Archive for the Fantasy Hockey Category

NHL Fantasy Hockey FanDuel Lineup for May 11, 2013 (Sat-Sun Games)

By on May 11, 2013
This entry is filed under Daily Gaming Recommendations, Fantasy Hockey, Sports Investing.

I’ve literally waited all season to start Tuukka in net.

Playing daily fantasy hockey during the playoffs is a very tricky task. If you want to win on any particular night, you really must hit on the goaltender on a winning team and you have to have at least three goal scorers. In FanDuel, you can win with depth players (who are often the ones who put the puck in the net in the playoffs) that have a high +/- rating for the night, who shoot the puck a ton or are troublemakers.
 
This lineup on FanDuel locks at 7:00pm East / 4:00pm West on Saturday, but covers games on both Saturday and Sunday.
 
What is Daily Gaming?
 
In case you had not noticed, “daily gaming” has made giant strides in the fantasy sports world over the past two years. Daily games in fantasy hockey allow you the opportunity to pick a new team of your favorite players each night. Depending on the type of game you play, you could earn thousands of dollars in any given contest. The best part about this is that, in the majority of U.S. states, it is all legal so you do not have to go around talking about how you risked “jelly beans”.
 
Once you have registered for an account at FanDuel and have deposited $10 using PayPal (and I know that you have spent $10 on worse habits such as buying a case, yes, a case of Schlitz), all you need to do is choose a $1, $2 or $535 matchup in the draft lobby, pick your roster while staying under the $55,000 salary cap, and then sit back and enjoy watching your stats compile all night! I promise that it is a great and fun way to enjoy the NHL action on any given night and a simple way to win some quick cash if you know what you are doing (or if you follow my advice).
 
My 5/11/2013 NHL Lineup (SATURDAY AND SUNDAY GAMES)
 
Now that we have covered the basics, below is the lineup that I will use tonight in a $109 game and a handful of 50/50 games to ensure some payout, which has been my strategy over the past two and a half weeks. More often than not, I have finished inside the top 25 in these 50/50 games and while the payout is small, it somewhat hedges your cash in your head-to-head matchup if you happen to face a shark in any given day. Just to be clear, I play in 50 player 50/50 games as it is much easier, in my opinion, to finish in the top 25 than it is to finish in the top 50% of a smaller 50/50 game. That said, I do roll out the cash for the larger payout 50/50s if I feel great about my squad.
 
On with the lineup:
 
LW: Milan Lucic ($4,300)
LW: Carl Hagelin ($4,000)
RW: Pascal Dupuis ($7,600)
RW: Johan Franzen ($4,600)
C: Sidney Crosby ($9,000)
C: David Krejci ($4,400)
D: Kris Letang ($7,400)
D: Mike Green ($4,800)
G: Tuukka Rask ($8,600)
 
Salary remaining: $300.
 
This lineup is being set early Saturday for a 7pm lock so please check back before the lock tonight. The trick here to ensure that (a) you are starting a goalie who is confirmed, whether it is in a game on Saturday or Sunday, and (b) dig deep and find depth or role players who you think can make an impact in his team’s game so that you can fit the higher-priced players in your lineup. The only game on Saturday features the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting the New York Islanders with a moneyline seemingly fixed at -166 in favor of the visiting. Interestingly enough, both the public and sharps agree in how the game will swing, with each just above two-thirds on the Penguins. On Sunday, at a -135 ML, the Rangers are favored at Madison Square Garden, which is no shock, especially considering that they are at home and the Capitals have struggled to score against the King. The momentum has clearly shifted to the Rangers after having won the last two games in the series by a 2-1 score in OT. The Rangers (must like the Bruins) have a balanced scoring attack and the Capitals seem to only get goals from role players. It is for this reason that I cannot spend $10,300 to get Alex Ovechkin in my lineup. As for the Bruins and Leafs game 6 in Toronto, Boston currently sits at -130 road favorites, but, as of this writing, the public is just about split on the outcome of the game and the sharps are about 60% on the Bruins. Lastly, in Anaheim, the Duck are -133 favorites. The last three games of this series have finished with overtime goals. The sharps and public are each split (close to 50%) on the outcome of the game. I tend to side with the team that won game six in OT playing in front of a goalie that has not had a day off since March.
 
As I set this lineup well before the games are played in any given night, please make sure you check my Twitter timeline close to the first puck drop to see if I have made any swaps. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, as always, the one item that I have not yet nailed down as of this posting is which netminder I want in my lineup. This is the one item that I may change prior to the lock and I do my best to make the change at least 15 minutes before the first puck drops.
 
Access to FanDuel
 
With our new partnership with FanDuel, you get to reap some of the rewards as a loyal reader of FantasyTrade411.com. If you click-through here and sign up for a new account with FanDuel, you will receive free money on your deposit when you put in the promo code “FT411″.  Thus, when you enter the promo code, you will receive an extra $5 for a $10 deposit; a $10 bonus for a $25 deposit; a $20 bonus for a $100 deposit; and a $30 bonus for a $200 deposit.
 
No matter how well you are doing in this shortened 2012-2013 fantasy hockey season thus far, it is never too late to head over to FanDuel, draft a new team for tonight’s NHL action and enjoy watching the games!
 
A 23-year fantasy sports veteran and a California and New York licensed corporate attorney by day, I am the managing editor/senior writer/general counsel of FantasyTrade411.com. I am also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a contributor to FantasyPros.com and TheFakeHockey.com. Please feel free to contact me at any time on twitter @TheTonyM with your fantasy sports questions. Be sure to listen to my podcast “Sports Counseling with the Doc and Slim” with my radio partner, Michael Clifford (aka @SlimCliffy) on the Fantasy Trade 411 Radio Network.

NHL Fantasy Hockey FanDuel Lineup for May 9, 2013

By on May 9, 2013
This entry is filed under Daily Gaming Recommendations, Fantasy Hockey, Sports Investing.

The man with the softest hands in the NHL will help the Hawks clinch the series.

Playing daily fantasy hockey during the playoffs is a very tricky task. If you want to win on any particular night, you really must hit on the goaltender on a winning team and you have to have at least three goal scorers. In FanDuel, you can win with depth players (who are often the ones who put the puck in the net in the playoffs) that have a high +/- rating for the night, who shoot the puck a ton or are troublemakers.
 
This lineup on FanDuel locks at 7:00pm East / 4:00pm West.
 
What is Daily Gaming?
 
In case you had not noticed, “daily gaming” has made giant strides in the fantasy sports world over the past two years. Daily games in fantasy hockey allow you the opportunity to pick a new team of your favorite players each night. Depending on the type of game you play, you could earn thousands of dollars in any given contest. The best part about this is that, in the majority of U.S. states, it is all legal so you do not have to go around talking about how you risked “jelly beans”.
 
Once you have registered for an account at FanDuel and have deposited $10 using PayPal (and I know that you have spent $10 on worse habits such as buying a case, yes, a case of Schlitz), all you need to do is choose a $1, $2 or $535 matchup in the draft lobby, pick your roster while staying under the $55,000 salary cap, and then sit back and enjoy watching your stats compile all night! I promise that it is a great and fun way to enjoy the NHL action on any given night and a simple way to win some quick cash if you know what you are doing (or if you follow my advice).
 
My 5/9/2013 NHL Lineup (LATE)
 
Now that we have covered the basics, below is the lineup that I will use tonight in a $109 game and a handful of 50/50 games to ensure some payout, which has been my strategy over the past two and a half weeks. More often than not, I have finished inside the top 25 in these 50/50 games and while the payout is small, it somewhat hedges your cash in your head-to-head matchup if you happen to face a shark in any given day. Just to be clear, I play in 50 player 50/50 games as it is much easier, in my opinion, to finish in the top 25 than it is to finish in the top 50% of a smaller 50/50 game. That said, I do roll out the cash for the larger payout 50/50s if I feel great about my squad.
 
On with the lineup:
 
LW: Patrick Kane ($7,500)
LW: Brandon Saad ($4,400)
RW: Pascal Dupuis ($7,600)
RW: Brendan Gallagher ($4,000)
C: Sidney Crosby ($8,900)
C: Alex Galchenyuk ($3,300)
D: Kris Letang ($7,100)
D: Duncan Keith ($4,400)
G: Corey Crawford ($7,800)
 
Salary remaining: $400.
 
As noted above, in order to win on playoff daily fantasy hockey, you have to hit on at least one team you believe will win the game and then take that team’s confirmed netminder. Tonight, I believe the Blackhawks close out the series against the visiting Wild and, for that reason, Corey Crawford is in my lineup. The early moneyline was set at a gaudy -265 in favor of the home team and the early sharps are heavily backing that the Blackhawks put the Wild to rest. The most intriguing matchup of the night has got to be the Islanders visiting the Penguins. The Islanders and Penguins are knotted at 2-2 in the series and have taken the team bus west to Pittsburgh. With the momentum on the Islanders’ side and with Tomas Vokoun confirmed in net, even with the sharps all over the -205 moneyline, I am unsure who wins this game, but I believe that the Penguins find just enough heart to win. Even if the Penguins choke, I assure you that the over of 6 hits. Finally, the -127 moneyline favors a Montreal team coming home after a tough loss in Ottawa that included a questionable “kick” goal by Mike Zibanejad. I think the Canadians take this game and am willing to roll out a few Habs who I think will help put pucks in the net.
 
As I set this lineup well before the games are played in any given night, please make sure you check my Twitter timeline close to the first puck drop to see if I have made any swaps. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, as always, the one item that I have not yet nailed down as of this posting is which netminder I want in my lineup. This is the one item that I may change prior to the lock and I do my best to make the change at least 15 minutes before the first puck drops.
 
Access to FanDuel
 
With our new partnership with FanDuel, you get to reap some of the rewards as a loyal reader of FantasyTrade411.com. If you click-through here and sign up for a new account with FanDuel, you will receive free money on your deposit when you put in the promo code “FT411″.  Thus, when you enter the promo code, you will receive an extra $5 for a $10 deposit; a $10 bonus for a $25 deposit; a $20 bonus for a $100 deposit; and a $30 bonus for a $200 deposit.
 
No matter how well you are doing in this shortened 2012-2013 fantasy hockey season thus far, it is never too late to head over to FanDuel, draft a new team for tonight’s NHL action and enjoy watching the games!
 
A 23-year fantasy sports veteran and a California and New York licensed corporate attorney by day, I am the managing editor/senior writer/general counsel of FantasyTrade411.com. I am also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a contributor to FantasyPros.com and TheFakeHockey.com. Please feel free to contact me at any time on twitter @TheTonyM with your fantasy sports questions. Be sure to listen to my podcast “Sports Counseling with the Doc and Slim” with my radio partner, Michael Clifford (aka @SlimCliffy) on the Fantasy Trade 411 Radio Network.

NHL 2013 Playoff Fantasy Hockey Rankings

By on April 29, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Hockey.

Well, the time is here.

It's been 20 years, guys. A bit too long.

It’s been 20 years, guys. A bit too long.

 

The greatest tournament in all of professional sports is set to begin tomorrow (April 30th). From the brink of a cancelled season through to the condensed and shortened regular season, the last six months have been one hell of a roller coaster. I hope you all found success in your regular season NHL fantasy leagues.

 

The playoffs are a different beast. Every game is played like it is do-or-die – even the New Jersey/Florida series last year was edge-of-your-seat entertaining – and you will see guys leaping through the air to block a frozen rubber puck with their face in hopes to do something to help their team. You will see 40+ save goaltending performances leading a team that was badly outplayed to victory in the game, maybe even in the series.

 

For this reason, there are some things I should probably let you in on when it comes to playoff fantasy hockey:

 

  1. The key to winning playoff fantasy leagues is stacking your team with players off of three or four teams you think will get to the Conference finals. You want to avoid teams that will probably lose in the first round until very late in your draft (looking at you, Islanders). The reason is becomes games played matter. For example: John Tavares was nearly a point-per-game player this year. However, if his team loses in five games to Pittsburgh (or even a sweep), the most you can realistically expect from him is 4-5 points. For comparison’s sake, Ryan Carter, Stephen Gionta and Steve Bernier were New Jersey’s fourth line during their Cup run last year; they each had seven points. So in this sense, a guy like Andrew Shaw (Chicago’s third line center) is a better pick than John Tavares. 
  2. Almost all playoff fantasy hockey leagues are points-only (goals and assists). It’s very rare to find a roto playoff league just because of roster-size issues. Also, head-to-head is non-existent. The VAST majority of leagues are drafts or salary cap leagues that only take points into account.
  3. Goaltending is at a premium. You really want a goalie you think will get to at least their Conference finals. Waiting on drafting a goalie and getting stuck with Nicklas Backstrom (MIN) is not ideal. While it depends on the league you’re in and how goalies are scored, an elite goalie on an elite team like Tuukka Rask can be as valuable as an Evgeni Malkin or Jonathan Toews.
  4. Points are points are points. A guy like Kris Letang (D-PIT) is much more valuable than even someone like Ryan Kesler (C-VAN). Don’t get caught up in the ‘I need forwards’ trap. They’re all points at the end of the day and there are probably only 4-5 elite point-producing defensemen that will probably get to their respective Conference finals.
  5. If you think the regular season was bad for teams hiding injuries, the playoffs are much, much worse. Guys like Sidney Crosby, Nathan Horton and Cory Schneider will have almost no information with regards to their injuries divulged. In this sense, there is risk attached. If Schneider misses the first two games of the San Jose series and Luongo lets in one goal in those two games, don’t expect Schneider back in the pipes any time soon.
  6. I have Pittsburgh and Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals with Chicago against Los Angeles in the West. I’m focusing on these four teams for my draft picks. After that, I’m looking at Detroit, Vancouver, New York Rangers and Montreal players. After that, it’s the rest of the first round teams.
  7. Finally, anything can happen in playoffs. The number eight seed in the West won the Stanley Cup last year. The 2010 Montréal Canadiens were one of the worst teams to make the postseason in recent memory and they beat Washington (The #1 seed in the East) and Pittsburgh (then-defending Stanley Cup champions) in the first two rounds. If you thought small sample sizes wrecked your regular season fantasy hockey, wait until you draft seven Los Angeles Kings players and they get beat out by St. Louis (which is very, very possible).

 

With all that being said, here are my forward/defense/goalie rankings (I have 120 F, 40 D and 16 G ranked):

 

Forwards

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 4
Evgeni Malkin (PIT) Tyler Seguin (BOS) Jaromir Jagr (BOS) Henrik Zetterberg (DET)
James Neal (PIT) Brad Marchand (BOS) Nathan Horton (BOS)* Pavel Datsyuk (DET)
Chris Kunitz (PIT) Justin Williams (LA) Pascal Dupuis (PIT) Johan Franzen (DET)
Anze Kopitar (LA) Sidney Crosby (PIT)* Henrik Sedin (VAN) Max Pacioretty (MTL)
Jeff Carter (LA Jarome Iginla (PIT) Daniel Sedin (VAN) David Desharnais (MTL)
Jonathan Toews (CHI) Michal Handzus (CHI) Alex Burrows (VAN) Brendan Gallagher (MTL)
Patrick Kane (CHI) Brandon Saad (CHI) Rick Nash (NYR) Brandon Sutter (PIT)
Marian Hossa (CHI) Dustin Brown (LA) Brad Richards (NYR) Rich Peverley (BOS)
Patrick Sharp (CHI) Mike Richards (LA) Ryan Callahan (NYR) Milan Lucic (BOS)
Patrice Bergeron (BOS) David Krejci (BOS) Derek Stepan (NYR) Brenden Morrow (PIT)

Tier 5

Tier 6

Tier 7

Tier 8
Tyler Kennedy (PIT) Ryan Kesler (VAN) Michael Ryder (MTL) Joe Thornton (SJ)
Chris Kelly (BOS) Derek Roy (VAN) Brian Gionta (MTL) Logan Couture (SJ)
Jussi Jokinen (PIT) Chris Higgins (VAN) Alex Ovechkin (WSH) Patrick Marleau (SJ)
Viktor Stalberg (CHI) Mats Zuccarello (NYR) Nick Backstrom (WSH) Ryan Getzlaf (ANA)
Kyle Clifford (LA) Carl Hagelin (NYR) Marcus Johansson (WSH) Corey Perry (ANA)
Dustin Penner (LA) Derick Brassard (NYR) Phil Kessel (TOR) Bobby Ryan (ANA)
Bryan Bickell (CHI) Valtteri Filppula (DET) Tyler Bozak (TOR)* Zach Parise (MIN)
Andrew Shaw (CHI) Justin Abdelkader (DET) James Van Riemsdyk (TOR) Mikko Koivu (MIN)
Jarret Stoll (LA) Daniel Cleary (DET) Joffrey Lupul (TOR) Charlie Coyle (MIN)
Matt Cooke (PIT) Tomas Plekanec (MTL) Nazem Kadri (TOR) Chris Stewart (STL)

Tier 9

Tier 10

Tier 11

Tier 12
Andy McDonald (STL) David Perron (STL) Dwight King (LA) Frans Nielsen (NYI)
David Backes (STL) Mike Ribeiro (WSH) Trevor Lewis (LA) Kyle Okposo (NYI)
John Tavares (NYI) Troy Brouwer (WSH) Mason Raymond (VAN) Josh Bailey (NYI)
Matt Moulson (NYI) Martin Erat (WSH) Jannik Hansen (VAN) Jordan Nolan (LA)
Brad Boyes (NYI) Joe Pavelski (SJ) Maxim Lapierre (VAN) Brad Richardson (LA)
Daniel Alfredsson (OTT) Brent Burns (SJ) Tyler Toffoli (LA) Shawn Thornton (BOS)
Kyle Turris (OTT) Teemu Selanne (ANA) Colin Greening (OTT) Tanner Glass (PIT)
Milan Michalek (OTT) Saku Koivu (ANA) Gregory Campbell (BOS) Craig Adams (PIT)
Patrik Berglund (STL) Devin Setoguchi (MIN) Daniel Paille (BOS) Marcus Kruger (CHI)
Alex Steen (STL) Matt Cullen (MIN) Nikolai Kulemin (TOR) Michael Frolik (CHI)

 

Defense

 

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Tier 4
Kris Letang (PIT) P.K. Subban (MTL) Erik Karlsson (OTT) Ryan McDonagh (NYR)
Drew Doughty (LA) Andrei Markov (MTL) Mike Green (WSH) Brendan Smith (DET)
Slava Voynov (LA) Nick Leddy (CHI) Alex Pietrangelo (STL) Sheldon Souray (ANA)
Paul Martin (PIT) Alex Edler (VAN) Kevin Shattenkirk (STL) Justin Braun (SJ)
Duncan Keith (CHI) Dan Hamhuis (VAN) Ryan Suter (MIN) Michael Del Zotto (NYR)
Matt Niskanen (PIT) Niklas Kronwall (DET) Dan Boyle (SJ) Cody Franson (TOR)
Jake Muzzin (LA) Jakub Kindl (DET) Nik Hjalmarsson (CHI) Sergei Gonchar (OTT)
Brent Seabrook (CHI) Dan Girardi (NYR) Francois Beauchemin (ANA) Mark Streit (NYI)
Zdeno Chara (BOS) Dougie Hamilton (BOS) Jason Garrison (VAN) Michal Rozsival (CHI)
Dennis Seidenberg (BOS) Raphael Diaz (MTL) Dion Phaneuf (TOR) Kevin Bieksa (VAN)

 

Goalies 

 

Tier 1

Tier 2
Marc-André Fleury (PIT) Brian Elliott (STL)
Jonathan Quick (LA) Braden Holtby (WSH)
Tuukka Rask (BOS) Jonas Hiller (ANA)
Corey Crawford (CHI) James Reimer (TOR)
Henrik Lundqvist (NYR) Craig Anderson (OTT)
Carey Price (MTL) Antti Niemi (SJ)
Cory Schneider (VAN)* Niklas Backstrom (MIN)
Jimmy Howard (DET) Evgeni Nabokov (NYI)

*notes injured players who may return shortly but injuries are difficult to predict

** UPDATE: Crosby may be cleared to play by doctors today. If that’s the case, he and Malkin are 1A and 1B

You’ll notice a few things about these rankings:

 

  • A lot of my rankings are sorted by teams and by lines. This is why the first three players on my board are Pittsburgh’s top line and Alex Ovechkin doesn’t appear until Tier 7. 
  • These lines can be very fluid. Kyle Clifford (F-LAK) has been playing with Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter lately, a premium placement for a typically fourth line player. If Los Angeles loses their first two games and have only scored two goals total, don’t expect him to stay on that line. When teams are desperate, so are the coaches. They will try anything to “shake things up”.
  • Brent Burns is in Tier 10 for forwards. He’s a defenseman that has been playing up front a lot this year with Joe Thornton. If he’s available as a defenseman in your league, this could be a sneaky play.
  • Remember what I said about Tavares and games played? That’s really most applicable for expected first-round losers, it is not a steadfast rule. So if it comes down to you picking Tyler Toffoli or Matt Moulson, go with Toffoli. But if it comes down to Rick Nash and Tomas Plekanec, take the best player (Nash).

 

Wouldn't mind seeing this again, if only to see Iginla raise the Cup.

Wouldn’t mind seeing this again, if only to see Iginla raise the Cup.

 

Hopefully this is helpful for you. These aren’t just guesses I’m throwing out there (although in reality, they are educated guesses), this is based off things like health of the team, record against their opponent(s) and possession statistics. This last point is important. The best indicator that we have of who will win a playoff series is possession statistics. Why? Because possession numbers give us who has the best probability of winning a single game. When we’re talking about playoffs, small sample sizes rule. So in that sense, we’re not looking for guarantees (there no guarantees in fantasy sports anyway), just probability. Also in that graphic is this: Four out of the last five Stanley Cup winners were plus-possession teams (the exception was Pittsburgh in 2009 and no one should be shocked by that).

 

Again, it’s an indicator, not a guarantee. New Jersey had the third-best Fenwick Close% (in a nutshell, Fenwick Close% is a team’s possession percentage when the score is tied or within a goal) in the NHL this year and failed to make playoffs. You will notice, however, that other top teams in Fenwick Close% include Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston.

 

Good luck in your fantasy hockey playoff leagues and you can always reach me on Twitter for your fantasy hockey questions!

Fantasy Hockey Is Not Quite Over….

By on April 27, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Hockey and tagged , , , .

Unlimited chances anyone? Fantasy hockey fans have postseason options. (File Photo)

Unlimited chances anyone? Fantasy hockey fans have postseason options. (File Photo)

 

Hello everyone! As we wind down the fantasy hockey season, there is at least some hope for the owner who may start to feel the withdrawal symptoms. We will get to that later. First off, let’s get to the current events.

 

ESPN Screws The Stat Pooch Again……

 

I could not believe this either. Apparently Ryan Miller found a way to get a shutout tonight in ESPN Fantasy Hockey. Yes we understand that errors happen but this is the third time I have seen this in the last week. The scary part is this keeps happening with little signs or hopes of correction. For the sake of brevity, here is our evidence.

 

The Phunky Buddaz - Free Fantasy Hockey - ESPN

 

Now do you see that 1 under the shutout (SO) column? That is correct err incorrect I should say. Just imagine if you are the owner who thinks a shutout has been bestowed upon them only to quickly find out that it is not so. Granted, all of the panic can be settled quickly but that initial fear one way or the other does cause some upset stomachs. If you need the Pepto Bismol, we do understand. Is this going to happen again? Of course this is almost destined to show up somewhere on your fantasy bottom lines. You have been warned.

Playoffs spark hope for fantasy owners!

 

Yes there are several sites that are cooking up a little fantasy hockey postseason style. We are going to spotlight one right now. First and foremost, we present ESPN’s Fantasy Playoff Hockey Challenge. Naturally, someone had to take a little spin with the interface just to see what it was like.

 

Here are the basics straight from ESPN’s mouth.

The Basics

 

You pick a team of six forwards, four defensemen and two goaltenders under a fantasy budget of $100 million. That team scores you goals, assists, wins and shutout bonuses to carry you to glory. Goals are worth a point, assists are worth a point, wins are worth two points, and goaltenders and defensemen get a bonus point for a shutout.

 

Selecting a team of stars should be relatively easy as the game begins with most forwards drawing a salary just under $9 million, the top defensemen just under $8 million and the goaltenders peaking at $11 million. Do the math and you will notice you are just shy of being able to ice a roster of all the top players in the league. While that may be true, it’s not always the top players in the league who excel in the playoffs.

 

You get to swap out your team after the first round of the playoffs and again after the conference semifinals, but you don’t get to trade out the team after the conference finals. In other words, there is no harm in selecting players from teams that get eliminated in the first or second rounds. But when the playoffs are pared down to the four teams vying for a trip to the Stanley Cup finals, that is your final roster lock. There are no limits to the swapping as long as you stay under $100 million. In theory, you could have 36 different players on your roster during the entirety of the Playoff Hockey Challenge.

 

As you can see, it looks fairly straightforward but again the playoffs often thrust the spotlight on the unexpected. That has to be emphasized over and over again. I will be creating a 12 man entry this weekend. Don’t worry! We will have it up on the site here to scrutinize soon enough. Yes just when the season is over, a new contest begins. It really is a sign that fantasy hockey is becoming more and more involved. With a two month playoff, this could almost have a shortened season like feel.

 

Remember, you can always follow me @ChrisWasselTHW for the latest fantasy hockey news and more. Thanks again for reading and stay tuned for further updates.

NHL Fantasy Hockey FanDuel Lineup for April 27, 2013 (EARLY)

By on April 27, 2013
This entry is filed under Daily Gaming Recommendations, Fantasy Hockey, Sports Investing.

Hey, Vanilla Ice, have you seen Patrick Kane?

After a very strange night in the NHL in a short slate, let’s see what we can do with a full docket of games with a few teams playing for either playoff spots or better seedings.
 
This lineup on FanDuel locks at 3:00pm East / 12:00pm West. It is for all games today, but just locks early.
 
What is Daily Gaming?
 
In case you had not noticed, “daily gaming” has made giant strides in the fantasy sports world over the past two years. Daily games in fantasy hockey allow you the opportunity to pick a new team of your favorite players each night. Depending on the type of game you play, you could earn thousands of dollars in any given contest. The best part about this is that, in the majority of U.S. states, it is all legal so you do not have to go around talking about how you risked “jelly beans”.
 
Once you have registered for an account at FanDuel and have deposited $10 using PayPal (and I know that you have spent $10 on worse habits such as buying a case, yes, a case of Schlitz), all you need to do is choose a $1, $2 or $535 matchup in the draft lobby, pick your roster while staying under the $55,000 salary cap, and then sit back and enjoy watching your stats compile all night! I promise that it is a great and fun way to enjoy the NHL action on any given night and a simple way to win some quick cash if you know what you are doing (or if you follow my advice).
 
My 4/27/2013 NHL Lineup (EARLY)
 
Now that we have covered the basics, below is the lineup that I will use tonight in a $109 game and a handful of 50/50 games to ensure some payout, which has been my strategy over the past two and a half weeks. More often than not, I have finished inside the top 25 in these 50/50 games and while the payout is small, it somewhat hedges your cash in your head-to-head matchup if you happen to face a shark in any given day. Just to be clear, I play in 50 player 50/50 games as it is much easier, in my opinion, to finish in the top 25 than it is to finish in the top 50% of a smaller 50/50 game. That said, I do roll out the cash for the larger payout 50/50s if I feel great about my squad.
 
On with the lineup:
 
LW: Joffrey Lupul ($7,500)
LW: Carl Hagelin ($4,700)
RW: Johan Franzen ($5,500)
RW: Martin St. Louis ($7,100)
C: Henrik Zetterberg ($6,660)
C: Nazem Kadri ($6,900)
D: Jay Bouwmeester ($3,700)
D: Brent Burns ($5,300)
G: Jimmy Howard ($7,700)
 
Salary remaining: $0.
 

    UPDATE

– Turns out many of the key Blackhawks are not playing today, so I had to shuffle up the lineup.
 
On the final full day of NHL action (with one game being played tomorrow), we have a few intriguing matchups and a handful of other games that are meaningless. The most important game, in my opinion, has to be the Red Wings facing the Dallas Stars on the road. My anchor tonight has got to be Jimmy Howard in a must-win situation. This would be Howard’s 15th consecutive start and with the Red Wings needing just 1 more point to clinch a playoff berth, looking for Howard to, at the very least, get an OT loss. I am also loading up on Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg as they should lead the way to a win as -125 moneyline road favorites. I also chose a pair of Penguins (Iginla and Letang) as the Penguins, who should get both LW James Neal and D Paul Martin back today, will look to gear up into playoff form. The team will want a game to gel before they, hopefully, get their captain back for the first round of the playoffs next week. I went with Carl Hagelin of the Rangers with Patrick Kane (no explanation needed). The Rangers, who have clinched a playoff berth, as the 8th seed, can actually win the 6th spot in they beat the hated NJ Devils and the Ottawa Senators (who are getting healhty themselves at the right time) cannot close the point gap over its final two games (today and tomorrow in the makeup game against the Bruins.
 
As I set this lineup well before the games are played in any given night, please make sure you check my Twitter timeline close to the first puck drop to see if I have made any swaps. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, as always, the one item that I have not yet nailed down as of this posting is which netminder I want in my lineup. This is the one item that I may change prior to the lock and I do my best to make the change at least 15 minutes before the first puck drops.
 
Access to FanDuel
 
With our new partnership with FanDuel, you get to reap some of the rewards as a loyal reader of FantasyTrade411.com. If you click-through here and sign up for a new account with FanDuel, you will receive free money on your deposit when you put in the promo code “FT411″.  Thus, when you enter the promo code, you will receive an extra $5 for a $10 deposit; a $10 bonus for a $25 deposit; a $20 bonus for a $100 deposit; and a $30 bonus for a $200 deposit.
 
No matter how well you are doing in this shortened 2012-2013 fantasy hockey season thus far, it is never too late to head over to FanDuel, draft a new team for tonight’s NHL action and enjoy watching the games!
 
A 23-year fantasy sports veteran and a California and New York licensed corporate attorney by day, I am the managing editor/senior writer/general counsel of FantasyTrade411.com. I am also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a contributor to FantasyPros.com and TheFakeHockey.com. Please feel free to contact me at any time on twitter @TheTonyM with your fantasy sports questions. Be sure to listen to my podcast “Sports Counseling with the Doc and Slim” with my radio partner, Michael Clifford (aka @SlimCliffy) on the Fantasy Trade 411 Radio Network.

NHL Fantasy Hockey FanDuel Lineup for April 26, 2013

By on April 26, 2013
This entry is filed under Daily Gaming Recommendations, Fantasy Hockey, Sports Investing.

One of my favorite FanDuel starts this NHL season.

Let’s keep the streak up! A tough slate to handicap in the NHL this  evening with just four uninspiring games on the docket. Let’s dig in.
 
This lineup on FanDuel locks at 7:00pm East / 4:00pm West.
 
What is Daily Gaming?
 
In case you had not noticed, “daily gaming” has made giant strides in the fantasy sports world over the past two years. Daily games in fantasy hockey allow you the opportunity to pick a new team of your favorite players each night. Depending on the type of game you play, you could earn thousands of dollars in any given contest. The best part about this is that, in the majority of U.S. states, it is all legal so you do not have to go around talking about how you risked “jelly beans”.
 
Once you have registered for an account at FanDuel and have deposited $10 using PayPal (and I know that you have spent $10 on worse habits such as buying a case, yes, a case of Schlitz), all you need to do is choose a $1, $2 or $535 matchup in the draft lobby, pick your roster while staying under the $55,000 salary cap, and then sit back and enjoy watching your stats compile all night! I promise that it is a great and fun way to enjoy the NHL action on any given night and a simple way to win some quick cash if you know what you are doing (or if you follow my advice).
 
My 4/26/2013 NHL Lineup
 
Now that we have covered the basics, below is the lineup that I will use tonight in a $109 game and a handful of 50/50 games to ensure some payout, which has been my strategy over the past two and a half weeks. More often than not, I have finished inside the top 25 in these 50/50 games and while the payout is small, it somewhat hedges your cash in your head-to-head matchup if you happen to face a shark in any given day. Just to be clear, I play in 50 player 50/50 games as it is much easier, in my opinion, to finish in the top 25 than it is to finish in the top 50% of a smaller 50/50 game. That said, I do roll out the cash for the larger payout 50/50s if I feel great about my squad.
 
On with the lineup:
 
LW: Patrick Sharp ($6,300)
LW: Zach Parise ($7,700)
RW: Shane Doan ($4,900)
RW: Drew Stafford ($4,100)
C: Jonathan Toews ($8,300)
C: John Tavares ($7,800)
D: Duncan Keith ($4,600)
D: Oliver Ekman-Larsson ($4,000)
G: Corey Crawford ($7,300)
 
Salary remaining: $0.
 
Of the four games on tonight’s short slate, in looking at the Vegas lines, I am most confident that the Blackhawks (as home favorites with a current money line of -242) can secure a win over the visiting Calgary Flames. The Flames have nothing to play for and the Blackhawks are going to be fine-tuning their skills as they head into the playoffs going away as the top seed in the Western Conference (and won their second President’s Trophy in the storied-franchise’s history). The Hawks are 10-1-2 in their last 13 games and have won both games against the Flames this season. I really like the Coyotes tonight at home against the Avalanche and Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s value has actually dropped since his last game even though he produced 3.1 fantasy points. At $4,000, he is a bargain, which allows me to splurge elsewhere. Another Coyote who continues to produce and has a lower-end price tage is RW Shane Doan, who plays on the team’s first line with Radim Vrbata and Marty Hanzal. Another team I am focused on is the Minnesota Wild who are actually still in the running for a playoff berth for the first time in 5 years despite a 4-7-1 record in April. Look for the Wild to win this game by a 4-2 score with its top two lines leading the way. Roughly ¾ of the sharps on are the Wild at home at -221.
 
As I set this lineup well before the games are played in any given night, please make sure you check my Twitter timeline close to the first puck drop to see if I have made any swaps. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, as always, the one item that I have not yet nailed down as of this posting is which netminder I want in my lineup. This is the one item that I may change prior to the lock and I do my best to make the change at least 15 minutes before the first puck drops.
 
Access to FanDuel
 
With our new partnership with FanDuel, you get to reap some of the rewards as a loyal reader of FantasyTrade411.com. If you click-through here and sign up for a new account with FanDuel, you will receive free money on your deposit when you put in the promo code “FT411″.  Thus, when you enter the promo code, you will receive an extra $5 for a $10 deposit; a $10 bonus for a $25 deposit; a $20 bonus for a $100 deposit; and a $30 bonus for a $200 deposit.
 
No matter how well you are doing in this shortened 2012-2013 fantasy hockey season thus far, it is never too late to head over to FanDuel, draft a new team for tonight’s NHL action and enjoy watching the games!
 
A 23-year fantasy sports veteran and a California and New York licensed corporate attorney by day, I am the managing editor/senior writer/general counsel of FantasyTrade411.com. I am also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a contributor to FantasyPros.com and TheFakeHockey.com. Please feel free to contact me at any time on twitter @TheTonyM with your fantasy sports questions. Be sure to listen to my podcast “Sports Counseling with the Doc and Slim” with my radio partner, Michael Clifford (aka @SlimCliffy) on the Fantasy Trade 411 Radio Network.

NHL Fantasy Hockey FanDuel Lineup for April 25, 2013

By on April 25, 2013
This entry is filed under Daily Gaming Recommendations, Fantasy Hockey, Sports Investing.

Nice tuxedo. Now please put the puck in the net.

We started a fresh streak last night with a cash in yet another short slate of NHL games. Let’s keep ‘er rolling! I noticed that the number of you who played my lineup last night was significantly smaller than it has been. That meant there were ties of 19 people across 10 different games! Obviously, whether you play this or not is your choice. I am just here to help.Good luck!
 
This lineup on FanDuel locks at 7:00pm East / 4:00pm West.
 
What is Daily Gaming?
 
In case you had not noticed, “daily gaming” has made giant strides in the fantasy sports world over the past two years. Daily games in fantasy hockey allow you the opportunity to pick a new team of your favorite players each night. Depending on the type of game you play, you could earn thousands of dollars in any given contest. The best part about this is that, in the majority of U.S. states, it is all legal so you do not have to go around talking about how you risked “jelly beans”.
 
Once you have registered for an account at FanDuel and have deposited $10 using PayPal (and I know that you have spent $10 on worse habits such as buying a case, yes, a case of Schlitz), all you need to do is choose a $1, $2 or $535 matchup in the draft lobby, pick your roster while staying under the $55,000 salary cap, and then sit back and enjoy watching your stats compile all night! I promise that it is a great and fun way to enjoy the NHL action on any given night and a simple way to win some quick cash if you know what you are doing (or if you follow my advice).
 
My 4/25/2013 NHL Lineup
 
Now that we have covered the basics, below is the lineup that I will use tonight in a $109 game and a handful of 50/50 games to ensure some payout, which has been my strategy over the past two and a half weeks. More often than not, I have finished inside the top 25 in these 50/50 games and while the payout is small, it somewhat hedges your cash in your head-to-head matchup if you happen to face a shark in any given day. Just to be clear, I play in 50 player 50/50 games as it is much easier, in my opinion, to finish in the top 25 than it is to finish in the top 50% of a smaller 50/50 game. That said, I do roll out the cash for the larger payout 50/50s if I feel great about my squad.
 
On with the lineup:
 
LW: Carl Hagelin ($5,000)
LW: Taylor Pyatt ($3,100)
RW: Jakub Voracek ($6,600)
RW: Pascal Dupuis ($7,700)
C: Evgeni Malkin ($8,200)
C: Henrik Zetterberg ($6,900)
D: Kris Letang ($7,200)
D: Marc Methot ($3,500)
G: Brian Elliott ($6,800)
 
Salary remaining: $0.
 
After a 4-game evening, it seems almost overwhelming to have to select a FanDuel lineup from eleven games. I started setting the lineup with my goalie. I had two options. Jimmy Howard – he won last night and the Red Wings will continue to attempt to win their final two games of the season to assure a playoff berth. I did not worry about the moneyline here. Howard knows the team has to win and I am sure he will handle business against the Nashville Predators. Next up is Brian Elliott who is 9-2-0 with a 1.33 GAA and .947 SV% in April and faces a weak Calgary Flames team. I eventually went with Elliott who comes with a price tag that is $1100 cheaper than Howard. I love the Stars on home ice, but I do not want anything to do with them against a hungry Blue Jackets team fighting for its much needed playoff spot. There are a few solid matchups today, but due to the fact that FanDuel penalizes a team for minuses, I am going to try and stay away from mathcups that I believe may be high-scoring.
 
As I set this lineup well before the games are played in any given night, please make sure you check my Twitter timeline close to the first puck drop to see if I have made any swaps. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, as always, the one item that I have not yet nailed down as of this posting is which netminder I want in my lineup. This is the one item that I may change prior to the lock and I do my best to make the change at least 15 minutes before the first puck drops.
 
Access to FanDuel
 
With our new partnership with FanDuel, you get to reap some of the rewards as a loyal reader of FantasyTrade411.com. If you click-through here and sign up for a new account with FanDuel, you will receive free money on your deposit when you put in the promo code “FT411″.  Thus, when you enter the promo code, you will receive an extra $5 for a $10 deposit; a $10 bonus for a $25 deposit; a $20 bonus for a $100 deposit; and a $30 bonus for a $200 deposit.
 
No matter how well you are doing in this shortened 2012-2013 fantasy hockey season thus far, it is never too late to head over to FanDuel, draft a new team for tonight’s NHL action and enjoy watching the games!
 
A 23-year fantasy sports veteran and a California and New York licensed corporate attorney by day, I am the managing editor/senior writer/general counsel of FantasyTrade411.com. I am also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a contributor to FantasyPros.com and TheFakeHockey.com. Please feel free to contact me at any time on twitter @TheTonyM with your fantasy sports questions. Be sure to listen to my podcast “Sports Counseling with the Doc and Slim” with my radio partner, Michael Clifford (aka @SlimCliffy) on the Fantasy Trade 411 Radio Network.

NHL Fantasy Hockey FanDuel Lineup for April 24, 2013

By on April 24, 2013
This entry is filed under Daily Gaming Recommendations, Fantasy Hockey, Sports Investing.

The Red Wings’ playoff chances are backstopped by this guy.

Well, all things must come to an end and last night was a very disappointing night for the NHL lineup that I posted yesterday. Let’s start a fresh streak tonight with yet another short slate of NHL games.
 
This lineup on FanDuel locks at 7:00pm East / 4:00pm West.
 
What is Daily Gaming?
 
In case you had not noticed, “daily gaming” has made giant strides in the fantasy sports world over the past two years. Daily games in fantasy hockey allow you the opportunity to pick a new team of your favorite players each night. Depending on the type of game you play, you could earn thousands of dollars in any given contest. The best part about this is that, in the majority of U.S. states, it is all legal so you do not have to go around talking about how you risked “jelly beans”.
 
Once you have registered for an account at FanDuel and have deposited $10 using PayPal (and I know that you have spent $10 on worse habits such as buying a case, yes, a case of Schlitz), all you need to do is choose a $1, $2 or $535 matchup in the draft lobby, pick your roster while staying under the $55,000 salary cap, and then sit back and enjoy watching your stats compile all night! I promise that it is a great and fun way to enjoy the NHL action on any given night and a simple way to win some quick cash if you know what you are doing (or if you follow my advice).
 
My 4/24/2013 NHL Lineup
 
Now that we have covered the basics, below is the lineup that I will use tonight in a $109 game and a handful of 50/50 games to ensure some payout, which has been my strategy over the past two and a half weeks. More often than not, I have finished inside the top 25 in these 50/50 games and while the payout is small, it somewhat hedges your cash in your head-to-head matchup if you happen to face a shark in any given day. Just to be clear, I play in 50 player 50/50 games as it is much easier, in my opinion, to finish in the top 25 than it is to finish in the top 50% of a smaller 50/50 game. That said, I do roll out the cash for the larger payout 50/50s if I feel great about my squad.
 
On with the lineup:
 
LW: Brandon Saad ($6,200)
LW: Patrick Marleau ($5,900)
RW: Johan Franzen ($6,100)
RW: Joe Pavelski ($5,500)
C: Jonathan Toews ($8,900)
C: Valtteri Filppula ($4,000)
D: Brent Burns ($5,800)
D: Oliver Ekman-Larsson ($4,400)
G: Jimmy Howard ($7,900)
 
Salary remaining: $300.
 
Of the four games on tonight’s short slate, in looking at the Vegas lines, I am most confident that the Red Wings (as home favorites with a current money line of -131) can secure a win over the visiting Los Angeles Kings. While the teams have split the season series, the Red Wings, who are sitting in 9th place in the Western Conference (one point behind the surging Columbus Blue Jackets) and are currently on the outside of the playoff bubble looking in, have much to play for tonight. With one game in hand over Columbus, the Red Wings can clinch a 22nd straight playoff appearance by winning each of their last three games. My take is that the Red Wings win tonight against a Kings team that just lost to the Minnesota Wild 2-1 last night and my sentiment is backed by the fact that roughly 80% of the sharps are behind the Red Wings at the -131 moneyline. Along with Jimmy Howard in net, I am rolling out both Johan Franzen and Valtterri Filppula with the former centering the later on the team’s second line. I am also starting a pair of San Jose Sharks on the road in Phoenix. The numbers and moneyline (-141 in favor of the Coyotes), but the Sharks are looking to secure home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.  Both Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau have been posted solid FanDuel lines over the last five games and I look for that to continue tonight.
 
As I set this lineup well before the games are played in any given night, please make sure you check my Twitter timeline close to the first puck drop to see if I have made any swaps. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, as always, the one item that I have not yet nailed down as of this posting is which netminder I want in my lineup. This is the one item that I may change prior to the lock and I do my best to make the change at least 15 minutes before the first puck drops.
 
Access to FanDuel
 
With our new partnership with FanDuel, you get to reap some of the rewards as a loyal reader of FantasyTrade411.com. If you click-through here and sign up for a new account with FanDuel, you will receive free money on your deposit when you put in the promo code “FT411″.  Thus, when you enter the promo code, you will receive an extra $5 for a $10 deposit; a $10 bonus for a $25 deposit; a $20 bonus for a $100 deposit; and a $30 bonus for a $200 deposit.
 
No matter how well you are doing in this shortened 2012-2013 fantasy hockey season thus far, it is never too late to head over to FanDuel, draft a new team for tonight’s NHL action and enjoy watching the games!
 
A 23-year fantasy sports veteran and a California and New York licensed corporate attorney by day, I am the managing editor/senior writer/general counsel of FantasyTrade411.com. I am also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a contributor to FantasyPros.com and TheFakeHockey.com. Please feel free to contact me at any time on twitter @TheTonyM with your fantasy sports questions. Be sure to listen to my podcast “Sports Counseling with the Doc and Slim” with my radio partner, Michael Clifford (aka @SlimCliffy) on the Fantasy Trade 411 Radio Network.

NHL Fantasy Hockey FanDuel Lineup for April 23, 2013

By on April 23, 2013
This entry is filed under Daily Gaming Recommendations, Fantasy Hockey, Sports Investing.

The Swede makes his way into my LU for the first time.

It was a good evening for you if you rolled my NHL lineup last night. I saw that it cashed quite handsomely for many of you. Let’s keep up the hard work.
 
This lineup on FanDuel locks at 7:00pm East / 4:00pm West.
 
What is Daily Gaming?
 
In case you had not noticed, “daily gaming” has made giant strides in the fantasy sports world over the past two years. Daily games in fantasy hockey allow you the opportunity to pick a new team of your favorite players each night. Depending on the type of game you play, you could earn thousands of dollars in any given contest. The best part about this is that, in the majority of U.S. states, it is all legal so you do not have to go around talking about how you risked “jelly beans”.
 
Once you have registered for an account at FanDuel and have deposited $10 using PayPal (and I know that you have spent $10 on worse habits such as buying a case, yes, a case of Schlitz), all you need to do is choose a $1, $2 or $535 matchup in the draft lobby, pick your roster while staying under the $55,000 salary cap, and then sit back and enjoy watching your stats compile all night! I promise that it is a great and fun way to enjoy the NHL action on any given night and a simple way to win some quick cash if you know what you are doing (or if you follow my advice).
 
My 4/23/2013 NHL Lineup
 
Now that we have covered the basics, below is the lineup that I will use tonight in a $109 game and a handful of 50/50 games to ensure some payout, which has been my strategy over the past two and a half weeks. More often than not, I have finished inside the top 25 in these 50/50 games and while the payout is small, it somewhat hedges your cash in your head-to-head matchup if you happen to face a shark in any given day. Just to be clear, I play in 50 player 50/50 games as it is much easier, in my opinion, to finish in the top 25 than it is to finish in the top 50% of a smaller 50/50 game. That said, I do roll out the cash for the larger payout 50/50s if I feel great about my squad.
 
On with the lineup:
 
LW: Alexander Ovechkin ($9,900)
LW: Jussi Jokinen ($4,700)
RW: Jaromir Jagr ($6,900)
RW: Pascal Dupuis ($7,700)
C: Bryan Little ($4,900)
C: Marcus Johansson ($4,600)
D: Jay Bouwmeester ($4,000)
D: Grant Clitsome ($4,200)
G: Henrik Lundqvist ($7.900)
 
Salary remaining: $200.
 
In looking at the matchups today, I feel as thought my best chance of picking a confirmed goalie on the winning team has to be the King. The Rangers are playing for a spot in the playoffs and should continue to put the puck in the net against a hapless Panthers team, who has nothing to play for. With an early -222 moneyline, not only are the Rangers road favorites, but nearly 75% of the sharps are with the line this high. The public actually favors the Rangers a bit more and I think the line settles at -217. As for my skaters, I started building (after Lundqvist) with cheap defensemen who have been putting up fantasy points. I then moved on to start Ovie who has come back down under the $10,000 price point. I am honestly not sure why he came down $300 in salary as he produced in his last game. At -168, the Capitals are favored, but I do see Winnipeg scoring more goals today than they did last night. My value play of the night has to be Marcus Johansson who actually is the LW on the Capitals 1st line along with Backstrom and Ovechkin.
 
As I set this lineup well before the games are played in any given night, please make sure you check my Twitter timeline close to the first puck drop to see if I have made any swaps. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, as always, the one item that I have not yet nailed down as of this posting is which netminder I want in my lineup. This is the one item that I may change prior to the lock and I do my best to make the change at least 15 minutes before the first puck drops.
 
Access to FanDuel
 
With our new partnership with FanDuel, you get to reap some of the rewards as a loyal reader of FantasyTrade411.com. If you click-through here and sign up for a new account with FanDuel, you will receive free money on your deposit when you put in the promo code “FT411″.  Thus, when you enter the promo code, you will receive an extra $5 for a $10 deposit; a $10 bonus for a $25 deposit; a $20 bonus for a $100 deposit; and a $30 bonus for a $200 deposit.
 
No matter how well you are doing in this shortened 2012-2013 fantasy hockey season thus far, it is never too late to head over to FanDuel, draft a new team for tonight’s NHL action and enjoy watching the games!
 
A 23-year fantasy sports veteran and a California and New York licensed corporate attorney by day, I am the managing editor/senior writer/general counsel of FantasyTrade411.com. I am also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a contributor to FantasyPros.com and TheFakeHockey.com. Please feel free to contact me at any time on twitter @TheTonyM with your fantasy sports questions. Be sure to listen to my podcast “Sports Counseling with the Doc and Slim” with my radio partner, Michael Clifford (aka @SlimCliffy) on the Fantasy Trade 411 Radio Network.

NHL Fantasy Hockey FanDuel Lineup for April 22, 2013

By on April 22, 2013
This entry is filed under Daily Gaming Recommendations, Fantasy Hockey, Sports Investing.

Ladd is a hockey player.

Not many of my games filled over the weekend so I am not quite sure how we did yesterday. I do know that Saturday’s lineups should have finished in the money. As the NHL season winds down, you may not be able to get a guaranteed game in a 50/50 unless you register the night before with a dummy lineup.
 
This lineup on FanDuel locks at 7:00pm East / 4:00pm West.
 
What is Daily Gaming?
 
In case you had not noticed, “daily gaming” has made giant strides in the fantasy sports world over the past two years. Daily games in fantasy hockey allow you the opportunity to pick a new team of your favorite players each night. Depending on the type of game you play, you could earn thousands of dollars in any given contest. The best part about this is that, in the majority of U.S. states, it is all legal so you do not have to go around talking about how you risked “jelly beans”.
 
Once you have registered for an account at FanDuel and have deposited $10 using PayPal (and I know that you have spent $10 on worse habits such as buying a case, yes, a case of Schlitz), all you need to do is choose a $1, $2 or $535 matchup in the draft lobby, pick your roster while staying under the $55,000 salary cap, and then sit back and enjoy watching your stats compile all night! I promise that it is a great and fun way to enjoy the NHL action on any given night and a simple way to win some quick cash if you know what you are doing (or if you follow my advice).
 
My 4/22/2013 NHL Lineup
 
Now that we have covered the basics, below is the lineup that I will use tonight in a $109 game and a handful of 50/50 games to ensure some payout, which has been my strategy over the past two and a half weeks. More often than not, I have finished inside the top 25 in these 50/50 games and while the payout is small, it somewhat hedges your cash in your head-to-head matchup if you happen to face a shark in any given day. Just to be clear, I play in 50 player 50/50 games as it is much easier, in my opinion, to finish in the top 25 than it is to finish in the top 50% of a smaller 50/50 game. That said, I do roll out the cash for the larger payout 50/50s if I feel great about my squad.
 
On with the lineup:
 
LW: Andrew Ladd ($7,100)
LW: Jussi Jokinen ($4,700)
RW: Jarome Iginla ($5,700)
RW: Corey Perry ($7,900)
C: Bryan Little ($4,900)
C: Jonathan Toews ($8,900)
D: Brent Seabrook ($4,400)
D: Matt Niskanen ($3,900)
G: Jimmy Howard ($6,500)
 
Salary remaining: $100.
 
I am anchoring my lineup with the low-priced Jimmy Howard. With the early moneyline set at -140, the sharps are heavily favoring the Red Wings at home. I will use the goaltender that I believe has the best shot at winning. The fact that he is so cheap (compared to Viktor Fasth and Corey Crawford) is just icing on the cake. I am stacking my lineup with a handful of Jets. Until someone can stop them from piling up goals, I simply cannot sit them. Facing the Sabres on the road does nothing to sway me from sitting them. In fact, the Jets are road favorites with a -113 moneyline. I actually think the Sabres have a shot at winning, but I will take the over in this game. That said, Jhonas Enroth, the confirmed Sabres’ goalie, has won his last two starts, but his saver percentage and goals against average is not superb.
 
As I set this lineup well before the games are played in any given night, please make sure you check my Twitter timeline close to the first puck drop to see if I have made any swaps. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, as always, the one item that I have not yet nailed down as of this posting is which netminder I want in my lineup. This is the one item that I may change prior to the lock and I do my best to make the change at least 15 minutes before the first puck drops.
 
Access to FanDuel
 
With our new partnership with FanDuel, you get to reap some of the rewards as a loyal reader of FantasyTrade411.com. If you click-through here and sign up for a new account with FanDuel, you will receive free money on your deposit when you put in the promo code “FT411″.  Thus, when you enter the promo code, you will receive an extra $5 for a $10 deposit; a $10 bonus for a $25 deposit; a $20 bonus for a $100 deposit; and a $30 bonus for a $200 deposit.
 
No matter how well you are doing in this shortened 2012-2013 fantasy hockey season thus far, it is never too late to head over to FanDuel, draft a new team for tonight’s NHL action and enjoy watching the games!
 
A 23-year fantasy sports veteran and a California and New York licensed corporate attorney by day, I am the managing editor/senior writer/general counsel of FantasyTrade411.com. I am also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a contributor to FantasyPros.com and TheFakeHockey.com. Please feel free to contact me at any time on twitter @TheTonyM with your fantasy sports questions. Be sure to listen to my podcast “Sports Counseling with the Doc and Slim” with my radio partner, Michael Clifford (aka @SlimCliffy) on the Fantasy Trade 411 Radio Network.

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