This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Julius Caesar may have needed to beware the Ides of March, but the only thing you need to be wary of is a bad daily fantasy lineup. Also maybe the weather, depending on where you live. There are four NHL games Wednesday, and here are some players I particularly like from this slate.
GOALIE
Brian Elliott, CGY vs. BOS ($7,800): Elliott has picked up a win in nine straight games, so the Flames should have no problem rolling him out again. He hasn't just been winning: In his last eight contests, the veteran netminder has a 1.35 GAA and .956 save percentage. Boston is a tough opponent even for a red-hot team, but there's reason to like this matchup for Calgary a little more than you might expect. Anton Khudobin will be starting for the Bruins in this one, and he's only posted a 2.76 GAA and .895 save percentage. That increases Elliott's chance of picking up his 10th straight win.
CENTER
Nathan MacKinnon, COL vs. DET ($5,600): MacKinnon has never had any problems putting the puck on the net ever since the Avalanche made him the first overall pick; this year, he's tallied 215. His 6.5 shooting percentage has hurt his fantasy value a bit, and yet he's still averaged 3.3 fantasy points per game. The Wings have allowed 3.01 goals per game, and even though they've gotten Jimmy Howard back from injury, they've allowed 30.6 shots on goal on average, so there's room for MacKinnon to reward your investment Tuesday night.
Frans Nielsen, DET at COL ($4,300): The Wings' offense has been iffy, but Colorado's defense may cure what ails them. They've allowed a league-worst 3.25 goals per game while surrendering 32.1 shots on net per game. Nielsen has not always had an easy go of it in his first season with the Wings, but his new team has at least put him in favorable positions. He's started 39.6 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, third among Detroit skaters. Additionally, he's notched five points in his last 10 games, tallying 27 shots on goal in that time. Nielsen comes at a rather cheap price to boot.
WING
Conor Sheary, PIT at PHI ($6,500): Sheary has been on a tear since returning from injury. He's tallied eight points in six games, and he's managed a whopping 15 shots in his last two contests. These are the perks of being Sidney Crosby's linemate. The Flyers have allowed 2.94 goals per game, and their goalies have a collective .897 save percentage, including Steve Mason and his .905 mark. That shouldn't concern the scintillating Sheary terribly.
Wayne Simmonds, PHI vs. PIT ($6,100): Simmonds has started 38.0 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, which is tops among Philly forwards. He's made the most of that, registering a hefty 48 shots on goal in the last 13 games. Simmonds has put six of those shots in the net, giving him 28 goals in 68 contests. Pittsburgh has given up 32.5 shots on goal per game, fourth-most in the NHL. That should mean Simmonds gets to remain busy, which is good for his owners. On top of that, the Penguins have the 20th-ranked penalty kill, and Simmonds has a robust 22 power-play points.
Gustav Nyquist, DET at COL ($4,700): Nyquist has had bad puck luck (6.7 shooting percentage), but there's still a little time left for that to turn around. He's started 35.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, and he's averaged 2:52 per game on the power play, so the opportunity is there. The results have been there recently as well. In his last 20 games, Nyquist has five goals and 12 assists, and he's tallied 46 shots on net. As noted, the Avs have given up more goals than any other team, and they also have the 24th-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSE
Mark Giordano, CGY vs. BOS ($5,100): Since the Bruins are starting Khudobin, this matchup makes Giordano more enticing. The veteran has notched 30 points, including 12 on the power play, and now he gets to square off with a goalie who has an .895 save percentage. Meanwhile, Boston also tops the league in shot attempts per 60 minutes (61.9) and Giordano has 154 blocked shots in 69 games. He should have opportunities to block a few more against the Bruins.
Tyson Barrie, COL vs. DET ($4,500): Barrie is averaging a career-high 23:18 per game and starting 37.0 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. That's the most of any Colorado player who has played more than 350 minutes. He's also played 3:09 a night on the power play, and while he's only notched eight power-play points this season, he had 21 last year (and 16 the year prior). Howard has had a good year, but he's only played once since an extended absence. In fact, he's only played in 18 games this year, and he hasn't finished with a save percentage better than .910 in the past three seasons. Given how poorly the Wings played defensively while Howard was out as well as the fact that they have nothing left to play for and were sellers at the deadline, and there's still reason to like Barrie regardless of who's in net for Detroit.
