Underdog Fantasy NHL Picks November 16th: Bryan Rust takes aim at the New Jersey Devils
Welcome into NHL player projections central for the season on Underdog Fantasy! Player projections are becoming one of the hottest growing things in hockey over the past few seasons and I have definitely taken notice as it adds yet another layer to a great game experience. Throughout this season you will find picks offered on the Underdog site that I find the most appealing as there are many to choose from so that's why I'm here to help you sift through the options.
For today's slate, we have 9 games on tap around the NHL and plenty of options for player props! I have highlighted a trio of plays that I will be following tonight that includes 3 players around the league for the St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins! Good luck to everyone on the plays tonight, let's win some cheddar!
NHL Underdog Fantasy Top Picks November 16
Jakub Vrana, St. Louis Blues - HIGHER than 2.0 Shots On Goal
Until the other shoe drops or skate I should say I am targeting Vrana with shots plays. He is now higher than 2 shots on goal in 7 of the last 10 games with a push and seems to have found himself right in the middle of the Blues overall hot streak. Fortune should continue tonight as well with Vrana heading to take on the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks allow 37.94 shots per game and that is the most in the NHL by a wide margin, sign me up big time on this play today.
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning - HIGHER than 4.0 Shots on Goal
If you have been following along with this article then you know that Kuch has been responsible for a lot of winning plays this season and tonight we go back to that well. The Lightning may be stuck in the mud but it hasn't bothered their all star who is averaging 4.7 shots per game over the past 10 contests. He has hit the line of 4 in 5 of the last 7 games too with 2 pushes. The opponent in Chicago presents a juicy matchup too as they allow 34.69 shots per game, the 3rd most in the NHL.
Bryan Rust, Pittsburgh Penguins - HIGHER than 3.0 Shots on Goal
It's a major mismatch tonight with the Penguins playing the Devils for a Metro division battle! The Devils have been gutted down the middle lately with injuries to Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier out of the lineup and that means Sidney Crosby and his top line should have a field day! Enter Bryan Rust who looks fully back this season and its showing with him hitting higher than 3+ shots in 10 of 14 games so far this season. The Devils defense is also shaky lately allowing over 30 shots per game so let's get it again Rusty!
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Jahmyr Gibbs rushed 22 times for 67 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions’ Week 3 win over the Ravens, adding 32 yards on five receptions.
Gibbs handled 22 carries and six targets to the 13 opportunities of David Montgomery, but it was the latter back that stole the show while amassing 151 yards and two scores on the ground. Even so, the 28 opportunities were the most in a game in which Montgomery also was on the field during Gibbs’ three-year NFL career - a solid sign for what is to come for the talented back. Gibbs could find the sledding difficult again in Week 4 against a Cleveland defense leading the league in yards allowed per carry through three games.
David Montgomery rushed 12 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions’ Week 3 win over the Ravens, adding 13 yards on one reception.
Montgomery played well behind backfield mate Jahmyr Gibbs as far as snap rate and opportunity count are concerned. He put the Lions on his back when it mattered most, however, with carries of 72 yards and 31 yards in the fourth quarter, the latter of which put the Lions up by 14 points with under two minutes to play as he found paint for the second time. The bulk of Montgomery’s fantasy value remains tied to his high touchdown expectancy in one of the league’s top offenses, making him a more difficult weekly start than others drafted around him this offseason.
Jared Goff completed 20-of-28 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown in the Lions’ 38-80, Week 3 win over the Lions, adding six yards on four carries.
Goff’s 28 pass attempts were a product of the team’s successes on the ground, with David Montgomery (151 yards and two touchdowns) and Jahmyr Gibbs (67 yards and two touchdowns) taking over the game in the second half. The veteran signal caller made numerous elite throws, the highlight of which came on fourth down with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when he dropped a dime into the bread basket of alpha wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. That drive would eventually culminate in a 31-yard Montgomery touchdown to push the lead to 14 points, a lead the Lions would not relinquish as they vault into a tie atop the NFC North with the Packers and Vikings. Up next for Goff and the Lions is a matchup against the surprisingly stout Cleveland defense in Week 4.
Ronald Acuña Jr. walloped his 19th home run of the season and walked three times, leading Atlanta to an 11-5 blowout win over the Nationals.
Acuña has caught fire down the home stretch following a prolonged slump coming out of the All-Star break, homering four times in his last 11 games. The 27-year-old generational talent took Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore deep in the opening frame and wound up reaching base safely in four of his six plate appearances in the one-sided affair. He’s looked like a fantasy superstar again of late, batting an absurd .346 (18-for-52) with four homers, 13 RBI and two steals over his last 15 games.
Nasim Nuñez went 3-for-4 with a solo homer in Monday’s blowout loss to Atlanta.
Nuñez walloped his first career leadoff homer when he took Atlanta ace Chris Sale deep to right field. It was his fourth round-tripper since returning to the big leagues back in early September. He came a few feet shy of his second big fly on the night a couple frames later and finished the one-sided affair with a season-high three hits, reaching base safely in four of his five plate appearances. He’s shown enough down the home stretch to be considered a serious contender for an everyday role next spring.
Michael Harris II went 3-for-5 with three RBI and three stolen bases in Monday’s lopsided win over the Nationals.
Harris kicked off an impressive three-hit performance with a 109-mph line-drive to right field that brought home Ha-Seong Kim from second base in the second inning. He scorched a run-scoring single as part of Atlanta’s five-run outburst in the ensuing frame. He wasn’t done yet as he drove in another run on a fielder’s choice in the fourth before adding a sixth-inning single. The three steals matched his previous career-high mark set back on July 16, 2022 during his stellar rookie campaign. It also puts him one theft shy of reaching the 20-steal threshold for the third time in the last four seasons.