NHL

5 NHL FanDuel Values to Target on 10/22/19

Ryan Sheppard Oct 22nd, 2019
Jeff Carter has the shot volume to produce a high-floor with a potentially high upside. What other value players should we consider tonight?

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.

Mikael Backlund, Center, Calgary Flames

FanDuel Price: $4,900

Centering the Calgary Flames second line, Mikael Backlund has a new-look line tonight. While Matthew Tkachuk remains as his left-winger, Austin Czarnik will take Michael Frolik's spot as the right-winger. This is an interesting matchup as the Flames host the Washington Capitals — a team that has a bit of a goaltending controversy to start the season.

Veteran Braden Holtby has an ugly 3.70 goals-against average (GAA) and a .878 save percentage (SV%) whereas rookie Ilya Samsonov 1.84 GAA and a .933 SV%. With Holtby starting tonight, this certainly favors Backlund and the Flames. One issue is Backlund doesn't get much time on the power play which means he'll have to do most of his damage at even strength

Kevin Labanc, Winger, San Jose Sharks

FanDuel Price: $4,900

He sits comfortably on the San Jose Sharks second line at even strength and after putting up 56 real-life points last season, Kevin Labanc bet on himself by signing a one-year, one million dollar contract. Well, he's certainly off to a slow start with two goals and three real-life points in eight games.

Labanc will play with Tomas Hertl and Evander Kane at even strength and that pair join Labanc, Logan Couture and Brent Burns to form the top power-play unit for the Sharks. There is so much firepower on this unit that it is surprising to see it ranked just 12th. They're taking on a surprising Buffalo Sabres team who have struggled on the penalty kill with just a 75 percent success rate.

Jeff Carter, Winger, Los Angeles Kings

FanDuel Price: $4,800

It may be a surprise to you, but the Kings are second in the NHL in shots-per-game. Jeff Carter has a very good 3.88 shots-per-game which is the best mark on the Los Angeles Kings despite having scored just one goal. He lines up on the Kings second line as well as on the second power-play unit which gives him ample opportunity to put the puck on net, and preferably in the net.

After allowing 14 goals against in their first three games, the Winnipeg Jets have settled down a bit allowing 19 goals against over the next 7 games. There are still lapses in the Jets game and their defense is still banged up.

Matt Dumba, Defense, Minnesota Wild

FanDuel Price: $4,200

This price is far too cheap for Mathew Dumba and the role he has on the Minnesota Wild. I know they're a terrible team, but Dumba is averaging 23:36 of ice-time per game on the teams second-pair at even strength. However, he also plays on the top power-play unit and second penalty-kill unit, so there is always a lot of ice-time for him.

The Wild host the NHL-best Edmonton Oilers — yes you read that correctly — a team that is also tied with the Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche for the NHL lead in points. Dumba is second on the team in shots and fourth in blocks, showing that he provides value outside of just real-life points.

Quinn Hughes, Defense, Vancouver Canucks

FanDuel Price: $3,900

Quinn Hughes has been pretty solid as a rookie and has managed to put up four points in eight games so far. He's averaging 20:40 of ice-time this season with 3:16 coming on the power play. This is good to see as they are giving ample opportunity to succeed. The power-play ice-time is sixth-highest on the team and second-most among all defensemen. He quarterbacks the second power-play unit for the most part but has spent the odd shift on the top unit.

The Detroit Red Wings have a struggling penalty kill as their 72.0 success rate ranks 25th. However, the Vancouver Canucks power hasn't been doing much damage either with just a 15.2 percent success rate which ranks 24th. So hopefully the Canucks and Hughes can get things going with the man advantage tonight.

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.