DraftKings NHL: Friday Playoff Picks

DraftKings NHL: Friday Playoff Picks

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

GOALIE

Tuukka Rask, BOS vs. TOR ($7,900): The Bruins have home-ice advantage and the Flames should survive with their backs against the wall for at least one game, but the Bruins just seem to be the slightly better choice. The Leafs offense is still explosive, but the Avs have buried Mike Smith ($8,000) recently, and it just seems like the Flames could cave at any moment in what's been a postseason of upsets.

CENTER

Nathan MacKinnon, COL at CGY ($7,100): MacKinnon's been ridiculous this series, scoring five points with 24 shots on goal and affirming himself as a top-10 player. The Flames swept the season series but the Avs are ahead 3-1 largely on MacKinnon's back, and few players have carved up the Flames defense like he has. The Avs will continue to lean on MacKinnon heavily, who is averaging 25 minutes per game, the most among forwards in the playoffs.

William Nylander, TOR at BOS ($4,400): Mike Babcock heaped praise on Nylander after he stepped into Nazem Kadri's spot on the third line and produced three shots in 16 minutes of ice time, so despite the loss he will likely keep Nylander in that spot. There's a chance Babcock mixes up the lines, but if anything, Nylander will probably move up the lineup. Depth will be important with the Bruins getting last change on home ice.

WING

Mikko Rantanen, COL at CGY ($5,800): On a night with a ton of elite wingers available, Rantanen's oddly undervalued despite scoring two points in each of his past three games. He doesn't always start with MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog ($6,500) but he ended up playing with them for long stretches in Game 4, playing over 27 minutes in total. The Avs have buried the Flames under a flurry of shots and 13 of those have come from Rantanen's hands over the past two games.

Kasperi Kapanen, TOR at BOS ($4,300): He hasn't registered a single point this series but his line with Auston Matthews and Andreas Johnsson came alive last game, providing three points in a 6-4 loss. It's going to be slightly harder to score on the road, but Kapanen's fired at least three shots on goal in three of the four games, and at some point, the pucks have to start going in. He's a decent value play.  

Danton Heinen, BOS vs. TOR ($3,300): Considering how well the Bruins played on offense last game, there's a chance Heinen stays on the top line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, giving his fantasy value a huge boost. He's carrying a three-game point streak into Game 5 and he has a very good chance to outplay his price tag.

DEFENSE

Morgan Rielly, TOR at BOS ($5,400): He's come alive with three assists at home, and the onus is on him to perform just as well on the road. He is by far the Leafs' most dynamic defenseman, and both his usage and production has increased. He has 15 shots in his past three games, giving him a nice fantasy floor with some upside.

Cale Makar, COL at CGY ($3,800): As long as Makar is below elite-level prices, he's worth taking. He played 20 minutes in just his second career game, both of which were wins, and he has become a second weapon on the blue line after Tyson Barrie ($5,600). The Avs also fired over 50 shots in those two games. The kid gloves are off for Makar, and his upside is tremendous.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason Chen
Jason won the 2021 FSWA Hockey Writer of the Year award, and was also a finalist on 2019. He joined RotoWire in 2013. Jason has also written for Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, The Hockey News, The Hockey Hall of Fame's Legends Magazine, and Centre Ice Magazine.
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