If you follow the NHL, you already know all of the top players. Obviously, when playing DFS, these players will come at a high cost. In this article, we are looking to find the cheaper value plays to help you afford the superstars.
Michael Ferland, Winger, Vancouver Canucks
FanDuel Price: $4,400
Michael Ferland is playing his first season for the Vancouver Canucks and currently slotted on the second line at even strength alongside Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson.
They are taking on a Los Angeles Kings that is on the tail-end of a back-to-back after defeating the Calgary Flames in overtime last night. The Kings were dominant to start the game outshooting Calgary 20-3 in the first period and then 30-15 through two periods. We'll see if they overexerted themselves last night as they head to Vancouver this evening.
Ferland has the third-highest FanDuel points projection as well as having far-and-away the best value ranking. However, it's worth noting that while he was initially on the second power-play unit, that's no longer the case.
Nikita Gusev, Winger, New Jersey Devils
FanDuel Price: $4,300
The first-year NHLer has already floated up and down the lineup from the first line to the fourth line. However tonight Nikita Gusev back on the top line and this line is stacked. He is expected to play on a line that is centered by Nico Hischier with Taylor Hall flanking the other wing.
Gusev led the KHL last season in points — quite easily — as he cleared second place by 13 points. The 27-year-old is not like many NHL rookies as he is quite a bit older than your typical 18-21-year-old rookie. As he continues to get accustomed to the league, we should see his offensive numbers increase.
He plays on the second power-play unit which is obviously not as great, but at least he is seeing time with the man advantage which is always encouraging.
Quinn Hughes, Defenseman, Vancouver Canucks
FanDuel Price: $4,100
We have another Canucks skater, but on just a three games late, the value plays were somewhat limited. However, Quinn Hughes does stick out as the rookie has the fourth-highest projected FanDuel points total as well as the second-highest value rating among defensemen.
Much like the other two mentioned above, he doesn't play on the top power-play unit but he does quarterback the second unit which gives him upside. With a tired Kings team in town, he could utilize his skill set to take advantage of this.
In 2018-2019, the Kings had just a 76.5 percent success rate killing off penalties which was the third-worst mark in the NHL. With little changing from a personnel standpoint, the Kings PK could be just as bad with Hughes hopefully taking advantage.
Ryan Sheppard is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Ryan Sheppard also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username donkshow_. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.