If you follow the NHL, you already know all of the top players. Obviously, when playing DFS, those 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.

Tyler Johnson, Center, Tampa Bay Lightning

FanDuel Price: $4,800

Tyler Johnson remains on the top line for the Tampa Bay Lightning as he skates with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. This is obviously a fantastic position to be in, and although he does not join them on the top power-play unit, the upside even at even strength is too high to ignore.

Johnson does play on the second power-play unit as the Lightning host the New York Rangers tonight. The Lightning have a 26.2 percent success rate with the man advantage, which ranks fourth in the NHL, and although that is mostly the first unit, Johnson's presence on the second unit is a bonus.

Nikolaj Ehlers, Winger, Winnipeg Jets

FanDuel Price: $4,900

For a player that has 7 goals and 14 points in 19 games, this price tag seems absurdly low for Nikolaj Ehlers. In addition, he is averaging over three shots per game, which increases not only his floor but his upside too. I guess the main factor is that he is pointless in his last five games, so FanDuel has depressed his price.

Ehlers is going to play on a line with Blake Wheeler and Jack Roslovic at even strength, and he has a spot on the team's second power-play unit. The two units are pretty balanced in terms of talent, but there is a clear divide in ice time, which Ehlers unfortunately falls victim to.

Ondrej Kase, Winger, Anaheim Ducks

FanDuel Price: $3,600

Here we go again. Somehow Ondrej Kase has just one goal this season, that could be partly due to the fact that he has just 33 shots in 14 games. This is a far cry from his three-plus shots per game he averaged last season. However, his shooting percentage is just 3 percent this season, compared to 11.7 percent last season and 13.7 two seasons ago. We should see some positive regression here over the coming weeks.

This is an interesting matchup as the Anaheim Ducks host the San Jose Sharks — a team allowing 3.53 goals against per game, which is the fifth-most in the NHL. Kase remains on a line with Ryan Getzlaf and Nick Ritchie at even strength, and the line remains intact on the power play as well.

Darnell Nurse, Defense, Edmonton Oilers

FanDuel Price: $4,000

Darnell Nurse is a solid play each and every game because he contributes across the board at a pretty cheap price tag. He has 8 points, 37 shots, and 33 blocks in 20 games this season. While those are all below his numbers from last season, there is still some hope that they will increase on an Edmonton Oilers team that has been surprisingly good.

Like many others on this list, Nurse plays on the team's second power-play unit, which is also a reason that his price is lower than it probably should be. That means more on this team, as the top power-play unit plays almost the entire thing, so Nurse may only get limited time on the power play.

Filip Hronek, Defense, Detroit Red Wings

FanDuel Price: $4,200

(Update: Hronek was held out of practice today, though he not been declared out yet).

After putting up 23 real-life points in 46 games last season, Filip Hronek has maintained the same 0.5 points per game pace this season, with 10 points in 20 games. However, his five goals from last season have almost been matched as Hronek has already put the puck in the net four times this season. His shot rate is up from 1.59 shots per game as a rookie to 2.20 as a sophomore. In addition, his 0.7 blocks per game are up to 1.25 per game — all of this is likely due to going from 19:58 minutes per game to 22:33 minutes per game.

Hronek's increased ice-time and responsibility has been a positive development for him. The Detroit Red Wings visit the Los Angeles Kings tonight — a team that has a 71.9 percent penalty kill (30th) and allows 3.72 goals against per game (30th). This is a great spot for Hronek to flash some of his offensive ability.

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.