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
Ryan Strome, Center, New York Rangers
FanDuel Price: $5,100
Going to the New York Rangers seems to have been a bit of a career rejuvenation for Ryan Strome. Well, it is probably that Artemi Panarin came to the Rangers, and Strome is reaping the benefits. He is on pace for 72 points, 22 more points than his previous career high.
The Rangers are a team that has a lot of nice pieces and are probably set up really well for the future -- Strome is along for the ride. He also plays on the Rangers' top power-play unit, which ranks eighth in the NHL, converting on 22.2 percent of their opportunities.
Brett Connolly, Winger, Florida Panthers
FanDuel Price: $3,700
The Florida Panthers will be without Aleksander Barkov tonight as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, so there will be a bit of extra weight expected from the Panthers' second line. Brett Connolly will skate with Vincent Trocheck and Mike Hoffman at even strength and will have a role on the Panthers' second power-play unit.
The Panthers are tied with the Leafs as the second-highest scoring teams in the NHL, averaging 3.60 goals per game. The Leafs will be rolling with Frederik Andersen tonight, a goalie that was struggling heading into the All-Star break -- though he's performed better in the two games since.
Filip Hronek, Defense, Detroit Red Wings
FanDuel Price: $4,000
In his second season in the NHL, Filip Hronek has taken a large leap forward. The 22-year-old has increased his per-game averages for goals, points, shots and blocks, as he's taken over the quarterbacking duties on the Detroit Red Wings' top power-play unit.
However, the Red Wings have the 29th-ranked power play, converting on just 14.6 percent of their opportunities, so perhaps being the power-play quarterback isn't that great. Still, it puts Hronek in a very favorable situation against the middle-of-the-road penalty kill of the Philadelphia Flyers.
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.