Spending lower in any daily fantasy lineup is a way to incorporate some diversity into your lineup. In NHL DFS, there is typically more value in this strategy but also a good deal more risk. This is especially true on tonight's larger slate where there are lots of lower-salaried plays. Plugging in these options will afford more chances to play some studs as well.
Thursday night presents the first big slate of the DFS NHL season. Let's take a look at what values we may find.
Nick Schmaltz, Center, Arizona Coyotes
FanDuel Salary: $3,700
While most people are looking elsewhere, Nick Schmaltz and the Arizona Coyotes are at home against the San Jose Sharks. This was the same Sharks team that struggled in net all season and defensively. Adding Devan Dubnyk probably is not going to change too much with the core that is in place. Yes, Arizona was among the bottom third in scoring yet again last year. However, with a healthy Schmaltz, there is some encouraging promise.
His last game before a season-ending injury in March of 2020 was perhaps a harbinger of things to come. He scored twice and had four shots on goal. Schmaltz is expected to play on the top-line and get top power-play time, as well. The head injury looks to be a thing of the past.
Yegor Sharangowich, Center, New Jersey Devils
FanDuel Salary: $3,000
There was this KHL player who set the world on fire with nine goals in his first 14 games. Then, he came over to the New Jersey Devils' training camp with few expectations. Few thought Sharangowich would get a shot at making the team, but here we are. Not only did he crack the roster, but the young Russian will get some top-six ice time, as well.
The Boston Bruins may not see what is about to come. Sharangowich is a crafty player with a sharp release of his shot. He has just enough speed to be able to take advantage of bottom pairing defensive matchups. It will be intriguing to see how Lindy Ruff employs him over a full game. Does Sharangowich get some power-play time as well? That is an excellent question. Either way, his salary is at the bare minimum.
Jack Studnicka, Wing, Boston Bruins
FanDuel Salary: $3,800
Jack Studnicka gets the audition on the top line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. If he uses his speed and skating ability, Studnicka could find a nice little scoring niche in the early going. He had this opportunity last season during a David Pastrnak injury but did not fully take advantage of it.
The Bruins' top line has been one of the best when it comes to creating chances of all dangers the past several seasons. Studnicka should be able to ride those coattails on this night. The Devils' normal solace is a top-10 penalty kill, but Boston has a better success rate than most against the Devils over the last three campaigns. Studnicka should see enough ice time to justify his lower salary with ease.
Alec Martinez, Defenseman, Vegas Golden Knights
FanDuel Salary: $3,900
With the Vegas Golden Knights' decision to go with five defensemen, having a defenseman could be handy, as more ice time is expected to be allotted among this core. In his 10 games with Vegas, Martinez had one of the highest floors among DFS defensemen (fourth to be exact). His salary is low enough to easily place into any lineup.
Most forget he averaged around 21-22 minutes a night playing with Vegas, and that was with six defensemen. Martinez has a knack for getting shots on net along with his ability to block shots, so his potential for five shots and blocks combined is higher than most defensemen on this slate. Also, the rearguard had seven real-world points in the playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks before an injury slowed him down a bit.
Darcy Kuemper, Goalie, Arizona Coyotes
FanDuel Salary: $7,500
Kuemper averaged over 21 FanDuel points per contest last year for the Arizona Coyotes. Combine that with his current salary and matchup against the San Jose Sharks, and his roster percentage could see quite a boost tonight.
He only played 29 games during the 2020 NHL season but did rank in the top five in save percentage at .928. Kuemper also often faced 30-plus shots a night in the playoffs. If San Jose comes close to 30-35 shots tonight, Kuemper has the ability to shut things down and deliver a top-notch fantasy performance.
Chris Wassel is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Chris Wassel also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username chriswassel. 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.