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.
Cody Eakin, Center, Vegas Golden Knights
FanDuel Price: $3,700
The Vegas Golden Knights shook their lines up a few games ago and that has led to Cody Eakin playing on the second line at even strength. He is playing with two fantastic wingers in Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault. Eakin is riding a three-game point streak in which he has scored and put up five shots on goal in back-to-back games.
The Knights have a home matchup against a San Jose Sharks team that have turned their early-season struggles around a bit. However, Tomas Hertl wasn't at the morning skate for the Sharks which would be a big blow and is something to keep an eye on leading up to the game. That would boost the Knights even further.
Josh Anderson, Winger, Columbus Blue Jackets
FanDuel Price: $3,600
After putting up 27 goals last season, this has been a disaster for Josh Anderson this year. He has just 1 goal in 14 games after getting hurt in the second game of the season. He hasn't really found his game at all this season and has bounced up and down the lineup and in and out of the power play.
Tonight the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Detroit Red Wings in a fantastic matchup for Anderson. Now, it's unknown if he'll remain on the fourth line, but even if he does he played over 16 minutes last game so it is not a true fourth-line role. Anderson is averaging 3.5 shots per game and has a horrendous 3.3 percent shooting percentage which is much lower than his career 11.1 percent mark. We should see some progression with his shooting percentage and you want to try and get on it as he breaks out, not after he does and his price rises.
Andreas Athanasiou, Winger, Detroit Red Wings
FanDuel Price: $4,700
On the other side of this matchup, Andreas Athanasiou has seen his game really pick up as of late. It actually coincides with the Red Wings picking up Robby Fabbri in a trade. The two are centered by Valtteri Filppula at even strength, and Athanasiou plays on the second power-play unit. Athanasiou has four goals and five points over his last five games which is a nice little stretch for a player that started the season with just 3 points in his first 11 games.
The price isn't a fantastic discount or anything, but Athanasiou ranks fifth among wingers in points-per-dollar, as per our projections, which makes him a great value play.
Shea Theodore, Defense, Vegas Golden Knights
FanDuel Price: $4,700
Another player that was off to a slow start is Shea Theodore. However, he has managed to pick up points in three straight games, and four of his last five. In addition, he's been shooting more lately averaging 2.7 shots per game over his last seven compared to 2.35 over the course of the season. Just a small uptick.
Theodore plays on the second power-play unit for the Knights and it's a power play that has been strong this season. Vegas is converting on 23.7 percent of their opportunities which ranks sixth in the NHL.
Sergei Bobrovsky, Goaltender, Florida Panthers
FanDuel Price: $7,800
The 10 Million Dollar Man has struggled immensely for the Florida Panthers. He has just a 3.43 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage which is horrendous. However, he has a solid matchup tonight as the Panthers host the Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks have scored just 2.68 goals per game which ranks 25th in the NHL. In addition, the Ducks have an abysmal power play as their 10.2 percent conversion rate ranks 30th. The Panthers have the highest implied-goal total on the slate at 3.65 and they are the second-largest favorites sitting at -180.
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.