I hope all of you Razzballers that celebrate had a Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to everyone! The three day hiatus without games is over, so I’m going to do a quick preview of Thursday’s games with some streamers, DFS options, and other things I’m looking for. I’ll get back to daily notes tomorrow recapping all of these games, so this will be an opportunity to get my thoughts on games out there and either look smart, dumb, or both. Let’s get to it!
Devils @ Bruins – According to the betting market, this is the third biggest mismatch of the night. Patrice Bergeron is back and lit the world on fire last weekend. For now, Bergeron is with Marchand but Pastrnak is on the second line. Dalton Heinen is in Pasta’s familiar spot, so if you’re playing DFS on the Thursday slate, be sure to check out pregame if that holds or not. If so, Heinen is an elite streamer. Whoever starts for Boston is an elite play. I wouldn’t recommend using any Devils unless you want to use Hall as a one-off.
Blue Jackets @ Rangers – Sergei Bobrovsky has found his form from previous years; any buy low window has slammed shut. Artemi Panarin travels to where many people expect him to be playing next season. It’ll be interesting to see how he’s received by the Rangers faithful. There’s not a lot of great targets for streaming on either side. Obviously the top line for CBJ and then taking a gamble on either top six line for the Rangers is in play.
Red Wings @ Penguins – The most lopsided game of the night, the Pens are -255. It seems like a bit much, but it’s easy to understand. The main guy to talk about here is Bryan Rust. After one goal in his last 29 games, Rust has 9 goals in his last 7 games. He’s playing with Crosby now making him the top streamer of the night. You can keep holding him as a hot schmotato, just don’t expect it to last. Also, the Penguins blue line is a dumpster fire past Kris Letang (this is why I think -255 is a bit too high). I could see the Larkin line taking advantage, but it’s hard to imagine anyone else on Detroit can. I don’t trust either Pens goalie right now, especially Matt Murray, but whoever starts is a fine DFS option given the high likelihood of a win.
Hurricanes @ Capitals – Two teams that were trending in opposite directions before the break. Andrei Svechnikov has moved onto the top line with Teravainen and Aho. If that sticks, Svechnikov has the potential to have a huge second half. If he’s available in your league, I’d grab him now and see how things unfold over the next week or two. The forwards are finally healthy for Washington. T.J. Oshie has returned to the top line. That means Tom Wilson takes a hit, but I’d still hold for now.
Flyers @ Lightning – The Flyers have really shifted their lines around under Scott Gordon but I don’t think it really changes anyone’s value that much. Carter Hart has been solid but I wouldn’t touch him in this matchup. Ondrej Palat has settled into the LW2 spot with Kucherov and Johnson, along with a spot on the second power play unit. He’s an elite streamer who will push to hold if he can get the shot rate up.
Sabres @ Blues – The Ryan O’Reilly revenge game takes place on Thursday. Right now, the Sabres are a one line team who always care massive potential in DFS. With Alex Pietrangelo down, Colton Parayko has stepped up. Still not a huge fan, but certainly viable. If Jaden Schwartz can stay healthy, it changes the whole dynamic of the Blues offense. Assuming they match up RoR with Eichel, the top line has a fairly big edge against the Sabres, but can they take advantage? It will be interesting to see if Housley tries to get Eichel away from RoR or if he’s fine with the matchup.
Stars @ Predators – Nashville stumbled before the break falling behind the Jets by 4 points having played one more game. The injuries are really piling up, but the good news is that Forsberg should be back in early-December. The big guns are back together in Dallas and be sure to get John Klingberg back in your lineup. Ryan Hartman and Kevin Fiala are currently with Johansen on the first line and PP1 making both quality streamers.
Flames @ Jets – The game of the night in my books, this pits the two top teams in the West in terms of points against each other. The goalies are both in a dangerous spot; play them at your own risk. We know what guys to use on these teams. I will be watching this just to see how they match up with each other.
Wild @ Blackhawks – These are two struggling teams, but given that the Wild still have a positive goal differential, we can expect some improvement. That said, Matt Dumba is out for at least three months which is a devastating blow to the Wild and fantasy teams. I expect Jared Spurgeon to get a big boost to the point that he’s an easy hold. Nothing else has changed for the Wild. Both top six lines make for great options since Cam Ward should be starting. Dylan Strome is an elite streamer playing with Kane and on PP1. Alex DeBrincat has dropped onto the third line, but he’s still on PP1 so I’m holding tight. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him back in the top six quickly.
Canucks @ Oilers – All things considered, this isn’t the worst matchup for the Canucks. Nikolay Goldobin is back with Boeser and Pettersson making him a solid streaming option. The lines have been shuffled in Edmonton, but RNH is back with McJesus and the big winner, Jesse Puljujarvi. I still like Alex Chiasson on the second line as a strong streamer, and Puljujarvi gets a huge boost.
Avalanche @ Golden Knights – J.T. Compher has moved onto the first power play unit making him a top end streaming option. Alex Tuch has moved to RW1 with Reilly Smith moving down. Tuch has been a bit cold after the last couple weeks, but this move solidifies him as a hold for the time being.
Coyotes @ Kings – I don’t even want to talk about this game. Sure, the Kings have won three in a row, but they’re still dead last in the NHL. Arizona’s depth is decimated due to injuries along with Raanta being done. Both goalies will be solid DFS tournament options given the low over-under. If I had to pick a streamer in this game, it would be Alex Iafallo.
Ducks @ Sharks – The Ducks being in a playoff spot is remarkable. John Gibson is my clear Vezina pick right now as nothing on this team is playoff worthy besides him. Erik Karlsson was suspended two games so look for Burns to play around 30 minutes in this game. He’s as safe as they come in DFS.
That’s all for now guys. Please send me any questions, comments or suggestions you have. I’ll be back tomorrow, take care!
