The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are officially underway starting today and there’s plenty of action to go around. When it comes to daily fantasy sports, making some smart selections can go a long way. Here are our recommendations for May 2, 2022. All totals are for DraftKings DFS lineups.
DFS Picks
All picks provided are suggestions made using our betting analysis. The Win Column is not responsible for any decisions made—financial or otherwise—based on information or outbound links found on thewincolumn.ca.
Robert Thomas – C – $4,500
Just as he was underrated all season, Robert Thomas is underrated going into the postseason in daily fantast formats. $4,500 is a bargain for Thomas on a four-game night. He costs out as the 13th most expensive option at centre for tonight’s games which just seems absurd. He’s even cheaper than the likes of Phillip Danault.
Thomas posted 77 points in 72 games this season, and has fully claimed the top centre spot in the St. Louis Blues lineup. Better yet, he finished the season as perhaps the hottest player in the NHL by getting at least one point in 17 of his final 20 games. Across those 20 games, he went without a shot just twice.
Thomas is cheap, is likely a rare pick, and provides massive value considering his price. He’s a great option to look at for tonight’s slate of games.
Tyson Barrie – D – $4,200
Tyson Barrie may have seen his point production fall dramatically compared to last season’s torrid pace; however, he finished the regular season on an absolute heater which bodes well for his production going into the playoffs.
Barrie finished off the regular season with five points in his final six games, including points in all but one of those games. He also registered 14 shots over that span including a six shot night on April 24.
He may be playing on the team’s third pairing, however he still has his spot on the Edmonton Oilers’ insane top power play unit which ranked third in the NHL. Even better news is the fact the Los Angeles Kings finished 22nd in the league on the penalty kill. It’ll be a hostile environment for a very young Kings team tonight in a sold out Rogers Place, so there could be some penalty trouble looming and the Oilers and Barrie will no doubt take advantage.
Andrei Vasilevskiy – G – $7,800
It seems insane to even need to suggest the back-to-back Stanley Cup winning goalie as a recommended pick on night one of the playoffs, however Andrei Vasilevskiy goes into tonight as the third cheapest starting goalie available in DFS. His $7,800 price tag sits below even Antti Raanta and Linus Ullmark.
For the price you’re paying, Vasilevskiy is a no-brainer. Sure he’s going into Toronto against the high powered Toronto Maple Leafs offence, but the Lightning smacked the Maple Leafs in their last match up just under two weeks ago.
The Lightning also scored at least four goals in eight of their final nine games to close out the regular season, so you know he’s going to get plenty of run support. Typically that’s all a goalie like Vasilevskiy needs. Also there’s the whole Toronto factor and the fact they’ve lost Game 1 in four of their last five playoff series.
Bets to consider
Currently, there are a couple good lines out there that provide good value. All lines are from Bet 365. Let’s take a look at what is out there.
1) TBL to win series (+100)
The Tampa Bay Lighting are under dogs to beat a team that has failed to make it out of the first round in five straight years. But this isn’t even about the history of the teams. I believe Tampa Bay is just a better team. Toronto has some high powered offence, but so do the Lightning. Tampa Bay has stronger defence, and they have much better goaltending. Tampa Bay should not be underdogs, plain and simple. I was able to get this bet at +105, however the lines have been shifting, so if you decide to play this, act quick.
2) BOS to win series (-110)
Earlier, the odds for BOS to win their series was at +100. The market seems to be adjusting; however, as long as Boston has the same odds as Carolina to win the series, I think there is some value. Carolina is a really good team, there is no doubt about it.
However, Carolina would be a much stronger team if Vezina candidate Frederik Andersen was healthy. He did skate on Sunday, however he will not be starting Game 1 which is a huge opportunity for Boston. On top of this, Raanta is a good goalie, but he has not had his luck with injuries as well. Simply put, he is nowhere near the level that Frederik Andersen is on. Boston would be a good pick to favour winning this series.
