Squad Up Daily NHL Fantasy Dose: Oilers have the edge in McDavid-Eichel showdown

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Tuesday, Dec. 6 (all advanced stats courtesy of Corsica.Hockey):

Triple Threat

  • LW Milan Lucic (44K), C Connor McDavid (74K), D Andrej Sekera (26K), Oilers (at Sabres): The Oilers are on the road but they're facing a Sabres team which took an overtime loss Monday. C Leon Draisaitl is the third member of the forward trio, so sub in a very cheap Sekera, who can reach his salary with hits, blocked shots and shots on goal. He also plays on the power play.
  • LW Michael Raffl (33K), C Claude Giroux (68K), RW Jakub Voracek (73K), Flyers (vs. Panthers): The Flyers play at home against a Panthers team which also fell in overtime Monday. Raffl helps mitigate the costs of his two linemates, and he has provided two goals and an assist in his past two games. There's a strong chance the Panthers start backup G James Reimer.
  • LW Filip Forsberg (67K), C Ryan Johansen (59K), D Roman Josi (56K), Predators (vs. Avalanche): It's Josi, not D P.K. Subban, who skates on the point opposite Forsberg on the Predators' top power-play unit. The third forward, Viktor Arvidsson, is also listed at LW. The trio has a Corsi For rating of 60.55. Opt for Forsberg's higher upside.

Goalie Breakdown

  • TARGET - Pekka Rinne (89K), Predators (vs. Avalanche): The Avalanche rank last in the league in both Scoring Chances For per 60 minutes of 5v5 and Expected Goals For per 60 at 5v5. Rinne has allowed eight goals over his past two starts, but he closed November with a .949 save percentage for the month.
  • BARGAIN - Henrik Lundqvist (79K), Rangers (at Islanders): Lundqvist at this price is too good to pass up. He allowed just two goals in three of his past four starts, and made 40 saves in a 3-2 win over the Flyers.
  • FADE - Anders Nilsson (106K), Sabres (vs. Oilers): A clear choice here. Nilsson is the most expensive goalie option on the slate. He's likely to draw Tuesday's start, after Robin Lehner started and took the loss Monday, against the Washington Capitals.
  • CONTRARIAN - Mike Smith (95K), Coyotes (at Blackhawks): Never a safe choice, Smith has made at least 40 saves and as many as 58 in three of his past four games. The Blackhawks have an xGF60 of just 2.25 at 5v5 which is much less impressive than the 46 5v5 goals they've actually scored this season. They're likely to remain without C Jonathan Toews.

Bargain Plays

  • C David Desharnais (27K), Canadiens (at Blues): Desharnais will replace injured C Alex Galchenyuk on Montreal's top line, centering Ws Max Pacioretty and Alexander Radulov. The Canadiens have a tough road matchup but any offense they generate will likely come from their top two wingers. Get cheap exposure with Desharnais.
  • RW Ryan Hartman (26K), Blackhawks (vs. Coyotes): Hartman has been playing on the Blackhawks' second line. He has topped 14 minutes of ice time just one this season, but he has two shots on goal in each of his past three games. He has a quality matchup against the shaky Smith.
  • D Michael Del Zotto (25K), Flyers (vs. Panthers): Teammate D Ivan Provorov has been more publicized of late. He plays on the second power-play unit, but he's on the third pairing at 5v5. Del Zotto is on the top pairing at 5v5, playing behind elite forwards Giroux and Voracek.

Top Fades

  • D Shea Weber (45K), Canadiens (at Blues): Seven of Weber's eight goals on the year have come via the power play. He has added three assists with the man advantage, accounting for more than 50 percent of his total production. The Blues own the league's second-ranked penalty kill at 91.3 percent, allowing just 12 goals in 92 shorthanded situat.
  • C Ryan O'Reilly (68K), Sabres (vs. Oilers): O'Reilly has at least three shots on goal in all but one game dating back to the beginning of November. He totaled three goals and three assists during the stretch. He'll be forced to assume a more defensive role while going head-to-head with McDavid's line, and he played 22:48 in the first half of the double-header.
  • RW Jordan Eberle (51K), Oilers (at Sabres): Eberle has been separated from McDavid at both 5v5 and on the power play. He still receives time on the second PP, but he plays only on the point. He has gone point-less in four of his past five games.

Contrarian Options

  • LW Max Domi (52K), Coyotes (at Blackhawks): Domi has been held to just a single SOG in two of his past three games, and he went point-less in all three. He is playing on the Coyotes' second line, meaning he'll be able to avoid Chicago's top trio. G Scott Darling continues to draws starts for the home team, providing Domi with an opportunity to find the score sheet.
  • D Rasmus Ristolainen (49K), Sabres (vs. Oilers): Ristolainen remains without a single goal, but he does have four assists over his past four games. He has played no less than 26 minutes in each of his past six outings. C Jack Eichel continues to open things up for Ristolainen, drawing in the defensive coverage from the points.
  • C Vincent Trocheck (54K), Panthers (at Flyers): Centering the Panthers' second line, Trocheck will avoid the head-to-head matchup with the Giroux line. Defensive-minded C Sean Couturier remains out for Philadelphia, providing an opportunity for opposing second lines. The Flyers' new second unit has a CF% of just 48.72 at 5v5.

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