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 a big slate for DFS players. It is time to hunt for some values.

[Editor's note: The San Jose Sharks-Vegas Golden Knights game has been postponed.]

Teddy Blueger, Center, Pittsburgh Penguins

FanDuel Salary: $3,700

So, we look all over the place for values, and the emergence of Teddy Blueger as a middle-six value option has been intriguing. He has 11 real-world points (six in five games versus the Washington Capitals) on the season and has been around double-digit FanDuel points over his last four.

Value centers are a bit light on this night. The fact that Blueger occasionally sees some power-play time and gets around 15 minutes of ice time a night is good for creating chances. His shot volume can be erratic (11 shots over the previous 10 games), but his elevated chances for a goal or assist -- along with his low salary -- makes him an appealing option.

Carl Soderberg ($3,400) is a high-risk pick on Thursday as he has found time on the power-play and is being utilized as a netfront presence for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Blake Coleman, Wing, Tampa Bay Lightning

FanDuel Salary: $4,100

Until Tampa Bay can get a little healthier, it is a good thing they have a versatile winger like Blake Coleman. Coleman can play anywhere in the top or bottom six and finds himself in the top-six again tonight. He has played 17-plus minutes in three of his last four starts. Furthermore, he has double-digit FanDuel points in consecutive games. Opportunities were plentiful in the last two games versus Carolina. Coleman scored one goal and nearly had a couple of assists with three quality scoring chances.

The Lightning have a ton of scoring depth, and it seems to come in waves. It is little surprise they won the Stanley Cup last season. What is nice is that Coleman is still just low enough in salary that we can roster him and feel pretty good about him exceeding value. Expect three-plus shots on goal and maybe a blocked shot or two.

Nick Ritchie, Wing, Boston Bruins

FanDuel Salary: $4,000

Nick Ritchie keeps finding ways to stay fantasy relevant for the Boston Bruins. In his last four contests, he has two in which he totaled at least 20 FanDuel points. It is hard to believe that the middle-six winger has been this consistent this long into the 2020-21 NHL season.

The danger with Ritchie is always the nagging fear of when -- not if -- he crosses the line. Yet, the forward has kept that aspect of his game down to a bare minimum. Instead, he has produced four real-world points in his last four contests -- all while playing an average of a little more than 16 minutes a night. A rugged matchup against the New York Islanders may even boost his value today as his ability to stay in front of goalies has been much improved this season.

Some low-salaty alternatives at windr include Pavel Zacha ($3,900) of the New Jersey Devils and Conor Sheary ($3,700), who scored against the Pittsburgh Penguins his last game.

Erik Brannstrom, Defenseman, Ottawa Senators

FanDuel Salary: $3,500

With the Ottawa Senators relying on so many young players, it has been nice to see a rise in the level of play from Erik Brannstrom. The highly regarded former draft pick of the Vegas Golden Knights has enjoyed a little more freedom in his last two games. The results were two of his best efforts of the season -- 12.8 and 20.5 FanDuel points.

Most forget he still plays around just 15 minutes per night as Ottawa works him into the lineup during more advantageous situations. He has the potential to play well on the power play, but Thomas Chabot is the number one "quarterback" there and will be for years to come. It is not to say that Brannstrom won't have chances, because his ability to create and use his shot is there. Brannstrom had a season-high five shots on goal against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

For a safer floor option, Esa Lindell isn't a bad play at just $3,600. He has been shooting the puck more of late for the Dallas Stars and is averaging 2.25 blocks per night.

Linus Ullmark, Goalie, Buffalo Sabres

FanDuel Salary: $7,300

The goaltending position is full of values on Thursday. Linus Ullmark is expected to start on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils, and there is one main reason to put him in lineups -- well, actually two.

One, Ullmark has a salary of just $7,300, which is cheap given most studs go for around $1,000 more. Two, the Buffalo Sabres' goalie has defeated New Jersey three times this season. That includes a 41-save gem in his last start, when he carried a shutout into the final minutes. Also, Ullmark has more or less assumed the 1A role in Buffalo while Carter Hutton has struggled in the early going.

If you want to be contrarian, Mackenzie Blackwood is just $6,900, or you could go with Matt Murray ($6,600), though he is an extremely risky option.

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.