DraftKings NHL Showdown Strategy
DraftKings NHL Showdown Strategy
The DraftKings NHL Showdown is a game spotlight where points are elevated from the normal DraftKings contests. It takes a little getting used to but strategy involves stacking the right players to maximize points. First, here are the rules for scoring. These are important. Below, examining scenarios can aid in creating lineups. Let us begin with those points.
Scoring Guide
- Goal: 8 Points
- Assist: 5 Points
- Shot on Goal: 2 Points
- Blocked Shot: 1.1 Points
- Short Handed Point Bonus: +2 Points
- Faceoff Won: 0.2 Points
- Shootout Goal: 1.5 Points
- Hat Trick Bonus: 3 Points
Goalies:
- Win: 4 Points
- Save: 0.4 Points
- Goal Against: -1 Point
- Shutout Bonus: 4points
The first thing to notice is the emphasis on goals. That has not changed from the normal tournament/cash formats. There exists a multiplier basically on every category except for hat trick bonus. Oddly, that is the same. Goalie categories overall are not much of an incentive. There is a slight bump in wins and shutout bonus. The doubling of points from saves is nice. There's potential to do well but not as well if a player gets a hat trick.
For perspective, say Player A has a three-goal night on five shots. Without including anything else, that total is 37 points (24+10+3). A goalie would need a 73 save shutout to get 37.2 points. (4+29.2+4). There lies a benefit to taking a goalie but only for a high chance of a win, a high save total, and maybe the shutout. The skater just carries too much upside. Furthermore, there are added categories like shootout goal and the faceoff wins. That brings centers into play. Find a scoring center like a Ryan O'Reilly or Patrice Bergeron, and gold or dollars can be yours.
Like in tournaments or GPP's, the main focus is finding the right amount of snipers mixed with floor guys. Glue guys are a little less needed here but one or two is helpful. Remember, it is not picking the best nine-man squad. The number is six and there has to be one member of the other team(s). Taking an Alex Ovechkin type player with a high floor and goal potential is more beneficial than taking an assist-heavy defenseman or playmaking forward.
The Big Luxuries
It is all about the position or lack thereof. Simply, the FLEX is king. Center, wings, defensemen, or goalies does not matter. This becomes all about taking the best six players as long as you have one from each team. With the one-game showdown, having an idea of who will win tends to help. That is obvious. However, it comes all back to scoring and choice. If a daily fantasy player wants to play all wings, they can. The same goes for centers. More possibilities exist as the confinement of positions are not there. Going for a 3-2-1 strategy is intriguing. Three-goal scorers, two-point producers, and a goalie.
Again, that is personal preference. It also depends on the night. Some nights and matchups dictate different strategies. The six slot approach, as opposed to nine, helps force lineup construction into different areas. Some nights a goalie just makes too much sense and sometimes it does not. Each night requires understanding the game in the showdown and studying it well. From there, lineups can be created suited to maximizing points. Usually, the top-scoring lines in regular tournaments fare best in the showdown. Sometimes, it is all about taking advantage of prior knowledge of teams and tendencies.
Going Outside The Box
Let's look into some of the mIf a player wants to utilize an entire starting five, go right ahead. What are some other outrageous ways to approach the showdown? Some players have gone the zero goalie strategy with three forwards and three defensemen. The idea is to look at three high-floor defensemen (shots and blocked shots combined). If a Brent Burns is available, go for him regardless. That is the type of approach. As for the three forwards, one can use any combination of floor and points whether it be the goal or assist potential. There exist the three center strategy and the double center stack methodology as well. This often was used in the early days of DFS NHL with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Other plays include going as many as four or five defensemen with a sniper or two for goals. Conversely, loading up on snipers with four or five of them has been used too.
Six FLEX slots allow for all of this creativity. It does not matter if a player is a center, left wing, right wing, defenseman, or goalie. Jam them in there. Feasibly, people have used all six positions (yes left and right defenseman even). As long as one accumulates enough points to cash, who cares? Taking a whole starting five occurs often. It seems the bolder strategies pay off. Just always remember to do your research and make sure your players are playing that night. Last minute injuries and late news can be a real buzzkill when construction lineups. Other than that, good luck and see you at the showdown
Don't forget to check out our NHL Daily Fantasy Advice Guide
Chris Wassel
Chris is a passionate hockey writer who writes everything from features to daily fantasy to sports betting. Hockey is the main name of the game. From being a regular on The Sweat to doing things with Dobberhockey and beyond, the goal is the same -- provide quality content with a good deal of edge. When one has written for the last 15 years or so, the realization that adaptation is essential is obvious. From Twitter, the goal is to take on all questions and bring it to the FantasyData arena. Let's get started!