There are only three games tonight to select players from, so the choices become a lot tougher. Let’s take a look and see who belongs in the starting six of your NHL daily fantasy team tonight:
C- Ryan O’Reilly, BUF
O’Reilly will have an extra bit of fire in him tonight as he makes his return to the Pepsi Center in Denver. After several tumultuous contract negotiations, O’Reilly was dealt to the Sabres and handed a monstrous contract extension of which he has earned every penny. He has 39 points in 46 games this season as the Sabres’ leading scorer, and has points in six of his last seven games. O’Reilly is an elite center who plays well regardless of the competition level. He will be a fun player to watch tonight against the Avalanche.
LW- David Perron, ANA
Perron has slid into the second line for Anaheim, plugging the hole left by the departed Carl Hagelin. Perron is historically a better scorer than Hagelin, though his time in Pittsburgh was woefully underwhelming. He scored in his Ducks debut. The Ducks have been getting better production from Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg, though still not at their top potential. Perhaps a game against the Minnesota Wild, who have been in a downward spiral, will spark the offense and Perron. Give him a start tonight.
RW- Matt Duchene, COL
Duchene has been having a career year for the Avalanche. With 22 goals on the year, he is already five goals off his career best. On the right wing with Nathan MacKinnon and Alex Tanguay on his line, Duchene is easily the best generator of shots on team that is terrible at generating shots. He is averaging five shots on goal a game his last three games. The Avs are actually the fifth-highest scoring team in the league despite how badly they are outshot on a consistent basis. Credit goes to Duchene and his 16.3% shooting percentage. As the Avalanche take on the Sabres tonight, Duchene should be a lock at the right wing for your daily fantasy team.
D- Colton Parayko, STL
Colton Parayko is certainly not the most recognizable name on the St. Louis blueline. His performance as a rookie has spoken for itself, though. Parayko has six goals and 13 assists so far this year. He has three assists in his last four games, and ranks in the top 20 in +/-. He has proven himself to be a very valuable asset for a daily fantasy team where most players would sooner gravitate towards teammates Kevin Shattenkirk or Alex Pietrangelo. Take Parayko tonight as the Blues take on the rival Red Wings.
D- Mike Green, DET
Mike Green will be thrust into more of a leadership role on the Red Wings’ blueline now that Niklas Kronwall will be out long-term. He will likely see a spike in ice time and potentially even a bump to the top pairing with Kyle Quincey. He has yet to produce at the same level as he did with Washington. He did notch two assists against Arizona the other night and saw over 22 minutes against Philadelphia. Green will be an interesting player tonight against the Blues. If the Red Wings are to score, which they have not done very often in their last few games, they will need more of a contribution from Green. Put him in your starting six tonight and see if the boost in ice-time can boost his production.
G- John Gibson, ANA
Gibson has hit a bit of a rough patch after getting off to a statistically hot start for Anaheim. The first half was marred by games of no goal support for Gibson. Now, the Ducks have finally put some goals on the board and Gibson has been regressing, allowing three goals in three of his last four games. All the same, his goals-against average is still best in the league at 1.90. He sports a .923 save percentage as well with four shutouts. The Ducks are taking on the Minnesota Wild tonight, who have been shutout in consecutive games. Gibson can, and likely will, hit double-digit wins tonight. Put him between the pipes for your daily fantasy team.
