DraftKings NHL: Friday Picks

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Updated on December 7, 2018 2:26PM EST

GOALIE

John Gibson, ANA vs. CAR ($8,200): He is sixth in the league in even-strength save percentage at .931 and won four of his past six appearances, including a 33-save performance last Friday in Carolina. The Hurricanes fire a lot of shots but they've been having trouble scoring recently with just five goals in five games. Gibson's obviously seeing the puck very well right now and a lot of the Hurricanes' shots are from the blue line, which tend to be lower-danger areas.

CENTER

Mark Scheifele, WPG vs. STL ($7,400): Scheifele is an elite scoring center playing with one of the best wingers in Blake Wheeler, and he's a point-per-game player against the Blues in his career. Nikolaj Ehlers has bounced back from a tough start and scored 13 points in his past 15 games, giving Scheifele another option on offense. The Blues are an easy target with inconsistent goaltending and a defense that's lacky quality depth and the team captain.

Lucas Wallmark, CAR at ANA ($3,700): The Hurricanes essentially run two second lines, but between Victor Rask ($3,800) and Wallmark, the latter has a bit more upside and also comes slightly cheaper. Wallmark's scored 10 points in 15 games after scoring just one point in 12 games to start the season, and his ice time has increased steadily. His season high is 17:14 last month against the Blues, and if Jordan Staal does not play, Wallmark may set another season high.

WING

Mikael Granlund, MIN at EDM ($5,600): Granlund scored five points in three games prior to a shutout loss to Calgary, and at his current rate, he will have his first 70-point season. The Oilers have been much better defensively under Ken Hitchcock, but Cam Talbot has yet to really turn it around.

Pontus Aberg, ANA vs. CAR ($5,400): The Ducks may have found a gem in Aberg from the pile of discarded wingers they've collected. A highly-touted goal scorer at the time of his draft, Aberg is now playing for his third team in two seasons. In 24 games, he's scored nine goals — already a career high — and has three goals and two assists in his last three contests.

Daniel Sprong, ANA vs. CAR ($3,000): Even if you think Sprong got lucky scoring in his Ducks debut from a low-percentage area and a near-impossible angle, the big takeaway is that he played more than 13 minutes. He's looking to reset after falling out of favor in Pittsburgh, and he's getting his chance in Anaheim. Sprong is an even bigger gamble than Pontus Aberg, but his upside is higher.

DEFENSE

Jacob Trouba, WPG vs. STL ($5,200): If Dustin Byfuglien, Josh Morrissey, Dmitry Kulikov and Joe Morrow miss another game, Trouba is in for another long night, having played over 28 minutes in two of his past three games. He should be able to garner fantasy points from all categories.

Sami Niku, WPG vs. STL ($2,900): Paired with Trouba against the Isles, Niku skated over 19 minutes, which was a career high. The Jets are missing too many bodies on defense and were forced to throw the rookie into the fire, but the seventh-round pick scored 54 points in 76 games in the AHL last season. His offensive upside is easy to see, and now it's a matter of taking advantage of his opportunities.

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.