3 NHL FanDuel Values to Target on 4/13/21
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.
Friday night's slate has seven games in all on the schedule, starting at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Let's look at some value picks.
Michael McLeod, Center, New Jersey Devils
FanDuel Salary: $3,100
No one knows if Pavel Zacha will be 100% tonight when the New Jersey Devils play the New York Rangers at Prudential Center. One thing that is known is that Michael McLeod played more than 20 minutes on Sunday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had a couple of nice scoring chances, hit a post, and blocked four shots.
The New Jersey Devils are the worst team in the NHL at home with just four wins in 21 games. When offensive opportunities present themselves, the Devils' skaters will be salaried at a ridiculously low point. McLeod is basically at the bottom of the barrel, and he doesn't need to do much to justify his roster spot at this salary. Using him allows you a lot of flexibility elsewhere. He does have three real-world points in his last seven games. That does not sound like much, but the 16-plus minutes he has played in three consecutive contests is intriguing.
Casey Mittelstadt ($3,800) is beginning to put together some games for the Buffalo Sabres. He has had 15-plus FanDuel points in consecutive starts and has three such performances in the past four games.
Mason Marchment, Wing, Florida Panthers
FanDuel Salary: $3,100
This is a night where we are looking at minimum-salaried options to spend up everywhere else. With the smaller slate, this is a chance to take some risks. Mason Marchment is another acceptable risk.
He is playing top-six minutes for the Florida Panthers and is averaging 2.5 scoring chances per game in his last four games. The forward has the potential to see around 16 minutes of ice time today against the Dallas Stars. He has played at least that amount in six straight games. He is a fixture of sorts in the top-six. He has just one assist in this span but has the potential to generate three or more shots on net. Marchment has five-plus shot attempts in all but one game during this time.
Another off-the-board choice is Yakov Trenin, who is just $3,200 but has goals in two of his three previous outings for the Nashville Predators. Trenin has a booming shot that routinely hits over 100 MPH.
Erik Cernak, Defenseman, Tampa Bay Lightning
FanDuel Salary: $3,600
So, Erik Cernak went up a whole $100 in salary after his goal scored over the weekend. The last half dozen games have seen Cernak score eight-plus FanDuel points five times. That does not sound like much, but the consistency from the Tampa Bay defenseman is welcome tonight.
Games versus the Nashville Predators are not easy, but Nashville has allowed 30-plus shots with regularity this season. Cernak may see some power-play time against a penalty kill that ranks just 28th (75%) and takes the fourth-most minors in the NHL (9.6 minutes per night).
Jamie Oleksiak ($3,600) has built a nice floor and is another low-salaried player worth considering on Tuesday night against the Panthers. He has blocked three or more shots in four of his last five starts.
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.
