Squad Up Daily NHL Fantasy Dose: Lightning will strike versus Maple Leafs

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Thursday, March 16 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

C Brayden Point (42K) & RW Nikita Kucherov (86K), Lightning (vs. Maple Leafs): The Leafs were torched for seven goals by the Panthers in their last outing. They have always struggled on this southeast road trip and that will likely continue considering Tampa is 12-2-3 in their last 17 games. Toronto also has the third-highest xGA60 (expected goals against per 60 minutes).

C Connor McDavid (80K) & LW Patrick Maroon (39K), Oilers (vs. Bruins): McDavid and the Oilers will take on a tired Bruins squad that played in Calgary on Wednesday night. Tuukka Rask will be rested and ready to go, but McDavid, the NHL's points leader, should still have a good night. Maroon has been on the receiving end of McDavid's playmaking ability, as he sits third on the team with 21 goals.

C Nicklas Backstrom (64K) & LW Alex Ovechkin (85K), Capitals (vs. Predators): Washington bounced back nicely from a rough stretch on the California road trip, defeating Minnesota 4-2 on Tuesday. The Caps are 28-6-1 at home, while Nashville is just 14-16-4 on the road. Ovechkin has nine goals in 14 career games vs. the Preds.

Goalie Breakdown

TARGET - Jonathan Quick (113K), Kings (vs. Sabres): Quick has gone 4-1-1 with a .916 SV% since returning from injury, allowing more than two goals in just one outing. A shutout is always possible, especially considering the Sabres generate only 2.34 xGF60 (expected goals for per 60 minutes).

BARGAIN - Steve Mason (78K), Flyers (at Devils): Mason picked up a shutout on Wednesday against the Penguins. Desperate for wins, the Flyers will likely turn to him on the second game of a back-to-back. This is usually a cause for concern, but Mason only faced 23 shots last night and New Jersey has the second-worst xGF60 in the league.

FADE - Darcy Kuemper (104K), Wild (at Hurricanes): Though he plays for a great team, Kuemper hasn't been sharp when called upon this season, with a 3.21 GAA on the year. His price is inflated versus a bottom-tier Carolina offense, but they did put up eight goals on Monday against the Islanders.

CONTRARIAN - Carter Hutton (75K), Blues (at Sharks): Hutton hasn't played much lately, but he has been effective when he has. He has three shutouts and a .949 SV% in his last six starts, but he will be faded by most against the high-powered Sharks.

Bargain Plays

RW Oliver Bjorkstrand (29K), Blue Jackets (vs. Panthers): Bjorkstrand is fifth in the NHL with 5.2 iSCF60 (individual scoring chances for per 60 minutes). Lately, he has been capitalizing on these opportunities, potting three goals and adding two assists in his last five games.

RW Joshua Ho-Sang (32K), Islanders (vs. Jets): It took Ho-Sang a few games to get his feet wet, but the rookie is now flourishing. He has four points in as many games and has a juicy matchup against the Jets, who struggle to keep the puck out of their own net.

LW Remi Elie (26K), Stars (at Canucks): Sitting third in the league in iSCF is Elie, though he has only played four games on the year, picking up a goal and an assist. His value stems from playing on Dallas' top line along with Jason Spezza and Tyler Seguin.

Top Fades

LW Alex Killorn (47K), Lightning (vs. Maple Leafs): Killorn has gone 10 games without a point. He has had five games during that span where he took one or zero shots on goal. He isn't worth the mid-tier salary. He leads the pack, without a doubt, of players you can live without.

C Derick Brassard (54K), Senators (vs. Blackhawks): Brassard has just two points in his last nine games. He has had a poor offensive season, but still comes with an expensive price tag. Don't bother drafting him against the Blackhawks.

RW Kyle Palmieri (71K), Devils (vs. Flyers): Palmieri has developed into a reliable top-six forward, but there is no reason for him to be more expensive than players like Vladimir Tarasenko.

Contrarian Options

C Henrik Sedin (56K) & LW Daniel Sedin (63K), Canucks (vs. Stars): Dallas has the second-worst xGA60 in the NHL. Both of their goaltenders are terrible. The Sedins are shadows of their former selves, but they still have the chemistry to carve out multi-point games.

C Leon Draisaitl (51K), Oilers (vs. Bruins): With a tough matchup and teammate Connor McDavid listed at the same position -- albeit at a more expensive price -- Draisaitl will likely have low ownership. He plays RW on McDavid's line and has been remarkably consistent, with 23 goals and 33 assists on the year.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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