DFS: Bargain Plays - Thursday's Top Sleeper Picks
Here are the top sleeper picks for Thursday, December 3:
D Dan Boyle, Rangers (vs. Avalanche)
The greybeard has seen an uptick in ice time since Kevin Klein's oblique injury, playing over 23 minutes the last two games and leading Rangers defensemen in power-play time. Boyle has one assist in the last two games, and has also contributed at least two shots on goal and two blocks in each of his last three games, giving him a strong floor to complement his upside.
Colorado ranks in the bottom third in penalty-kill percentage, with the Rangers ranking eighth in power-play percentage. Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov has given up at least three goals in seven of his last eight starts, while Reto Berra had also struggled of late before allowing one goal in a win Monday.
C/W Calle Jarnkrok, Predators (vs. Panthers)
Jarnkrok was moved up to a top-six role Monday in the wake of C Mike Fisher's lower-body injury, and with Fisher landing on injured reserve, the third-year Swede should continue to see time as either a second-line center or a first-line winger. He registered a power-play goal and four shots in a 5-2 win over Arizona Monday and saw a season-high 20:20 of ice time.
W/C Darren Helm, Red Wings (vs. Coyotes)
A stat line of three assists in 21 games typically doesn't make a player DFS worthy, but opportunity knocks for Helm, a nominal center who is playing a second-line wing role alongside Pavel Datsyuk and Brad Richards. While he hasn't yet scored, he's averaging just under two shots on goal per game, and fired six shots Tuesday against Buffalo while playing a season-high 19:14.
That game saw the Red Wings fire a season-high 46 shots on goal, and the team has a good chance to build on that performance as it faces Arizona, which allows the seventh-most shots in the league.
G Eddie Lack, Hurricanes (vs. Devils)
Acquired from Vancouver in the offseason, Lack hasn't seen much playing time despite Cam Ward's struggles, with the former Conn Smythe winner holding a .898 save percentage and 2.53 GAA in 18 starts. Lack's numbers have been worse (.874 save percentage and 3.28 GAA) but he at least has the small sample size excuse, having made only six starts.
One of the lowest-priced starters on Thursday's slate, Lack has a decent shot at turning his season around against a New Jersey team that hasn't scored more than three goals in any of its last seven games and averages 25.8 shots, the fewest in the league.