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.
Alex Kerfoot, Center, Toronto Maple Leafs
FanDuel Price: $4,300
With John Tavares on the shelf, Alexander Kerfoot has stepped up as the Toronto Maple Leafs second line center. He's been playing with Mitchell Marner and Ilya Mikheyev at even strength while remaining situated on the team's second power-play unit. Kerfoot has managed 7 points in 13 games this season, which is pretty much what you'd expect from your typical third line center.
The Leafs host the Washington Capitals tonight, and while the Leafs have had a disappointing start to the season, they are still generating a ton of opportunities. They lead the NHL with a 62.1 CF/60 at even strength — adjusted for score and venue.
Mikael Granlund, Winger, Nashville Predators
FanDuel Price: $4,800
The Nashville Predators are a surprise right now in that they lead the entire NHL with a 4.09 goals-per-game average. Mikael Granlund hasn't exactly been lighting the lamp this season, as he has just 4 points in 11 games, but his spot on the team's second line at even strength is solid. He's lining up with Kyle Turris and Matt Duchene, which are solid linemates, though Turris has never really fit in well on this team.
He also slots in on the team's second power-play unit, which has been better than last year, but still not great. However, any improvement is solid, considering they finished dead last in power-play conversion rate last season.
Jakub Vrana, Winger, Washington Capitals
FanDuel Price: $4,900
On the other side of the above matchup, Jakub Vrana is in an intriguing spot. This should be a fairly high-scoring event, with both teams exchanging scoring chances. Vrana is playing on the second line at even strength with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson — a line that should see a lot of the Leafs second line.
He also plays on the second power-play unit, which isn't normally ideal on the Caps, considering how long the top unit stays out. However, Vrana is sixth in average power-play ice-time, which is number one after the top unit. Now, for comparison sake, Kuznetsov is fifth at 3:14 per game and Vrana in sixth at just 1:38, which clearly illustrates just how favorable the top unit is.
Darnell Nurse, Defense, Edmonton Oilers
FanDuel Price: $4,000
The Edmonton Oilers are one of the biggest surprises in the early part of this NHL season. They lead the NHL with an incredible 33.3 percent power-play success rate, which is clearly unsustainable, but still ridiculous to see. Their opponents — the Detroit Red Wings — have a horrible penalty kill rate as their 29th ranked PK kills off just 69.2 percent of their penalties.
While Darnell Nurse doesn't play on the top power-play unit, he does play on their second unit despite lack of playing time. The Oilers distribute their power-play units much like the Capitals in that their top unit all average over 3:20 with the man-advantage per game, and the sixth-highest is just 1:06 per game. Power play aside, Nurse has 8 points in 12 games — 7 of which are at even strength — while managing two shots and a hair under two blocks per game (24 and 23 respectively, in 12 games).
Connor Hellebuyck, Goaltender, Winnipeg Jets
FanDuel Price: $7,600
The actual price tag is somewhat cheap, but I believe Connor Hellebuyck is a massive value (note: he is currently unconfirmed). He is the 11th-priced goaltender on the slate, but projected for the 6th-most fantasy points and is the 6th-highest points-per-dollar play for goaltenders, according to our projections.
He takes on an Anaheim Ducks team that ranks dead last with just 2.39 goals-per-game. The Winnipeg Jets, on the other hand, average 3.29 goals-per-game, which is the seventh-most in the NHL. This is what makes it surprising that the Ducks are -115 favorites.
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.