NHL Picks: DraftKings Fantasy Hockey DFS Cheat Sheet for Lightning vs Avalanche on June 15

Wednesday includes Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final and a slate of unique NHL games, which begins at 8 p.m. ET on DraftKings. In this article you will find DFS tips for DraftKings Waiting lines.

Define your DraftKings fantasy hockey rosters here: NHL CFS $100,000 puck drop [$20K to 1st]

Captain’s Choice

Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche vs. Tampa Bay Lightning ($16,200)

Judging by how the Avalanche have come out in their previous Game 1s, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to side with the forwards tonight. Colorado presents itself as a decent -155 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook and with a total of implied goals of 3.4, almost 0.6 more goals than Tampa. Despite being the most expensive player on the slate, chasing better values ​​could only land us in trouble in Game 1. MacKinnon has been a more complete player in the playoffs, with ‘just’ 18 points in 14 games so far, but expect his physical presence could very well make him more than Tampa’s line of control Bay can’t handle it. Betting on a big Game 1 for MacKinnon means you can put tons of competition in the rearview mirror if Colorado wins big and is effectively eliminated.

Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning at Colorado Avalanche ($13,800)

Andrei Vasilevskiy ($15,000 CP; $10,000) will likely be a popular captain’s choice for those leaning towards the Tampa Bay team in Game 1, but the goaltender has had his troubles on the road in this playoff, posting save percentages well below .900 in games 1 and 2 against the Rangers. If Tampa Bay wins Game 1, it seems likely they’ll have to do it by scoring in groups and that will likely mean a massive game from Kucherov, who lead the Lightning with 23 playoff points. It’s also worth noting that Kucherov saw a lot of production on the power play (five of his seven goals came with the man advantage), which could be a big factor in this series as Colorado was the 11th most penalized team in 2021-22 and has sometimes shown weakness on the penalty kill. Kucherov makes for a good pivot on the probably very well-held Tampa Bay goaltender, and a nice top-tier value target at Captain as well.

Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche vs. Tampa Bay Lightning ($13,200)

If we slide down the list for Colorado, the forward who can probably match MacKinnon on the inside is Rantanen. The Finnish striker is set to play as a second-line center tonight and is developing some chemistry with his compatriot Artturi Lehkonen ($9,000 CP; $6,000). Rantanen has goals in four straight games and could very well escape Tampa Bay’s line of control led by Anthony Cirelli ($9,600 CP; $6,400). Rantanen is a good way to continue the high score narrative, but give yourself more room in the lineup.

Flexible options

Andre Burakovsky, Colorado Avalanche vs. Tampa Bay Lightning ($2,000)

With Nazim Kadri’s injury opening a top-six hole for the Avalanche, Burakovsky is a player we should expect to see more top-six minutes in this series — and in Game 1. the second line and has shown this year that when he is in a top six role he is a dangerous player for fantasy (especially when cheap). The Russian has had a slow playoff so far and hasn’t scored since the Nashville series, but don’t be shocked if Burakovsky ends up being a key player for the Avalanche. He’s scored at just under 0.75 ppg this year and has also been dangerous on the power play in the regular season where he could get a run early in this series as well. At the bare minimum, there’s almost no reason not to put it in the queues.

Ondrej Palat, Tampa Bay Lightning at Colorado Avalanche ($6,600)

Whichever side you think will take Game 1, Palat looks like an easy value target if you can sneak him into the flex point. He is back alongside two of the best players in the world in Nikita Kucherov ($13,800 CP; $9,200) and Steven Stamkos ($12,900 CP; $8,600) and drove in seven runs in the last four games against the Rangers. Although he is sometimes bypassed on the power play, the even-strength opportunity is too good to pass up, especially for a player in this good shape. Any big night from Tampa Bay’s front row should see Palat pay that price handsomely.

Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning at Colorado Avalanche ($3,400)

Tampa Bay’s second line was a big part of their progress in the playoffs. Hagel has been a dream addition for the Bolts and has played over 16 minutes in each of the last two games against Rangers. He should see plenty of ice time again tonight as Tampa Bay again looks to deploy its line of control against Colorado’s top two units. Hagel has produced a decent number of even-strength scoring chances and is also averaging 3.0 shots on net over his last four games. Any point in real life will likely see him more than pay that cheap salary and he’s getting better opportunities than almost any Tampa Bay forward who isn’t top tier right now.

stacking

Mikko Rantanen ($8,800) – Andre Burakovsky ($2,000) – Artturi Lehkonen ($6,000)

As we mentioned above, Tampa Bay’s line of control will likely be a crucial factor in this series. While stopping MacKinnon is a monumental task (which may prove too daunting in the end), looking for Colorado’s second line in Game 1 of this series to take advantage of not being up against the line. Cirelli is something that should interest us. all three either in the flex with either Rantanen or Lehkonen at Captain opens up space to stack multiple studs elsewhere and gives you a great correlation for the home favorite side tonight.

Define your DraftKings fantasy hockey rosters here: NHL CFS $100,000 puck drop [$20K to 1st]

I’m a promoter at DraftKings and I’m also an avid fan and user (my username is wavegoodbye) and may occasionally play on my personal account in the games I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal views on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the views of DraftKings and are not a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment to create queues. I can also deploy different players and strategies than those I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.

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