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.
Jack Hughes, Center, New Jersey Devils
FanDuel Price: $4,400
Tonight is a very small slate with just two games. Normally I wouldn't want to target players on the road against the Colorado Avalanche, but Jack Hughes' price is very reasonable considering his role on the team. However, much like the rest of the New Jersey Devils, he has under-performed.
Still, he plays on the top line at even strength alongside Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri, and he is currently slated to be on the second power-play unit, though I would anticipate that he possibly ends up on the top unit. Either way, he's a decent value option on this small slate.
Joonas Donskoi, Winger, Colorado Avalanche
FanDuel Price: $5,100
With both Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog back, the top line that would usually be centered by Nathan MacKinnon has been split up. Instead, you'll have Joonas Donskoi playing with MacKinnon and Andre Burakovsky, while the other line will see Nazem Kadri centering Landeskog and Rantanen.
This is great for Donskoi as there was concern he would lose some value off of MacKinnon's wing. Donskoi should continue to be a solid value option.
Nate Schmidt, Defense, Vegas Golden Knights
FanDuel Price: $4,200
Nate Schmidt has 13 points in 22 games to go along with 44 shots and 35 blocks. These numbers give him not only a solid floor but also a very high ceiling. The Vegas Golden Knights have a difficult matchup as they head to Dallas to take on the Stars, but Schmidt can contribute outside of his offensive numbers.
Schmidt plays on the team's second power-play unit, giving him a bit more upside as their power play has been solid, converting on 21.9 percent of their opportunities, the ninth-best rate in the NHL.
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.