2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs Fantasy Picks
The 2017 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs are set and it’s time to focus again on fantasy hockey. You either won some money during the NHL season or have basically been sitting on the sidelines the last few months because your team was a bust.
You should have been playing Daily Fantasy Hockey at NHL partner DraftKings or top daily fantasy hockey site FanDuel all this time and taken advantage of guys that know nothing about hockey but can’t get enough fantasy sports.
Take advantage of some of the great NHL Hockey Promos happening at both sites. Join both FanDuel and DraftKings and get free entries into fantasy hockey contest for real cash when you make your first deposit to play. We have partnered up with both sites to offer you up these great offers when you join and deposit.
Our NHL Fantasy Hockey Playoff Picks below are geared more towards daily fantasy hockey but we will make some suggestions for guys that are in a full playoff season league also. You may want to check out our NHL Playoff Pool Strategies if you are new to making a team for the playoffs…or if you’ve plain sucked at making teams in the past our tips and strategies could help you become an NHL Fantasy Hockey guru.
2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Fantasy Picks
Forwards
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) – Sid the Kid has been awesome in 2017 and with Evgeni Malkin they will once again be a contender for the Stanley Cup Finals. The loss of Kris Letang on defense will hurt the Penguins and may cost them their shot but take Crosby with confidence that he will score you points (especially at FanDuel) but he may be limited as to how far he and the Penguins get in the playoffs.
Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) – Will the best team in the NHL over the regular season finally make it past the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs? It’s never easy in the NHL but this Capitals team may finally do it. He’s always been a solid playoff performer and given his hunger to win he could breakout this year. He has a solid team behind him so I like the Capitals to be a Stanley Cup finalist in 2017.
Vladimir Tarasenko (St Louis Blues) – Yes he can score and was solid in the playoffs last year and he’s a great DFS play at our affiliate partner DraftKings but I don’t see the St Louis Blues doing much in these playoffs. They may be a decent bet to get out of the 1st round vs. Minnesota Wild but that may be it for them aftyer that.
Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks) – Kane is a fantasy stud. He scores, he gets the assists and the Blackhawks will once again go deep into the playoffs so he will be a great pick for either your daily fantasy hockey lineups or as a picks for the entire playoffs.
Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins) – Should be well rested after serving a two game suspension Marchand has been solid all year. The Bruins squeaked into the playoffs so I don’t know if they’ll survive the first round but look for Marchand in your daily fantasy lineups nonetheless.
Guys to Consider but maybe fade
Conor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) – Conor McDavid – I love McDavid and he will be a star in the NHL for years to come but I worry that in the playoffs that the San Jose Sharks will simply focus on him and his 1st line and make the other Edmonton lines beat them...which won't happen. I think it’s great that the Oilers made the playoffs but I think they are out in the 1st round and McDavid will be suffocated throughout the playoffs.
Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) – Again, the kid is good as are a lot of the Maple Leaf rookies but this is now the playoffs and teams tighten up and mistakes cost games. The Leafs will be facing the Capitals in the 1st round and will simply be outmatched for the playoffs. Let someone else take Matthews, Marner and Nylander and be 1st round fodder for their playoff lineup.
Defensemen
Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks) – Bobby Orr reincarnated with a beard! Burns has cooled off the last few weeks but until then was being discussed at a Hart Trophy candidate. Burns will step in up in the playoffs and give you some great numbers for as long at the Sharks stay in the playoffs in 2017.
Erik Karlsson (Ottawa Senators) – For Daily Fantasy Hockey I like that Karlsson plays more like a forward than a defenseman. He is a pricy pick at FanDuel because he can score you a bunch of fantasy points and I don’t know that Ottawa is making out of the 1st round (they definitely won’t come out of round 2) so he is more of a DFS play than a pick for the entire NHL playoffs.
Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks) – As solid a D-man as they come. Playing for the Blackhawks you know that he’ll be around for a few rounds at least and Chicago isn’t shy about putting the puck into the net. Look for Keith nightly for your daily fantasy lineups.
Kevin Shattenkirk (Washington Capitals) – The Capitals traded for Shattenkirk to make their Stanley Cup run and he’s going to show up on the stat sheet quite a bit these playoffs. He’s a great fantasy pick in all formats for this postseason.
Goalies
Braden Holtby (Montreal Canadiens) – If you believe that the Capitals will finally get out of the early rounds of the playoffs and make a run at it then Holtby is the guy to look for in your goalie slot. He led the NHL in Shutouts and wins and was second in GAA. I think the Capitals will shake this playoff curse and possibly make it to the Stanley Cup Finals this year so Holtby would be the guy to ride if you think the same way.
Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens) – Listen, this is no big secret. The Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs will live and die by how Carey Price plays. He is arguably the best goalie in the NHL and can win games on his own when he’s hot. The Habs have been on fire since their coaching change and should be a force if Price plays like he can. If you believe that he can get hot then he is the goalie to ride for the NHL playoffs.
John Gibson (Anaheim Ducks) – Ultimately I think it will be the Blackhawks playing the Ducks for the chance to play in the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Finals. I think the Ducks are an awesome team and Gibson has been solid all year. He will be ranked lower for salary cap prices at DraftKings than the two above so you can save some salary cap space by picking him and spending on other players.
