Spending lower in any daily fantasy lineup is a way to incorporate some diversity into your roster. 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 you more chances to play some studs, as well.
Wednesday night has two games overall on the slate. Let's hunt for values!
Jason Spezza, Center, Toronto Maple Leafs
FanDuel Salary: $3,500
Center is a tough position tonight, but Jason Spezza offers a different kind of hope. He plays bottom-six minutes at even strength but is sheltered well enough. Also, he sees a few minutes of power-play time, mostly on the second unit, and that is with John Tavares and William Nylander at times. Those two are no slouches, which sets up well for Spezza.
The biggest risk is that Spezza plays about 11 minutes per night typically. That will limit his chances created, but he still has enough opportunities on the man advantage to merit a play or two. He is a cheap player to stack when running out of salary.
Sean Kuraly ($3,600) might be a bottom-six value play on this night, but there is little value from the pivot on Wednesday night.
Kaapo Kakko, Wing, New York Rangers
FanDuel Salary: $3,700
The New York Rangers forward has not enjoyed this second year as much as, say, Jack Hughes. However, he did play a season-high 17 minutes on Monday night. It was encouraging that he created three scoring chances and had two shots on goal.
Kakko has looked a little more sure of himself with the puck and has been able to win battles a little better in the corners. This has led to better chances in the "royal road" for him and his teammates. It has not translated into better production, but the expectation is that it could.
Nick Ritchie ($4,200) is still enjoying top-six opportunities for Boston. Corey Perry ($3,600) is a high-risk choice from Montreal.
Ben Chiarot, Defenseman, Montreal Canadiens
FanDuel Salary: $3,800
The defensive ideal is to look at lower-salaried players with good floors. Ben Chiarot has a solid one and has had three-plus shots on net in four of his previous five starts. Chiarot sprinkles a decent number of blocks, as well, and gains a few scoring chances while playing on the top-pairing at even strength. Those extra minutes inevitably create an opportunity where he may stumble into an assist.
With these lower salaries, it is important to look at players who are returning. Matthew Grzelcyk from the Boston Bruins may be an under-the-radar choice. He did see power-play time and had three real-world points in four-plus games before his injury.
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.