NHL

3 NHL FanDuel Studs to Target on 2/28/20

Nick Vazquez  —  @nickvaz Feb 28th, 2020
Max Pacioretty has been shooting the puck a ton and has a nice matchup with Buffalo. Who else should you pay up for tonight?

Spending up in any daily fantasy sport is how to get the superstars and the highest upside players in your lineup. In NHL DFS, it’s different than paying up in sports like NBA or NFL. Someone can be one of the highest-priced players at his position and put up a total dud of a performance, and paying that much for him would be a huge mistake. Let’s make sure we are paying up in the right spots when building our lineups tonight.

We end the week with a smaller five game slate, but still have some stars we can look to target.

Sebastian Aho, Center, Carolina Hurricanes

FanDuel Salary: $7,900

Despite the Carolina Hurricanes getting a lot of publicity lately, it still feels like Sebastian Aho is not talked about enough. He's fifth in the NHL with 36 goals, ahead of established NHL superstars like Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov and Connor McDavid. Aho has been hot over the last 10 games, with 10 goals and 40 shots on goal in that span. He also is riding a 13-game point streak going into tonight's game.

The Hurricanes are at home tonight against the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche have been one of the league's better teams, but they have a long list of injuries. This includes starting goalie Philipp Grubauer, who will be on the shelf tonight. The Hurricanes have an implied team total over three goals, according to our daily fantasy matchup heat map. Aho has formed a great line with fellow Fin Teuvo Teravainen and second-year winger Andrei Svechnikov, making up a dangerous trio that teams will have to deal with.

Aho could continue to go under the radar tonight, but he really shouldn't. He is a great way to spend up when building lineups.

Max Pacioretty, Wing, Vegas Golden Knights

FanDuel Salary: $7,900

Max Pacioretty had a down season -- for him -- in his first year with the Vegas Golden Knights. That's not the case this year, as he's already surpassed the 30-goal mark. Pacioretty's season has been defined by shot volume. He ranks behind just Alex Ovechkin in shot attempts per 60 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick. He has been picking up the pace rather than slowing down as the season drags on, with nine goals and 45 shots on goal across his last 10 games.

Pacioretty and the Golden Knights get a good spot on Friday. They will host the Buffalo Sabres and are big -280 favorites. The Golden Knights also have an implied team total of 3.66, the highest on tonight's slate. The Sabres are in the bottom half of teams in goals against per game and shots against per game, per NHL.com.

Pacioretty is numberFire's highest-projected winger, and he is worth paying up for tonight. His shot floor makes him a great play for cash games.

Kris Letang, Defense, Pittsburgh Penguins

FanDuel Salary: $6,800

Kris Letang joins Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby as the only remaining players on the Pittsburgh Penguins who have been on the team for the past three Stanley Cup wins. Letang has been providing offense from the blue line since he came into the league, and this year is no different as he ranks in the top 10 in points per game for defensemen. He has eight points in his last 10 games, as the return of Crosby and the new additions to the offense seem to have given the whole team a boost.

The Penguins are taking on the Anaheim Ducks on the road tonight. Despite being the visiting team, the Pens still are -195 favorites. The Ducks allow the seventh most goals per game, and that was before selling off some pieces at the trade deadline. The Penguins' implied goal total sits at 3.42, the second highest on the night.

Letang is our highest-projected defenseman, so if you are spending at the position, he is certainly one you should consider.


Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.