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.
Monday night expects to feature seven games on the main slate. Let's take a look at what values we can find.
Adam Henrique, Center, Anaheim Ducks
FanDuel Salary: $4,000
The Anaheim Ducks forward cleared waivers and sat for over a week but came back on Saturday with a goal, three shots, and four blocked shots in just under 15 minutes of ice time. That is the type of performance that gets one noticed.
He had three scoring chances also as Adam Henrique moved up the depth chart during the game. Do not be surprised if Henrique even garners some power-play time against the St. Louis Blues, who have been wildly inconsistent lately and can give up six goals as they did on Saturday versus the San Jose Sharks. Stacking Max Comtois ($4,000) around Henrique would be a reasonable and cheap move as well.
If you want to try another value play on Monday, Jason Spezza ($3,400) is a true all-or-nothing option from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Frank Vatrano, Wing, Florida Panthers
FanDuel Salary: $3,900
So, Frank Vatrano is getting top-six minutes again, which means he must be on some sort of streak. Look, he has goals in two consecutive games with three-plus shots in each contest. That explains a few things along with six scoring chances created in that span.
All kidding aside, one has to roster him given the fact that he will see some power-play time and could potentially play 16-18 minutes on Monday night versus the Carolina Hurricanes. There will be opportunities going back and forth. Vatrano's speed and shot on the wing should give him a few chances on the counter-attack.
If Vatrano is not a part of one's plans, then Andrew Copp ($3,900) might be tonight versus the Vancouver Canucks.
Alec Martinez, Defenseman, Vegas Golden Knights
FanDuel Salary: $4,100
Value is more plentiful than expected on Monday night but Martinez could prove to be a safe play. Martinez blocks shots and generates shots on the net like Alexander Edler used to. That automatically creates a floor that few defensemen can match on this slate.
Defensive freedom and time usage should help Martinez here. Typically when Vegas players have rested a couple of games, they come back with more ice time. Martinez had a stretch earlier in the year where he played consecutive games under 20 minutes then played nearly 25 minutes. Martinez played just over 37 minutes in the previous two contests. Vegas should lean on him a little more tonight. That could give him better chances for an assist along with his high shot and blocked shot potential.
Elsewhere, Brett Pesce ($4,100) from Carolina has a two-game real-world point streak.
John Gibson, Goalie, Anaheim Ducks
FanDuel Salary: $6,900
This is a value option of the last-resort kind. John Gibson has yielded three-plus goals in all five of his previous starts (18 goals in that span). Yet, because Anaheim is at home against the St. Louis Blues, there is a shred of value here.
The fact that Gibson got a bit unlucky in his last start is telling. In the overtime loss, he barely had time to react, and just like that, the game was over. There were a few highlight-reel saves he made against Vegas that were encouraging. If he makes a few more of those high-danger saves, then Gibson could enjoy a much-needed good night versus St. Louis.
Goaltenders in the lower salary tiers are, at best, buyer-beware on Monday night. Wait to see who is confirmed first before treading any deeper.
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.