DFS NHL Picks: March 31, 2016

C:
Eric Staal-New York Rangers: Staal had two goals in his last game on Sunday against the Penguins. Tonigjt, he goes against his former team, the Carolina Hurricanes, which definitely means he will be motivated to have a good game.

Wingers:
Jeff Skinner-Carolina Hurricanes: Although Skinner gets a tough matchup tonight against the Rangers, he still is a good winger with good value at a cheap DFS price.

Mats Zuccarello-New York Rangers: Zuccarello is a fantastic pick. He often shows up on the scoresheet, and his value is great at a very inexpensive DFS price.

D:
Kevin Klein-New York Rangers: Klein is a fantastic defenseman with speed, skill, and can definitely help you earn fantasy points and won't cost you much DFS money.

Erik Karlsson-Ottawa Senators: Karlsson may not be cheap in DFS, but he is the best defenseman in the league in the minds of many, so his value will be worth it.

G:
Ben Bishop-Tampa Bay Lightning: Bishop is a great goaltender who can definitely make some saves and earn you some fantasy points in DFS, even though his price is not the cheapest.

DFS NHL Picks: March 30, 2016

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Mike Hoffman (Getty Images)

C:
Nicklas Backstrom-Washington Capitals: Why not pick Backstrom? He's been one of the best centers all season long. His DFS price is far from cheap but he can definitely help you earn fantasy points.

Wingers:
Mike Hoffman-Ottawa Senators: Hoffman currently has fiver points in his last four games. He has 27 goals  and 27 assists for 54 points, and 217 shots on goal in 72 games this season for the Senators.

Corey Perry-Anaheim Ducks: Perry faces the Flames tonight, a team he has earned 37 points against.

D:
Shayne Gostisbehere-Philadelphia Flyers: Gostisbehere has 16 goals and 26 assists for 42 points, along with 136 shots on goal in 57 games this season for the Flyers.

Erik Karlsson-Ottawa Senators: Karlsson is undoubtedly the best defenseman in the league at this point. He is a must pick because his DFS price may be expensive but he can defiinitely get you fantasy points every time you pick him.

G:
John Gibson-Anaheim Ducks: Gibson has been the best rookie goaltender all season long, so it's worth a shot to pick him and you should get good results if he has a good game.

DFS NHL Picks: March 29, 2016

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Brent Burns (Getty Images)

C:

Sidney Crosby-Pittsburgh Penguins: Crosby currently has a two-game point streak. He has 32 goals, 46 assists, 78 points, 31 blocked shots, and 225 shots on goal this season.

Wingers:
Filip Forsberg-Nashville Predators: Forsberg is on fire lately with 7 points in his last ten games. He has 31 goals and 27 assists on the season.

Phil Kessel-Pittsburgh Penguins: Like Forsberg, Kessell is on fire as well. He has seven points in his last two games.

D:
Brent Burns-San Jose Sharks: Burns had two assists last night against the Kings, and is currently on a three-game point streak.

Kris Letang-Pittsburgh Penguins: Letang has been hot as of late with eight points in his last ten games.

G:
Scott Wedgewood-New Jersey Devils: Wedgewood has a .957 save percentage and a 1.25 GAA in four games this season for the Devils.

DFS NHL Picks: March 28, 2016

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Semyon Varlamov

C:
Steven Stamkos-Tampa Bay Lightning: Stamkos has 36 goals, 26 assists, 62 points, 32 blocked shots, and 214 shots on goal this season. In his last 10 games, he has seven goals, three assists, 10 points, nine blocked shots, and 31 shots on goal.

Wingers:
Joe Pavelski-San Jose Sharks: Pavelski has 36 goals, 37 assists, 73 points, 65 blocked shots, and 215 shots on goal this season in 77 games. Over his last 10 games, Pavelski has five goals, four assists, nine points, eight blocked shots, and 28 shots on goal.

Ondrej Palat-Tampa Bay Lightning: Palat is currently on a four game point streak and also has at least one point in seven of his last 10 outings.

D:
Roman Josi-Nashville Predators: Josi has 13 goals, 44 assists, 57 points, 174 blocked shots, and 181 shots on goal this seasonn.

Erik Johnson-Colorado Avalanche: Over his last 10 games, Johnson has two goals, two assists, four points, 34 blocked shots, and 28 shots on goal.

G:
Semyon Varlamov-Colorado Avalanche: Varlamov has a 26-20-3 record this season with a 2.67 GAA and a .917 save percentage this season.  

DFS NHL Picks: March 27, 2016

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Kris Letang

C:

Adam Henrique-New Jersey Devils: Henrique only has four points (all goals) in his past five games, and he didn't even show up on the scoresheet against Washington on Friday. But he does have a very good plus-minus rating of +15.

Wingers:

Chris Kreider-New York Rangers: Kreider had two goals and an assist in the Rangers' 5-2 victory at the Canadiens last night. Expect that momentum to continue somewhat when Kreider faces the Penguins tonight.

Phil Kessel-Pittsburgh Penguins: Kessel had a goal and four assists last night and had six shots on goal to go along with that.

D:

Keith Yandle-New York Rangers: Yandle for the second-straight game picked up two assists last night. Prior to those two games, he was pointless for four. Before those four, he was on a five-game point streak. Handle is a great defenseman who is capable of racking up points and can definitely help you in the scoring category.

Kris Letang-Pittsburgh Penguins: Letang has four points, 18 hits, and three blocked shots in has last five games.

DFS NHL Picks: March 26, 2016

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Anze Kopitar

C:

Anze Kopitar-Los Angeles Kings: In Kopitar's last 10 games, he has tallied 13 points with 21 shots on goal and an impressive +7 plus-minus rating.

Winger:

Filip Forsberg-Nashville Predators: Forsberg has hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career this season.

D:

Shea Weber-Nashville Predators: Weber has notched seven points in their last 10 games.

G:

Pekka Rinne-Nashville Predators: Rinne is one of the best goaltenders in the league right now going 8-1-1 in his last 10 games with a shutout and an impressive .921 save percentage.

DFS NHL Picks: March 25, 2016

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Vladimir Tarasenko

C:
Evgeny Kuznetsov-Washington Capitals: Kuznetsov has 74 points (21 goals and 53 assists) this season with 26 blocked shots and 160 shots on goal in 73 games for the Eastern Conference leading Capitals this season.

Wingers:
Vladimir Tarasenko-St. Louis Blues: Tarasenko has 34 goals, 31 assists, 65 points, 24 blocked shots, and 266 shots on goal this season.

Andre Burakovsky-Washington Capitals: Burakovsky has 16 goals, 20 assists, 36 points, 23 blocked shots, and 104 shots on goal this season.

D:
Nick Leddy-New York Islanders: Leddy picked up an assist in the Islanders win over the Senators. Before that, he hadn't been on the scoresheet for six-consecutive games.

Matt Niskanen-Washington Capitals: Niskanen has five goals, 24 assists, 29 points, 131 blocked shots, and 133 shots on goal in 72 games this season.

G:
Brian Elliott-St. Louis Blues: Elliott will be getting the start tonight for the Blues against the Cunucks. He has a 19-7-6 record and a .933 save percentage so far this season. His save percentage over his last 10 games is .948 (which is extremely impressive), allowing just 15 goals in those 10 games.

DFS NHL Picks: March 24, 2016

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Hampus Lindholm

C:
Ryan Johansen-Nashville Predators: Johansen has 13 goals, 38 assists, 51 points, 26 blocked shots, and 167 shots on goal. Johansen has 25 points in 33 games with the Predators this season. Over his last 10 games, Johansen has three goals, six assists, nine points, six blocked shots, and 18 shots on goal. He will go tonight against the struggling Vancouver Canucks. He also has six points in his last four games.

Wingers:
Justin Abdelkader–Detroit Red Wings: Abdelkader is currently on a three-game point streak. He has a point in six of his last eight outings. Abdelkader has 18 goals, 23 assists, 41 points, 38 blocked shots, and 141 shots on goal this season. Over his last 10 games, he has three goals, five assists, eight points, eight blocked shots, and 16 shots on goal. Tonight, Abdelkader goes against the struggling Montreal Canadiens.

Tomas Hertl–San Jose Sharks: Hertl has 18 goals, 24 assists, 42 points, 53 blocked shots, and 185 shots on goal this season in 72 games. Over his last 10 games, Hertl has two goals, five assists, seven points, three blocked shots, and 25 shots on goal. Tonight, he faces the struggling Edmonton Oilers.

D:
Kris Letang-Pittsburgh Penguins: Letang has 15 goals, 41 assists, 56 points, 104 blocked shots, and 189 shots on goal this season in 63 games. Over his last 10 games, he has three goals, four assists, seven points, 13 blocked shots, and 25 shots on goal.

Hampus Lindholm–Anaheim Ducks: Lindholm has been great this season for the Ducks. He has nine goals, 17 assists, 26 points, 106 blocked shots, and 135 shots on goal in 71 games. Over his last 10 games, Lindholm has one goal, five assists, six points, 10 blocked shots, and 15 shots on goal.

G:Martin Jones–San Jose Sharks): Jones has been playing extremely well lately with a .938 save percentage and a 6-4-0 record over his last 10 games. Plus, he has five shutouts on the season.

DFS NHL Picks: March 23, 2016

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Erik Karlsson

C:
John Tavares-New York Islanders: Tavares has proved himself one of the best centers in the league this season, despite the Islanders' recent slump.

Wingers:
Rick Nash-New York Rangers: Nash had an amazing game on Monday at home against the Florida Panthers that included a goal and multiple SOGs.

Mike Hoffman-Ottawa Senators: Hoffman is an impressive winger who has speed and definitely is capable of scoring a goal or two against the Islanders tonight.

D: 
Kevin Klein-New York Rangers: Klein has been able to show up on the scoresheet for the Rangers this month despite injuries at the beginning of the season.

Erik Karlsson-Ottawa Senators: Karlsson is undoubtedly the best defenseman in the NHL right now. The only problem with picking him is that his salary is extremely high and you may have to pick cheaper players to fill your other DFS spots.

G: 
Henrik Lundqvist-New York Rangers: Lundqvist picked up a 4-2 victory in the Rangers' win over the Florida Panthers on Monday night. 

DFS NHL Picks: March 22, 2016

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

C: 
Sean Couturier-Philadelphia Flyers: Couturier has been terrific for the cost with seven assists in his last 10 games and added 18 shots and a +2 rating. Tonight, he faces the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are already eliminated from post-season action this season.

Winger: 
Alex Ovechkin-Washington Capitals: Even though he's one of the most expensive DFS players right now in the NHL, Alex Ovechkin does have an easy matchup tonight facing the Ottawa Senators. Plus, he's very close to 50 goals on the season, so you know he wants to reach that before the regular season ends.

D:  
Michael Stone-Arizona Coyotes: Stone has a goal, four assists, and had tallied 30 shots on goal in his last 10 games.

G: 
Ben Bishop-Tampa Bay Lightning: Bishop has gone 6-2-1 with a .955 save % and 3 shutouts in his last 9 starts.

Fantasy forwards: Name value can be overrated

Credit to NHL.com for this piece.

Zach Parise

Rankings and/or ownership percentages are extremely useful in the grand scheme of an 82-game season. But once the fantasy playoffs roll around in head-to-head leagues, your memory needs to be short and your players need to be productive.

If you find yourself clinging to a player because of the past and have not seen proper results in weeks, months or all season, difficult decisions need to be made. I'm not telling you to cut the cord on a top-50 or even top-100 forward, but certainly don't let name value get in the way of your pursuit of a fantasy championship. If you've been winning to this point despite a player's struggles, that player should be deemed expendable.

Here are five forwards who are not cutting it in terms of standard-league production. Each is owned in at least 75 percent of Yahoo leagues and can replaced by a trending asset on the waiver wire depending on the size and structure of your league.

1. Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild (LW, 95 percent owned)
Replacement: Jussi Jokinen, Florida Panthers (C/LW/RW, 59 percent owned)

Parise is the 111th-ranked player based on Yahoo performance this season but is ranked 352nd in the past 30 days. His shot volume has remained strong in the span, with 32 shot son goal in 13 games, but he has one goal, five assists and zero power-play points. He's back with Mikael Granlund but played a period of time alongside Mikko Koivu and has not been able to get his season on track. The Wild and Colorado Avalanche are in a tussle for the final wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference with nine games remaining in the regular season. If you're in a keeper league, one where you have an extra bench spot for him, or one so deep where dropping Parise could burn you, hang onto him. But if you're in a shallow league, consider replacing him with Jokinen, the 53rd-ranked player in Yahoo who's tri-eligible and available in more than 40 percent of Yahoo leagues. He has at least one point in 13 of his past 14 games, has covered all six standard categories this season and has produced regardless of linemates and injuries around him.

2. Rick Nash, New York Rangers (LW/RW, 90 percent owned)
Replacement: Mikkel Boedker, Colorado Avalanche (LW/RW, 25 percent owned)

Nash was third in the League with 42 goals in 2014-15 but has struggled this season and has missed significant time because of injury (51 games played out of a possible 73). In six games since from a seven-week absence because of a bone bruise in his left leg, he has one goal, no assists, a minus-3 rating and 17 shots on goal. While the injuries certainly have not helped, his production when healthy has dropped in terms of goals per 60 minutes; after finishing second in the metric last season (1.83) among players with at least 50 games, he's tied for 94th this season (.89) among players with at least 50 games. He scored Monday, but there are a ton of concerns here and too little time to waste. Don't be afraid to cut ties with the Rangers forward and make room for the best dual-eligible wing available in your league. Boedker, available in three-quarters of fantasy leagues, has three goals, four assists and 11 shots on goal in nine games since joining the Avalanche. He has been on a line mostly with Nathan MacKinnon, who's day-to-day because of a knee injury, but that didn't stop Boedker from meshing well with Blake Comeau and Mikhail Grigorenko in MacKinnon's absence Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers with one assist, a plus-1 and one shot on goal.

3. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings (C/LW, 94 percent owned)
Replacement: Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks (C/LW, 40 percent owned)
Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill has tinkered with his lines for most of the season in an effort find the right combination for his many inconsistent forwards. Zetterberg is back where he started the season, with Dylan Larkin and Justin Abdelkader, but has spent time on Pavel Datsyuk's line in between. Similar to Parise, Zetterberg's recent numbers are insufficient, with one goal, two assists, a minus-9 rating, one power-play point and 46 shots on goal in his past 14 games. The 35-year-old, who missed time with injuries in 2013-14 and 2014-15, has played all 72 games for Detroit yet is outside the top 100 players based on performance. While it may seem simple to ride the hot hand, Hertl readily is available and the third component of a line that features Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton, two of the top-10 fantasy forwards. The Pavelski-Thornton duo is tied for third in the NHL in team goals where each has a point (38), and Hertl is taking advantage with two goals, five assists, a plus-4, two power-play points and 14 shots on goal in his past five games. Hertl has posted NHL career highs in the six standard categories and has been a fixture with Thornton and Pavelski in recent months.

4. Bobby Ryan, Ottawa Senators (LW/RW, 79 percent owned)
Replacement: Devante Smith-Pelly, New Jersey Devils (RW, 11 percent owned)

Ryan started the season with points in 24 of his first 33 games, but that level of consistency has been lacking for the better part of the past three months. He's tumbled to 124th for the season in Yahoo's rankings, has gone seven games without a goal and nine games without a power-play point. Outside of his minus-11 rating for the season, his coverage likely looks better than anyone available on your league's waiver wire. But that doesn't mean you should get complacent and risk your chances of advancing. While you could seek a dual-eligible wing, you should consider adding Smith-Pelly, who addresses the more scarce position of right wing. Since being traded to the Devils, Smith-Pelly has dominated in a net-front role and excelled on Adam Henrique's line, with seven goals, three assists, a plus-3 and 20 shots on goal in nine games. Dropping Ryan comes with much less risk than dropping Parise or Nash so don't think twice about riding the hot hand with this trending power forward.

5. Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks (C, 82 percent)

Replacement: Cody Eakin, Dallas Stars (C, 9 percent owned)
Henrik and Daniel Sedin again are one of the top point pairs in the League, but that doesn't mean you should bank on him ahead of Eakin, who's centering a top-five fantasy player in Jamie Benn and has been scorching in his past six games with four goals and four assists. He's touching on all six categories in that span, while Henrik Sedin has one goal, seven assists, a minus-3, one power-play point and 18 shots on goal in his past 11 games. Henrik ranks 133rd in Yahoo leagues this season while Eakin should see plenty of top-six action down the stretch with Tyler Seguin out for the rest of the regular season. The Sedins are lacking a right wing right now with Jannik Hansen and Radim Vrbata injured, and the Canucks are out of postseason contention. The Stars, meanwhile, are the highest-scoring offense in the NHL at 3.21 goals per game and have Benn, Jason Spezza and Patrick Sharp for support without Seguin. If you're looking for a deeper-league, dual-eligible wing replacement for Nash or Ryan, feel free to employ Patrick Eaves (LW/RW, 2 percent owned), who is replacing Seguin on the Stars' first power-play unit.

TOP 100 FANTASY FORWARDS

These rankings indicate fantasy expectations for the rest of the season. Value is quantified by line combinations, power-play usage, past performance and overall upside in standard Yahoo categories (goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty minutes, power-play points and shots on goal.
1. Patrick Kane, C/RW, CHI

2. Alex Ovechkin, LW/RW, WSH

3. Jamie Benn, LW, DAL

4. Sidney Crosby, C, PIT

5. Joe Pavelski, C/LW/RW, SJS (+2)

6. Evgeny Kuznetsov, C/LW, WSH

7. Joe Thornton, C, SJS (+3)

8. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, STL (+1)

9. Patrice Bergeron, C, BOS (-1)

10. Anze Kopitar, C, LAK (+3)

11. Claude Giroux, C/RW, PHI

12. Nicklas Backstrom, C, WSH

13. Daniel Sedin, LW, VAN (+1)

14. Steven Stamkos, C, TBL (+1)

15. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, CGY (+2)

16. Brad Marchand, LW, BOS

17. Wayne Simmonds, LW/RW, PHI (+9)

18. Ryan Getzlaf, C, ANA

19. Nikita Kucherov, RW, TBL (+3)

20. John Tavares, C, NYI (-1)

21. Corey Perry, RW, ANA (+2)

22. Taylor Hall, C/LW, EDM (-2)

23. Artemi Panarin, LW, CHI (-2)

24. Filip Forsberg, C/LW/RW, NSH

25. Jason Spezza, C, DAL

26. Blake Wheeler, RW, WPG (+1)

27. James Neal, LW/RW, NSH (+1)

28. Ryan Johansen, C/RW, NSH (+3)

29. Jonathan Toews, C, CHI

30. Connor McDavid, C, EDM (+3)

31. Nathan MacKinnon, C/RW, COL (DTD)

32. Max Pacioretty, LW, MTL (-2)

33. Patrick Sharp, C/LW/RW, DAL (+2)

34. Jakub Voracek, LW/RW, PHI

35. Matt Duchene, C/LW, COL (DTD)

36. Patric Hornqvist, RW, PIT (+5)

37. Tyler Toffoli, C/LW/RW, LAK

38. Jaromir Jagr, RW, FLA

39. Phil Kessel, RW, PIT

40. Derick Brassard, C, NYR

41. Gabriel Landeskog, LW, COL (+2)

42. Jeff Carter, C/RW, LAK (+4)

43. Aleksander Barkov, C, FLA (-1)

44. Justin Williams, RW, WSH (+3)

45. David Krejci, C, BOS

46. Loui Eriksson, LW/RW, BOS (+3)

47. Jonathan Huberdeau, C/LW, FLA (+3)

48. Ryan Kesler, C/RW, ANA (+6)

49. Pavel Datsyuk, C/LW, DET (+4)

50. T.J. Oshie, C/RW, WSH (+2)

51. Zach Parise, LW, MIN (-7)

52. Henrik Zetterberg, C/LW, DET (-4)

53. Jack Eichel, C, BUF (DTD)

54. Kyle Okposo, RW, NYI (+2)

55. Andrew Ladd, LW, CHI

56. Kyle Palmieri, LW/RW, NJD (+13)

57. Jussi Jokinen, C/LW/RW, FLA (+17)

58. Tyler Johnson, C, TBL (-7)

59. Shane Doan, LW/RW, ARI (+2)

60. Milan Lucic, LW, LAK (+2)

61. Brayden Schenn, C/LW, PHI (+6)

62. Ryan O'Reilly, C/LW/RW, BUF (NR - INJ.)

63. Sean Monahan, C, CGY (+13)

64. Mats Zuccarello, LW/RW, NYR (-4)

65. Dylan Larkin, C/LW, DET (-2)

66. Henrik Sedin, C, VAN (-9)

67. Marian Hossa, RW, CHI (-2)

68. Mike Hoffman, C/LW, OTT (+2)

69. Vincent Trocheck, C/RW, FLA (+12)

70. Scott Hartnell, LW, CBJ (-4)

71. Evander Kane, LW, BUF (+4)

72. Tomas Hertl, C/LW, SJS (+6)

73. Mark Scheifele, C, WPG (-5)

74. Logan Couture, C/LW, SJS (-15)

75. David Backes, C/RW, STL (+4)

76. Mark Stone, RW, OTT (+4)

77. Rick Nash, LW/RW, NYR (-5)

78. Bobby Ryan, LW/RW, OTT (-7)

79. Chris Kunitz, LW, PIT (+15)

80. Eric Staal, C/LW, NYR (-7)

81. Boone Jenner, C/RW, CBJ (+5)

82. Andre Burakovsky, LW, WSH

83. Jeff Skinner, LW/RW, CAR

84. Brandon Saad, LW/RW, CBJ (-7)

85. Jaden Schwartz, LW, STL (+6)

86. Mike Ribeiro, C, NSH (+1)

87. Mikko Koivu, C, MIN (+6)

88. Alex Galchenyuk, C/LW, MTL (-4)

89. Max Domi, C/LW, ARI (+1)

90. Justin Abdelkader, LW/RW, DET (NEW)

91. Cam Atkinson, RW, CBJ (+8)

92. Reilly Smith, LW/RW, FLA (+8)

93. Jarome Iginla, RW, COL (+3)

94. Mikkel Boedker, LW/RW, COL (NEW)

95. Brandon Dubinsky, C/LW, CBJ (+3)

96. Ondrej Palat, LW, TBL (-1)

97. Jordan Eberle, RW, EDM

98. Adam Henrique, C/LW, NJD (NEW)

99. Tomas Tatar, LW/RW, DET (NEW)

100. Cody Eakin, C, DAL (NEW)

Just missed: Nazem Kadri (C, TOR), Frans Nielsen (C, NYI), Carl Soderberg (C/LW, COL), Jordan Staal (C/LW, CAR), Gustav Nyquist (C/LW/RW, DET), Rikard Rakell (C, ANA), Jakob Silfverberg (LW/RW, ANA), Paul Stastny (C, STL), Devante Smith-Pelly (RW, NJD), PA Parenteau (RW, TOR)

Key injuries: Tyler Seguin (C/RW, DAL), Evgeni Malkin (C/RW, PIT), Alexander Steen (C/LW, STL), David Perron (LW/RW, ANA), Brendan Gallagher (RW, MTL), Mathieu Perreault (C/LW, WPG), Michael Cammalleri (C/LW, NJD), Jason Pominville (RW, MIN), Nikolaj Ehlers (LW/RW, WPG), Bryan Little (C/RW, WPG), Benoit Pouliot (LW, EDM), James van Riemsdyk (LW, TOR), Kyle Turris (C, OTT)

DFS NHL Picks: March 21, 2016

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Derek Stepan

C:

Derek Stepan-New York Rangers: Stepan will go tonight against the Panthers at home, where Stepan has 21 points in 29 games this season. He has three shots on goal in each of his last three games. Over his last 10 games, Stepan has three goals, five assists for eight points, four blocked shots, four hits, and 32 shots on goal. So Stepan may be able to help you in more than just the scoring category.

LW & RW:
Wayne Simmonds-Philadelphia Flyers: Simmonds has 25 goals, 24 assists, 49 points, 129 penalty minutes, 172 hits, 40 blocked shots, and 184 shots on goal this season. Over his last 10 games, Simmonds has four goals and five assists for nine points, and also 30 shots on goal.

Mats Zuccarello-New York Rangers: Over his last 10 games, Zuccarello has two goals, five assists, seven points, nine hits, nine blocked shots, and 23 shots on goal. Zuccarello has 22 goals and 31 assists for 53 points, and also has 148 shots on goal this season.

D:
Roman Josi-Nashville Predators: Josi has 12 goals and 40 assists for 52 points, and 171 shots on goal this season in 73 games for the Predators.

Nick Leddy-New York Islanders: Leddy has five goals and 31 assists for 36 points, and 104 shots on goal this season in 70 games for the Islanders this season.

G:
Henrik Lundqvist-New York Rangers: Even though Lundqvist gave up four goals in his last game at San Jose on March 19, he still makes a good goaltender pick for tonight. Tonight, Lundqvist faces the Panthers at home, where has has a 2.18 GAA and a 19-5-2 record this season.

Fantasy forwards: Trying to replace Evgeni Malkin

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Details from this article came from NHL.com.

Evgeni Malkin

Some players are virtually irreplaceable from a fantasy standpoint. Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins falls into that category.

Malkin will miss the remainder of the regular season because of an upper-body injury sustained Friday that will sideline him for the next 6-8 weeks. Nick Bonino (C, 4 percent owned) skated alongside Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin in Malkin's usual spot on the second line Sunday. He did not earn a point but did have three shots on goal.

The Russian forward has 58 points in 57 games (18th in NHL) this season and is tied for third in power-play points (27). If your fantasy league counts penalty minutes, he's one of three players with at least 50 points and at least 60 PIMs; the others are Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand and Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban.

It remains to be seen how far Pittsburgh can go without Malkin, but its past record indicates it should be able to at least qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With the Penguins' win Sunday at the New York Rangers, they improved to 71-45-9 in games where Malkin was out because of an injury since his career began in 2006-07, a surprisingly strong track record given his elite status.

Will Bonino or Matt Cullen's production spike depending on who sticks with Hagelin and Kessel down the stretch? It certainly could, but that doesn't mean either will be worth owning in standard fantasy leagues. Bonino nearly reached the 50-point mark in 2013-14 (49 in 77 games) with the Anaheim Ducks, but has a .43 career points-per-game average. Cullen, who scored a goal Sunday with two SOG, has 11 goals and 11 assists this season but averages .51 points per game through 1,280 career games.

Malkin's career points-per-game average, by comparison, is second among active players (1.18) behind his teammate, Sidney Crosby (1.33). Read this on NHL.com.

TOP 100 FANTASY FORWARDS Read this on NHL.com.

These rankings indicate fantasy expectations for the rest of the season. Value is quantified by line combinations, power-play usage, past performance and overall upside in standard Yahoo categories (goals, assists, plus-minus, penalty minutes, power-play points and shots on goal.

1. Patrick Kane, C/RW, CHI 
2. Alex Ovechkin, LW/RW, WSH 
3. Jamie Benn, LW, DAL 
4. Sidney Crosby, C, PIT (+1)
5. Tyler Seguin, C/RW, DAL (-1)
6. Evgeny Kuznetsov, C/LW, WSH (+1)
7. Joe Pavelski, C/LW/RW, SJS (+1)
8. Patrice Bergeron, C, BOS (+1)
9. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, STL (+1)
10. Joe Thornton, C, SJS (+1)
11. Claude Giroux, C/RW, PHI 
12. Nicklas Backstrom, C, WSH (+1)
13. Anze Kopitar, C, LAK (+1)
14. Daniel Sedin, LW, VAN (+1)
15. Steven Stamkos, C, TBL (+2)
16. Brad Marchand, LW, BOS (+2)
17. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, CGY (+3)
18. Ryan Getzlaf, C, ANA (-2)
19. John Tavares, C, NYI (+2)
20. Taylor Hall, C/LW, EDM (-1)
21. Artemi Panarin, LW, CHI (+3)
22. Nikita Kucherov, RW, TBL (DTD)
23. Corey Perry, RW, ANA 
24. Filip Forsberg, C/LW/RW, NSH (+3)
25. Jason Spezza, C, DAL (+4)
26. Wayne Simmonds, LW/RW, PHI (+2)
27. Blake Wheeler, RW, WPG (-1)
28. James Neal, LW/RW, NSH (+8)
29. Jonathan Toews, C, CHI (-4)
30. Max Pacioretty, LW, MTL (+5)
31. Ryan Johansen, C/RW, NSH 
32. Nathan MacKinnon, C/RW, COL (-2)
33. Connor McDavid, C, EDM (-1)
34. Jakub Voracek, LW/RW, PHI (DTD)
35. Patrick Sharp, C/LW/RW, DAL (DTD)
36. Matt Duchene, C/LW, COL    
37. Tyler Toffoli, C/LW/RW, LAK 
38. Jaromir Jagr, RW, FLA (+2)
39. Phil Kessel, RW, PIT 
40. Derick Brassard, C, NYR (+6)
41. Patric Hornqvist, RW, PIT (+6)
42. Aleksander Barkov, C, FLA (+3)
43. Gabriel Landeskog, LW, COL (SUSP.)
44. Zach Parise, LW, MIN (-1)
45. David Krejci, C, BOS (-3)
46. Jeff Carter, C/RW, LAK (+3)
47. Justin Williams, RW, WSH (+5)
48. Henrik Zetterberg, C/LW, DET (-4)
49. Loui Eriksson, LW/RW, BOS (+4)
50. Jonathan Huberdeau, C/LW, FLA (+6)
51. Tyler Johnson, C, TBL (-3)
52. T.J. Oshie, C/RW, WSH (+2)
53. Pavel Datsyuk, C/LW, DET (DTD)
54. Ryan Kesler, C/RW, ANA (-3)
55. Andrew Ladd, LW, CHI 
56. Kyle Okposo, RW, NYI (+6)
57. Henrik Sedin, C, VAN (+1)
58. Jack Eichel, C, BUF (+7)
59. Logan Couture, C/LW, SJS 
60. Mats Zuccarello, LW/RW, NYR (+4)
61. Shane Doan, LW/RW, ARI (+5)
62. Milan Lucic, LW, LAK (+7)
63. Dylan Larkin, C/LW, DET (-6)
64. David Perron, LW/RW, ANA (-3)
65. Marian Hossa, RW, CHI (NR - INJ.)
66. Scott Hartnell, LW, CBJ (-6)
67. Brayden Schenn, C/LW, PHI (+4)
68. Mark Scheifele, C, WPG (+9)
69. Kyle Palmieri, LW/RW, NJD (-1)
70. Mike Hoffman, C/LW, OTT (-7)
71. Bobby Ryan, LW/RW, OTT (-4)
72. Rick Nash, LW/RW, NYR (NR - INJ.)
73. Eric Staal, C/LW, NYR (-3)
74. Jussi Jokinen, C/LW/RW, FLA (+5)
75. Evander Kane, LW, BUF (+6)
76. Sean Monahan, C, CGY (-4)
77. Brandon Saad, LW/RW, CBJ (-4)
78. Tomas Hertl, C/LW, SJS (-3)
79. David Backes, C/RW, STL (+1)
80. Mark Stone, RW, OTT (+7)
81. Vincent Trocheck, C/RW, FLA (+13)
82. Andre Burakovsky, LW, WSH (-4)
83. Jeff Skinner, LW/RW, CAR (+7)
84. Alex Galchenyuk, C/LW, MTL (NEW)
85. Brendan Gallagher, RW, MTL (DTD)
86. Boone Jenner, C/RW, CBJ (-4)
87. Mike Ribeiro, C, NSH (-4)
88. Tomas Plekanec, C, MTL (-12)
89. Lee Stempniak, LW/RW, BOS (-5)
90. Max Domi, C/LW, ARI (-5)
91. Jaden Schwartz, LW, STL (+1)
92. Leon Draisaitl, C/RW, EDM (-6)
93. Mikko Koivu, C, MIN (-5)
94. Chris Kunitz, LW, PIT (-5)
95. Ondrej Palat, LW, TBL (+3)
96. Jarome Iginla, RW, COL (-1)
97. Jordan Eberle, RW, EDM (-6)
98. Brandon Dubinsky, C/LW, CBJ (-2)
99. Cam Atkinson, RW, CBJ (NEW)
100. Reilly Smith, LW/RW, FLA (NEW)
        
Just missed: Justin Abdelkader (LW/RW, DET), Adam Henrique (C/LW, NJD), Mikkel Boedker (LW/RW, COL), Frans Nielsen (C, NYI), Victor Rask (C, CAR), Chris Kreider (LW, NYR), Nazem Kadri (C, TOR), Ryan Spooner (C/LW, BOS), Tomas Tatar (LW/RW, DET), Marcus Johansson (C/LW/RW, WSH)

Dropped out: Boedker, Kreider, Spooner, Rickard Rakell

Key injuries: Evgeni Malkin (C/RW, PIT), Alexander Steen (C/LW, STL), Ryan O'Reilly (C/LW/RW, BUF), Mike Cammalleri (C/LW, NJD), Bryan Little (C/RW, WPG), James van Riemsdyk (LW, TOR), Benoit Pouliot (LW, EDM), Nikolaj Ehlers (LW/RW, WPG), Brandon Pirri (C/LW/RW, ANA), Kyle Turris (C, OTT), Marian Gaborik (RW, LAK)

Fantasy forwards: Second line fueling Predators

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Ryan Johansen

The Ryan Johansen trade was expected to boost the Nashville Predators offense. It has certainly done so, indirectly.

Playing with James Neal on a full-time basis, Johansen has taken the pressure off Filip Forsberg and Mike Ribeiro in their secondary role. In 26 games with Johansen on board, Nashville's leading scorers are Forsberg (25 points) and Ribeiro (21), with Craig Smith (16, T-5th on team in span) along for the ride.


Johansen's points-per-game average in 26 games with Nashville (.69) is nearly identical to his rate in 38 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets this season (.68). But the trade has allowed Predators coach Peter Laviolette to split up his top players to form two cohesive lines. ––> Read this on NHL.com.

TOP 100 FANTASY FORWARDS ––> Read this on NHL.com.

These rankings indicate fantasy expectations for the rest of the season. Value is quantified by line combinations, power-play usage, past performance and overall upside in standard Yahoo categories (goals, assists, plus-minus, penalty minutes, power-play points and shots on goal.

1. Patrick Kane, C/RW, CHI
2. Alex Ovechkin, LW/RW, WSH
3. Jamie Benn, LW, DAL
4. Tyler Seguin, C/RW, DAL
5. Sidney Crosby, C, PIT
6. Evgeni Malkin, C/RW, PIT (+1)
7. Evgeny Kuznetsov, C/LW, WSH (-1)
8. Joe Pavelski, C/LW/RW, SJS
9. Patrice Bergeron, C, BOS (+1)
10. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, STL (-1)
11. Claude Giroux, C/RW, PHI (+1)
12. Joe Thornton, C, SJS (+5)
13. Nicklas Backstrom, C, WSH (-2)
14. Anze Kopitar, C, LAK (+2)
15. Daniel Sedin, LW, VAN
16. Ryan Getzlaf, C, ANA (+5)
17. Steven Stamkos, C, TBL (-4)
18. Brad Marchand, LW, BOS (+4)
19. Taylor Hall, C/LW, EDM    
20. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, CGY (-6)
21. John Tavares, C, NYI (-3)
22. Nikita Kucherov, RW, TBL (+1)
23. Corey Perry, RW, ANA (+1)
24. Artemi Panarin, LW, CHI (+1)
25. Jonathan Toews, C, CHI (+1)
26. Blake Wheeler, RW, WPG (-6)
27. Filip Forsberg, C/LW/RW, NSH (+1)
28. Wayne Simmonds, LW/RW, PHI (+4)
29. Jason Spezza, C, DAL (+7)
30. Nathan MacKinnon, C/RW, COL (-1)
31. Ryan Johansen, C/RW, NSH    
32. Connor McDavid, C, EDM (+1)
33. Patrick Sharp, C/LW/RW, DAL (DTD)
34. Jakub Voracek, LW/RW, PHI (DTD)
35. Max Pacioretty, LW, MTL    
36. James Neal, LW/RW, NSH (+1)
37. Tyler Toffoli, C/LW/RW, LAK (-3)
38. Matt Duchene, C/LW, COL    
39. Phil Kessel, RW, PIT (+2)
40. Jaromir Jagr, RW, FLA (+2)
41. Gabriel Landeskog, LW, COL (+3)
42. David Krejci, C, BOS (-3)
43. Zach Parise, LW, MIN (-3)
44. Henrik Zetterberg, C/LW, DET (-1)
45. Aleksander Barkov, C, FLA (+2)
46. Derick Brassard, C, NYR    
47. Patric Hornqvist, RW, PIT (+15)
48. Tyler Johnson, C, TBL (+5)
49. Jeff Carter, C/RW, LAK
50. Pavel Datsyuk, C/LW, DET (DTD)
51. Ryan Kesler, C/RW, ANA (+3)
52. Justin Williams, RW, WSH (-4)
53. Loui Eriksson, LW/RW, BOS (-2)
54. T.J. Oshie, C/RW, WSH (+3)
55. Andrew Ladd, LW, CHI (+3)
56. Jonathan Huberdeau, C/LW, FLA (NR - INJ.)
57. Dylan Larkin, C/LW, DET (-5)
58. Henrik Sedin, C, VAN (DTD)
59. Logan Couture, C/LW, SJS (-4)
60. Scott Hartnell, LW, CBJ (+1)
61. David Perron, LW/RW, ANA (+4)
62. Kyle Okposo, RW, NYI (+9)
63. Mike Hoffman, C/LW, OTT (-7)
64. Mats Zuccarello, LW/RW, NYR    
65. Jack Eichel, C, BUF (+2)
66. Shane Doan, LW/RW, ARI    
67. Bobby Ryan, LW/RW, OTT (-8)
68. Kyle Palmieri, LW/RW, NJD (+2)
69. Milan Lucic, LW, LAK (+3)
70. Eric Staal, C/LW, NYR (+3)
71. Brayden Schenn, C/LW, PHI (+6)
72. Sean Monahan, C, CGY (-3)
73. Brandon Saad, LW/RW, CBJ (DTD)
74. Brendan Gallagher, RW, MTL (DTD)
75. Tomas Hertl, C/LW, SJS    
76. Tomas Plekanec, C, MTL (-2)
77. Mark Scheifele, C, WPG (+21)
78. Andre Burakovsky, LW, WSH    
79. Jussi Jokinen, C/LW/RW, FLA (+4)
80. David Backes, C/RW, STL (+2)
81. Evander Kane, LW, BUF    
82. Boone Jenner, C/RW, CBJ (-3)
83. Mike Ribeiro, C, NSH (+12)
84. Lee Stempniak, LW/RW, BOS (+3)
85. Max Domi, C/LW, ARI (-8)
86. Leon Draisaitl, C/RW, EDM (-6)
87. Mark Stone, RW, OTT (+3)
88. Mikko Koivu, C, MIN (+3)
89. Chris Kunitz, LW, PIT (-3)
90. Jeff Skinner, LW/RW, CAR (+4)
91. Jordan Eberle, RW, EDM (-7)
92. Jaden Schwartz, LW, STL (-4)
93. Ryan Spooner, C/LW, BOS (-4)
94. Vincent Trocheck, C/RW, FLA (+3)
95. Jarome Iginla, RW, COL (+1)
96. Brandon Dubinsky, C/LW, CBJ (-3)
97. Mikkel Boedker, LW/RW, COL (+3)
98. Ondrej Palat, LW, TBL (NEW)
99. Chris Kreider, LW, NYR (-7)
100. Rickard Rakell, C, ANA (NEW)

Just missed: Justin Abdelkader (LW/RW, DET), Adam Henrique (C/LW, NJD), Frans Nielsen (C, NYI), Nazem Kadri (C, TOR), Marcus Johansson (C/LW/RW, WSH), Victor Rask (C, CAR), Tomas Tatar (LW/RW, DET), Gustav Nyquist (C/LW/RW, DET), Cam Atkinson (RW, CBJ), Jason Pominville (RW, MIN)

Dropped out: Abdelkader, Carl Soderberg

Key injuries: Alexander Steen (C/LW, STL), Rick Nash (LW/RW, NYR), Marian Hossa (RW, CHI), Ryan O'Reilly (C/LW/RW, BUF), Mike Cammalleri (C/LW, NJD), Bryan Little (C/RW, WPG), James van Riemsdyk (LW, TOR), Alex Galchenyuk (C/LW, MTL), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (C, EDM), Benoit Pouliot (LW, EDM), Nikolaj Ehlers (LW/RW, WPG), Brandon Pirri (C/LW/RW, ANA)

DraftKings Analysis: Two Staal Brothers may be wise high-value center picks for Tuesday

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Jordan Staal

With 16 NHL teams in action on Tuesday night for a total of eight games, it's hard to pick a good lineup in daily fantasy sports that can earn you points. Luckily, we found some info from FanSided that can help you with picking some centers.

Here are two high-value centers you can pick in terms of if you're playing DraftKings. Needless to say, they are brothers.

Eric Staal – New York Rangers ($4,900): Staal has 35 points (11 goals and 24 assists) in 67 games this season with 61 hits and 166 shots on goal. Over his last 10 games, he has two goals, three assists, five points, 14 hits, and 31 shots on goal. Staal will face the Sabres, who just played on Monday, tonight averaging 2.6 fantasy hockey points per game. (FanSided)

Eric Staal

Jordan Staal – Carolina Hurricanes ($4,500): Staal has 40 points (17 goals and 23 assists) for the Hurricanes this season. He has 130 hits and 115 shots on goal as well. Staal has five goals, two assists, seven points, 25 hits, five blocked shots, and 19 shots on goal over his last 10 games. He goes tonight against the Senators averaging 2.6 fantasy hockey points per game. (FanSided)

Rangers' Eric Staal should spike fantasy point earnings

"The Neutral Zone" Fantasy Hockey Report

Eric Staal (Getty Images)

The New York Rangers recent acquired forward Eric Staal from the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, the same day we said that he was a good forward pick for that day.

Staal has 10 goals and 23 assists in 63 games played this season. He had 15:43 of ice time in his first game as a Ranger on Monday.

Analysis: Staal moves from an also-ran to a contender. He’ll now skate on the top line in Gotham with forward Rick Nash and center Derek Stepan, so look for a big spike in fantasy production. (USA TODAY)