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As daily fantasy hockey continues to increase in popularity, fantasy players will have to change a few things when it comes to strategy. With this format, you no longer need to concern yourself with particulars like whether a certain player will lose his starting job by February. All that matters is you know who is going to start tonight and who is likely to get hot.

The first strategy you need to master when playing daily fantasy hockey is how to identify player values. With a salary-based budget, it's essential to identify players who are undervalued, so you can free up cap space to spend on more effective players. In this setup, defensemen are of little comparative value, so your best bet is to spend the absolute minimum possible on this position. In the start of the season, guys who were very cheap have now pricetags that are starting to rise, so you have to watch out for new cheaper options to consider. On the forward end, some of the flyer forwards will give a lot of value for little cost.

Rosters on most sites play one goalie and two each at LW, RW, C, and D. When making your daily fantasy hockey team lineup, start at the goalie position. Remember, it's just for one night, so it's very essential you identify who is starting. Several websites offer starting goalie information that is fairly reliable. For the best information, go to the local sources for that team, as they'll often post it on a blogsite, Twitter, or even on the team's homepage. If you can find value at this position, go for it. Usually, NHL teams will have a backup start against a weaker opponent. Backups tend to come at a lower cost, so you can make out if you play this right. For example, on Fanduel, a top goalie like Miller or Luongo may cost 8K of your 55K cap. You might get a starting backup on a good team for 3K or 4K, which obviously leaves room to add better options on offense.

Next, identify the two cheapest defensemen that have hopes of getting you points. In general, defensemen produce 1/2 as much in points as forwards, so you're wasting your money by placing a mid to top level defenseman on your roster. One thing to look for on defense is penalty minutes. While points from the D are hard to predict, penalty minutes are more predictable.

After filling your crease and blueline, it's time to spend your money where it matters most—on offense. Start from the bottom going up, and identify one or two players you can accept at a lower price. Next, add a couple of high end forwards to the mix. Finally, play around with the last couple of spots with what you have left. Once you've completed your roster, check how much cap space you have remaining. Take a look at each of your cheaper options and see how much of an upgrade you make with what you have left.





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