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.

Christian Dvorak, Center, Arizona Coyotes

FanDuel Price: $3,400

The price is cheap here and rightfully so. Christian Dvorak will play on the Arizona Coyotes second line at even strength with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz, which are fantastic linemates to have. However, his power-play time is inconsistent and somewhat unknown. The Coyotes have just seven goals in four games so expecting a massive offensive output is unrealistic.

The Winnipeg Jets have allowed 3.71 goals against per game which is the seventh-most in the NHL. However, a lot of that is Laurent Brossoit, as Connor Hellebuyck has been solid with a 2.50 goals-against average (GAA) and a .928 save percentage (SV%). Hellebuyck is expected to be in the net tonight which makes things a bit more difficult for the Coyotes.

Kasperi Kapanen, Winger, Toronto Maple Leafs

FanDuel Price: $4,200

The second line for the Toronto Maple Leafs is still looking to get going at even strength. Kasperi Kapanen is playing alongside John Tavares and Mitchell Marner, but Kapanen has managed just two assists and zero goals through six games this season. The Leafs are firing off 35.2 shots per game which is the fifth-most in the NHL and scoring 4.00 goals per game which is tied for the fourth-most in the NHL.

They'll take on the Minnesota Wild — a team allowing a modest 31.4 shots against per game but a disastrous 4.20 goals against per game which is the third-most in the NHL. Kapanen plays on the second power-play unit with some solid talent, though not as good as his even-strength linemates.

Ryan Dzingel, Winger, Carolina Hurricanes

FanDuel Price: $4,800

The Carolina Hurricanes end the slate against the Los Angeles Kings and Ryan Dzingel is the second-highest point-per-dollar winger value on the slate, per our projections. He is slated to play the wing on the Hurricanes third lien with Erik Haula and Martin Necas. In addition, he plays on the second power-play unit with Haula, Teuvo Teravainen, Andrei Svechnikov and Dougie Hamilton, which is quite the dynamic second power-play unit.

The Hurricanes generate 37.0 shots per game which is the third-best in the NHL. In addition, the opposing Kings allow an NHL-worst 5.20 goals against per game. The shot volume that Carolina produces puts them in a great spot against a team struggling to keep the puck out of the net.

Matt Dumba, Defense, Minnesota Wild

FanDuel Price: $4,300

Not only is Mathew Dumba the highest point-per-dollar defenseman value on the slate, per our projections, he the highest overall point-per-dollar skater on the slate. As mentioned above, the Wild are taking on the Leafs and Dumba plays on the top even-strength defense pairing along with the top power-play unit — a unit in which the Wild roll with two defensemen which is rare nowadays.

The Wild are scoring just 2.40 goals per game which is certainly troublesome, but the Leafs have allowed 3.50 goals against per game which is the 11th most. That is certainly not great, and something the Leafs need to work on moving forward.

Thatcher Demko, Goaltender, Vancouver Canucks

FanDuel Price: $7,500

For all of the attention the Detroit Red Wings top line has been getting — and rightfully so — they are just about the only thing that Detroit has going for them offensively. The rest of their numbers are pretty average at best which bodes well for Thatcher Demko despite having started just 10 games in the NHL.

Demko has been pretty hit-or-miss in the AHL posting a .911, .922 and .907 SV% in the AHL over his last three seasons. He was dominant at Boston College has he saw his .919 SV% in his rookie season increase to a .925 as a sophomore and finally a .935 in his third-and-final year at Boston College. However, this is a solid matchup for Demko to get back into things at the NHL level.

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.