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.
Lucas Wallmark, Center, Carolina Hurricanes
FanDuel Price: $3,200
Lucas Wallmark centers the third line at even strength with Ryan Dzingel and Martin Necas. In addition, he spends time on the Carolina Hurricanes second power-play unit. This is certainly great tonight as the New York Rangers penalty kill ranks 24th with just a 74.1 percent kill rate.
The Hurricanes are averaging 3.42 goals per game (7th) while the Rangers are allowing 3.50 goals against per game (29th). The Rangers have been so bad defensively this season, while the Hurricanes are a possession monster with their 55.45 Corsi For % (CF%) ranking first while the Rangers 42.81 CF% ranks last
Nikolaj Ehlers, Winger, Winnipeg Jets
FanDuel Price: $4,900
With 11 goals and 18 points in 24 games, this price tag seems bizarre for Nikolaj Ehlers. He not only plays on the Winnipeg Jets second line at even strength, NS he is also firmly planted on the team's second power-play unit.
The matchup is a little tougher against the surging San Jose Sharks — a team that is 9-1-0 in their last 10 games, but Ehlers still has plenty of upside here.
Oskar Lindblom, Winger, Philadelphia Flyers
FanDuel Price: $4,400
He's pointless in each of his last four games, and six of his last seven, but Oskar Lindblom has averaged 3.29 shots per game over that stretch, so he is still putting up some FanDuel points. He plays on a solid second line at even strength with Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek.
This line actually remains intact as the Philadelphia Flyers second power-play unit. The Flyers power play is decent, ranked 12th in the NHL and the Columbus Blue Jackets penalty kill ranks 19th.
Tyson Barrie, Defense, Toronto Maple Leafs
FanDuel Price: $4,500
In the two games since Sheldon Keefe has taken over the coaching duties for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tyson Barrie has scored in each game and added an assist for three points. He has fired off six shots and is also playing on the teams' top power-play unit.
Tonight is a fantastic matchup as the Leafs take on the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings are allowing 3.73 goals against per game, which is the most in the NHL. They also have the 27th ranked penalty kill which is successful just 73.5 percent of the time.
Ryan Pulock, Defense, New York Islanders
FanDuel Price: $4,500
When Ryan Pulock isn't putting up points, he contributes plenty in shots on goal and blocked shots. He has just 10 points in 22 games which isn't great, but he's also averaging 2.18 shots per game and 1.95 blocks per game which increases not only his floor, but his upside as well.
Pulock plays on the New York Islanders top power-play unit which is a great spot tonight as the Los Angeles Kings have a horrific penalty kill. Their PK ranks 27th, successfully killing just 72.7 of their penalties.
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.