
Good Saturday NHL fans, this week I am going to provide some details on how you can crush your daily leagues by selecting the best defenseman.
Here's a look at a few key factors to consider when selecting defenseman for your daily lineups. Forwards do most of the scoring scoring in the sport of hockey, but defenseman can add value when choosing them correctly for daily fantasy. Choosing wisely is a balance of cost and reward.
Tonight I usually have 5 to 10 daily fantasy lineups on FanDuel to keep me entertained and watching to the wee hours of the night. All players' costs are based on FanDuel, my preferred site.
Player Cost
Do some quick research to see how your pick will contribute to the points you need to compete, contend and cash-in in your leagues. With the top players comes top salaries, but should you purchase a high-end D man at a cost where you can get a high-end forward? Spending $6000 to $7000 on a high-end defenseman is risky at best, although they may average the same FPPG as a forward it might not be the wisest way to use your budget. For example, on Saturday's evening card there are 10 games, creating a lot of choices and adding to the challenge of spending your budget the best way possible.
I am looking at these two players for one of my nightly plays which I believe make a good combination for cost and risk.
Devon Toews of the Colorado Avalanche, averaging 13.8 FPPG at a cost of $4800, is a solid pick at the right price. The pairing Devon with Alec Martinez of the Vegas Golden Knights is a risk, but allows me to spend less on Defenseman and more on forwards. Alex is averaging 12.5 FPPG and, at a cost of $4100, is great value.
Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings provides a nice combination of scoring and cost-control. With an average of 13.2 FPPG and a cost of $6000, Drew is a perfect combination with Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes. Jakob is averaging 13.8 FPPG and his cost is a value at $4500. So putting these two players together at a total cost of $10,500 looks to be a solid spend for two defenseman.