The Shot Dude: Back to Basics
Every once in a while, the best course of action is to revisit methods used successfully in the past.
Your favorite Shot Dude has done just that by cranking up the Shot-O-Meter to see who's leading the NHL in launching.
Based on my findings, I've brought along my best player recommendations for your fantasy roster. You can catch a glimpse of the five-game NHL schedule by using the always precise Bovada data tool located on our Home page:
The experts at FanDuel have a great variety of fantasy games, so make them your next stop.
Forwards
Vladimir Tarasenko, St Louis ($8100) ... currently ranks seventh in the NHL with 168 shots this season. Dude's shown great consistency lately by taking 4 per game in 6 of his last 10. With 45 points in 46 games played, this rushin' Russian is not only hard to slow down, he's ranked fifth league-wide in points. Pittsburgh visits St Louis tonight with a mediocre 10-9-3 road record and winners of just 4 of their last 10 contests.
Taylor Hall, Edmonton ($7700) ... has been even better with 181 shots, but has registered a few less points with 42, also in 46 games. Hall gets over 20 minutes of ice time per game, and with 32 penalty minutes accrued, dude's a good candidate to help your FanDuel score by spending some time in the naughty box. The Oilers were winners against Calgary last time out and will face Florida tonight. Not only has Florida lost three consecutive contests, but they've looked sluggish, being outscored 12-3 in those games.
Jack Eichel, Buffalo ($5700) ... has taken the 17th-most shots in the league to date with 141, which leads all rookie skaters. Dude's chipped in 27 points, with 8 of those coming on the power play, while averaging just under 19 minutes on the ice per game. The Sabres took down mighty Washington last game and have a respectable 9-9-2 road record. They'll square off with the Coyotes, a team that's lost their last two games.
Defensemen
Brent Burns, San José ($7000) ... has a recent game log with not many zeros in it. Burns has scored 12 points in his last 10 games, which has helped him climb to 15th in the league with 40 total points. His 186 shots in 43 games rank him second to Alexander Ovechkin. Dude's only scored less than 3 fantasy points twice in his last 10 contests, leading the Sharks to 5 consecutive wins. Burns will get to tee off against Ottawa, a team that owns a sad 10-12-2 away record, mostly due to the 80 road goals they've surrendered.
Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg ($6500) ... is second to Burns among d-men and 15th in the NHL overall with the 143 shots he's flung. Those have led to 11 goals and 25 points, along with 60 helpful penalty minutes in 45 games. Dude has no doubt been one of the guiding forces that's made Winnipeg a tough place for visiting teams to pick up a victory. With a 12-7-1 home mark, the Jets once again take to home ice with a chance to draw even with Colorado at 47 points in the Central Division standings.
Goaltender
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg ($6900) ... has a great chance to pick up a win tonight facing Colorado. The Avs have lost 3 of their last 4 games, and Hellebuyck is coming off a shutout win in Minnesota. In fact, dude's won 7 and has a sturdy .925 save percentage on home ice. To make the matchup more enticing, Hellebuyck has also had a great January, winning 4 with a 1.84 goals against average and .938 save%.
Your favorite Shot Dude hopes you basically get back to winning a huge fantasy contest tonight.
As always, go out and give it your best shot!
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