Some playoff pools may require you to pick players each round while others allow some adds. Then you could just be looking for a few players to use more than once in DFS. Whichever it is, here are some top pickups for the Western Conference Final between the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers.
Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid isn’t a shot out of left field, as he’s been the most dominant player in the playoffs thus far with seven goals and 26 points through 12 games. He clinched both the first round and second-round series for the Oilers and has taken over almost every game.
What is even more incredible is that 20 of his 26 points have come at even strength and he is a plus-19 in the playoffs. The Vezina Trophy finalist and highly touted defensive team in the Calgary Flames couldn’t stop him or the Oilers, so the Avalanche may have an even tougher time doing so. McDavid has 10 multi-point games already, and we will get to see what he can continue to do with Leon Draisaitl by his side.
Nathan MacKinnon
Nathan MacKinnon elevated his game to another level once Round 2 hit and finally helped push his team to the Conference Finals. He has points in all but two games this postseason, but he also recorded a hat trick and four points in between the two scoreless games.
The lines for the Avalanche have been switched up and he now has Artturi Lehkonen beside him rather than Mikko Rantanen. Lehkonen may not be as skilled, but he has been able to find the net more and it has spread the scoring out for the team. Whether MacKinnon has dominant wingers or not, he can still take over and create scoring opportunities every shift.
Mikko Rantanen
Rantanen has been generally quiet this postseason as he has only scored one goal. He has gone on stretches like this in his career, but he is a prolific scorer and the goals should start coming soon to go with his many assists. Moved to the second line to play with Nazem Kadri and Valeri Nichushkin, he has two players who can put the puck in the back of the net and feed him the puck.
Previous seasons have seen Rantanen score five, six, and seven goals in 15 games or fewer, so he is a known playoff performer. Maybe a less defensive team like the Oilers can give him the spark to start contributing more goals for his team. Regardless, he is over a point per game player this season.
Zach Hyman
Zach Hyman really popped off in Round 2 for the Battle of Alberta where he scored in all five games for a total of six goals. He was also the best player in the series-clinching game in which he scored a goal and two assists while dominating at both ends.
Hyman was also elevated to the top line in an attempt to get the offence going which propelled his production even more. We could either see him start on the top line for the series with the Avalanche or find his way back soon if the offence is a little stale for the Oilers. Either way, Hyman has been able to produce wherever he is in the lineup and in any situation.
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