here on going out and stacking me some Senators is two things. One, the Sens changed up their lines a bit so, at least for now, Brady Tkachuk is skating on the second line. That is a bummer because full stacking the top line of Tkachuk ($8,700), Tim Stetzle ($6,200), and Drake Batherson ($5,600), would have made for a nice play and I can't get myself to stack the Senators without Tkachuk in the mix. The second thing is more of a mental note here. Last week the Boston Bruins were in a similar spot where they were coming off a string of so-so games and came across Tampa Bay at home…I was all over Tampa and what happened was the opposite as Boston won 6-2. I know that has no bearing on what happens here tonight but just being cautious if I do in fact want to go against the B's in my single entry…or three max, haven't decided just yet.  

Going over to the Boston side, I could sit here and recommend a David Pastrnak ($8,900) and go about your day and if that's what you want to do, I'm not going to shut the door. I've looked at every angle to try and get myself to add in say Pavel Zacha at $4K or maybe get to Brad Marchand at $5,400, but I'm sort of coming palms up. In the last month, Ottawa is right in the middle of goals allowed, PK%, and shots-against. The one aspect I do find that we could target is that the Senators are starting Leevi Merilainen in net, so maybe that's a good spot to target. Also not forgetting as well, that the 6-5 game I mentioned earlier, was with Jeremy Swayman in net for the Bruins while tonight it will be Joonas Korpisalo (thankfully)…I don't know if I get to the Bruins, but I see this game and can't get myself to completely cross them off.

Pittsburgh versus Anaheim

I understand fully that I'm probably the only person in North America excited for this game but hear me out. I'm going to start with the home Ducks as well and then we'll talk about Pittsburgh…The Pittsburgh Penguins over the last couple months have allowed the most goals against per game, and I know much of that had to do with Tristian Jarry in net and Kris Letang missing time, but I'm not going to sit here and say their forward defense up front has been stellar either. Where my interest lies is the top line where I can get Frank Vatrano ($5,200), Troy Terry ($5,100), and Ryan Strome ($3,600), all fully correlated going up against what I just laid out as maybe one the four or five worst teams in the NHL. I get it, it's not like the Ducks are a buzz saw either, but I can pair so many things with those three and if they can just get on the scoresheet once tonight then I'm in business. Want to add in even say, Alex Killorn at $2,500, I say go for it. I'm not all-in on the Ducks because that just doesn't sit right, but if I'm making a stack where I need three forwards, two forwards and one defenseman, and a one-off defensemen, then right here is a perfect spot I could go to if I want to fill that three forward spot in my lineup.

Okay, so now let's talk Pittsburgh. There were rumors circling around of a Pittsburgh, and let me see if I'm getting this right, "fire sale" …ohhh ahhh, a fire sale. Like how last season they got almost in nothing in return back for Jake Guentzel? I can't wait for what we're cooking up for the "fire sale", I'm sure the phone is ringing off the hook asking about Philip Tomasino. That's unfair, I actually like him as a player, but you get the idea. My best buddy is a Pens fan from PA, and he shares the same sentiment that I'm sure most Pitt fans do with this club. For me, I tend to stay away from Pittsburgh when it comes to DFS but whenever there's a fully correlated top line in a decent matchup, I have to give them consideration. Rickard Rakell ($6,900) is back in action tonight, you have Sidney Crosby sitting at $8K, and Bryan Rust at $6,800. Those prices may be a bit high for my liking but again, it's a fully correlated top line and if Pittsburgh walks away with say a 4-1 win, then I would imagine that this top group had at least something to do with it.

Defensemen

Take one guess who's at the top of the board for defensemen tonight. No, not Damon Severson, you're close though…yep, Zach Werenski you nailed it and he's all the way up at $9,200. If I'm paying up that much, then he better stay out of the penalty box unlike last night. Too rich for me to spend up for a d-man as my ceiling is probably Ramus Dahlin at $6,800 going up against the Flames. My guy Jake Walman is at $6,300 and DK we got to update his picture, get that Red Wings sweater off him. If you decide to stack the Senators you could go with Jake Sanderson at $5,400, but really, I don't mind some other defensemen on this club whether it's Thomas Chabot at $4,600 or even Artem Zub down at $3,400. Colton Parayko catches my eye at $5,400 for St. Louis, and scrolling down a ways, Jackson LaCombe if you're looking to get to Anaheim is at $4,400. I really like Jacob Slavin in this matchup at $3,900 and have him circled as a potential start and dropping down to a punt defensemen, Mason Lohrei at $3,600 is a fine play along with K'Andre Miller at $3,300.

Goalies

Charlie Lindgren is at $8,100 going up against Seattle. I tend to not spend that much for my goaltender but I might start my lineup build with him in net and go from there. I think either Detroit goaltender here going up against the Habs is fine, both are priced at $7,900 but at that same price point I have a lot of interest in Joonas Korpisalo if I'm not going to the Senators on this slate. On the opposite side of that tilt, if you wanted to go with Leevi Merilainen that's fine, but I would stay away if Anton Forsberg were announced as the starter. I like either Anaheim goaltender here at $7,200 as well, but I'm leaning more for the goaltenders that are priced up and that's just based off of shot volume that they'll see.

Good luck tonight everybody!  

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