3 NHL FanDuel Studs to Target on 1/20/21
Spending up in any daily fantasy lineup is how to get the superstars and the highest upside players in your lineup. In NHL DFS, it’s different from 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.
Wednesday night features five contests. Let's take a look at what studs we may find.
John Tavares, Center, Toronto Maple Leafs
FanDuel Salary: $8,400
While most people are talking about Connor McDavid and how much the Edmonton Oilers have struggled at home, John Tavares is off to another nice start for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The key is the minutes have been more manageable for the center, as he has not played 20+ minutes in any contest. He has 4+ shots on net in every game and three power-play goals overall. Furthermore, the even-strength chances have been there even if the conversions have not -- yet.
Toronto's top power play unit against the Oilers' penalty kill minus Oscar Klefbom is still an attractive matchup. This is a game that is expected to feature goals and an over/under of 6.5 was not a surprise. The Maple Leafs can easily top 35+ shots (Edmonton allows 36.3 per game) in this tilt and the potential for Tavares to have 5+ shots on net is definitely elevated.
Max Pacioretty, Wing, Vegas Golden Knights
FanDuel Salary: $8,300
Do not overthink too much -- Max Pacioretty has 5+ shots in each of his three games. Having a goal in each contest for the Vegas Golden Knights helps but Pacioretty has set up quite a few high-danger chances that have not gone in the net. Vegas did start a little slow against the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night but the expectation is that they come out of the gates a bit faster tonight.
The Golden Knights are expected to fire more shots on net against an Arizona team that yields 32.3 shots per game. Vegas is also due on their man advantage, which has not scored in the first three outings. Pacioretty has had several high-danger chances, and at some point, one should go in.
Brent Burns, Defenseman, San Jose Sharks
FanDuel Salary: $6,500
Trying to figure out whether Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo will produce more points will be a season-long dilemma. In the meantime, Brent Burns turned back the clock a little against the St. Louis Blues on Monday night with a goal and two assists. The San Jose Sharks match up well against St. Louis. They will allow plenty of chances and Burns can create them with that shot of his.
Burns is a more risky stud play than most on Wednesday night. With goaltending a bit dicey on this five-game slate, opting for a little more offensive force from the blueline cannot hurt. Also, the San Jose defenseman is on the ice for 27 minutes a night, which means more opportunities. This is a classic case of pick and pick-upon. One final note...Burns' shot created several rebound opportunities for San Jose players on Monday and one led to a goal directly.
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.
