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 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's main slate has five games on the schedule. Let's look at some of those values!
Gabriel Vilardi, Center, Los Angeles Kings
FanDuel Salary: $3,300
So, there is little value on Wednesday night at the center position. But then there is Gabriel Vilardi.
Vilardi has double-digit FanDuel points in consecutive games. This includes a four-game real-world point streak. Now the center has seen a bump down in ice time to around 13 minutes a night in the last two outings but is still getting chances in the middle-six to generate opportunities. He is being actively line-matched to take advantage of the St. Louis Blues' glaring inefficiencies on team defense.
Vilardi has excelled against teams that have poor discipline. The Blues rank in the bottom third in minors taken and have a penalty kill which ranks 28th at just under 74% at home. If the center can park his big body in front of the net, that may give him some chances alone. His salary is extremely reasonable.
Elsewhere, Travis Boyd or Jason Spezza may be worth a swing from the Toronto Maple Leafs, but see who gets time on the power play first before making a decision. Finally, Trevor Zegras ($3,000) may be a last-ditch option from Anaheim.
Alexis Lafreniere, Wing, New York Rangers
FanDuel Salary: $3,600
The New York Rangers have had some awful luck when it comes to scoring goals and fielding a full lineup. It is hard to believe a team with that much talent is averaging just 2.44 goals per game on the season. Yet, here we are.
Alexis Lafreniere has been one of those unlucky players along with Kaapo Kakko. The scoring chances have been there but the conversion rate has been abysmal. New York ranks 27th in shooting percentage (7.7%). Contrast that with the Philadelphia Flyers, who top the league at almost 15%. Lafreniere scored on Monday and played 14 minutes. If he can just see some more consistent ice time in all phases, that would be an immense help. Maybe the Artemi Panarin leave of absence will help.
Philadelphia ranks 30th in shots and unblocked shots attempted, and they're in the bottom-third when it comes to high-danger chances yielded. Lafreniere's speed on the wings should be able to expose some of the Flyers' mobility issues tonight.
Ryan Hartman ranks as a dicey option from the Minnesota Wild middle-six and carries a salary of just $3,200.
Jonas Brodin, Defenseman, Minnesota Wild
FanDuel Salary: $4,000
Minnesota's injury and COVID issues have brought Jonas Brodin back to the front as far as defensive DFS choices tonight.
With the smaller slate and fewer options out there that fill out a good floor, Brodin has done something else that he used to do. Shoot the puck! The defenseman has fired three-plus shots on goal in five of his last six contests. Also, he has multiple blocked shots in several outings during this span. Garnering some built-in FanDuel points never hurts on a night where options are considerably limited in this spending tier.
As for alternatives, consider Chris Tanev as a possible category filler from the Calgary Flames at $3,700.
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.