It’s Friday, and that means some big NHL DFS contests on DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo. This five-game slate has a lot of traps but some risky rewards too. Let’s get into some top NHL DFS picks for Friday, 8/14/20, including Nathan MacKinnon, Anthony Beauvillier, and Carey Price along with some completely different ideas.
There are five games on this slate which locks at 2:00 p.m. EST. Also, please keep in mind Eastern Conference games are being played in Toronto and Western Conference games in Edmonton.
NHL DFS Power Plays: Friday, August 14th
NHL DFS Picks: Centers
Brock Nelson — NYI vs WSH — ($5,200 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel)
It remains a moderate-risk play but Nelson finds way to meet then exceed value. He has done so in three of his last four postseason games. His mid-priced projection helps here and is cheaper than going up to Mathew Barzal who can be risky sometimes (lower floor). New York remains a team that is underpriced because most think of them as more defensive threats than offensive. Playing a depleted Washington team should be a boost. Nelson excels against Washington and has exceeded value in four of the previous five meetings.
Among the value centers, Dylan Strome and even Alexander Kerfoot are players to look at.
Nathan MacKinnon — COL vs ARZ — ($8,500 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel)
For now, MacKinnon enjoys nice point potential and has some personal motivation on Friday. He was held without a shot in Game 1 and scoring chances he created were quite low too. That will not sit well with a center who is wired like he is. Arizona’s defense was not all that stout either and Colorado was able to generate plenty of chances up and down the lineup. It’s just a matter of time. Also, it is not like MacKinnon had a disaster of a Game 1 as he had two assists.
Some have asked about the Washington Capitals center situation and it is best to just stay away with the higher risk (Nicklas Backstrom OUT). Sam Bennett from Calgary is a reasonable punt on the back end of a back to back against a tired Dallas team. With both teams sluggish, the game should slow down enough to Bennett’s liking. Nazem Kadri is a lower-priced alternative from Colorado if one does not want to spend up for MacKinnon.
NHL DFS Picks: Wingers
T.J. Oshie — WSH vs NYI — ($5,200 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel)
It is nice to know that some players are tailor made for the postseason. Oshie is just one of those wingers that excels on the power play. If the Islanders are going to keep taking penalties then the Washington winger will keep finding those spots. He has three goals in his last two games — including two on the power play. The Capitals’ man advantage is still more than formidable and the focus will be all over Alexander Ovechkin. Oshie could still sneak under the radar a tiny bit. That DraftKings price is even more attractive considering his shot output has been around four in the last couple games.
Keep an eye on this game. Like others tonight, it should hit the over. This seems an over kind of game even given the motivation that Washington has after the Anders Lee hit on Nicklas Backstrom.
J.T. Miller — VAN vs STL — ($6,100 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel)
Lost in the chaos that has been the bubble is the fact that Miller has been just as consistent in the postseason as he was in the regular season. He had a goal and assist in the 5-2 Game 1 win over St. Louis. Though Vancouver is not great at 5 on 5 play (less than 43% possession), it is what they do when they have the puck that should scare the Blues. Their transition game is just lethal enough. That increases Miller’s value because of his above average vision on the ice and deceptive first stride. Hey, that wrist shot is pretty good too. Consider how shaky St. Louis’ goaltending has been and Vancouver players become more of an option.
To save a few more bucks, look at choices like David Perron, Anthony Beauvillier, and Tom Wilson It expects to be a chaotic slate full of middle six scoring from unexpected sources again. The playoffs are filled with those kind of heroes to your slate. Punt choices may include Corey Perry and Milan Lucic. What year is this?  2012?
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more great Awesemo content.
NHL DFS Picks: Defensemen
Miro Heiskanen— DAL vs CGY — ($5,000 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel)
The secret is out. Well, it was out for awhile as Heiskanen is Dallas’ best defenseman by a country mile. He has an incredible floor and shot. His knack of getting pucks on net goes up when the pace goes up in the game. It is why for better or for worse, tonight is another good matchup. Expect more mistakes on the back end of a back to back which should lead to more opportunities. Dallas cannot play conservative considering Calgary can strike quickly. Heiskanen is ridiculously fast and adept at creating. Those skills should serve him well and his price Is still low enough to mitigate any risk.
Also, consider Jeff Petry as he should bounce back from an awful Game 1. Then, there is Ryan Pulock who is higher priced on this slate but could provide the same upside.
Cale Makar — COL vs ARZ — ($6,100 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel)
This is a moderate risk play on Friday, as Jones is a solid value on FanDuel yet risky on DraftKings. The problem is not knowing how well Darcy Kuemper will gum things up for the Colorado offense. Look at how great Kuemper was before giving way in the third period. Colorado expects to have more success along with Makar who had a subpar Game 1. The Colorado power play has to be mindful of Arizona short-handed but Makar is mobile enough to offset most of those chances. He needs to create more and then the opportunities should come.
Also, consider Quinn Hughes and even Colton Parayko. Both are risks but expect to benefit as “secondary” options on this slate.
Stacks for DraftKings + FanDuel
NYI 2 — Josh Bailey – Anthony Beauvillier – Brock Nelson
This is still an inexpensive line given their production and Washington has shown few answers against them as well. In Game 1, this line created so much that arguably they could have scored four or five goals. With the Capitals the way they are as a team defensively. this Islanders second line generates a lot of speed that Washington cannot match. Expect more chances to keep on coming on Friday night in Game 2.
VAN 2 — Bo Horvat – Tanner Pearson – ?
This is a solid duo that has excelled at generating chances with whomever their right-winger is. They both will see some power play time as well. The key here is the versatility in plugging in a third period whether it be one of Vancouver’s defenseman or going somewhere else. Most will concentrate on the top Vancouver line but the middle six is sometimes a good place to be on these slates.
