Rostering low-salary players 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, as there are a lot of lower-salaried options.
Thursday night delivers a nine-game slate. Let's look at some value picks.
Kirby Dach, Center, Chicago Blackhawks
FanDuel Salary: $3,600
Kirby Dach enjoys another good opponent in the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night. The Chicago Blackhawks center goes up against one of the worst penalty kills in the league (28th overall at home at 74.5%).
Dach keeps playing a high amount of minutes and was over 20 against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. He had an assist on one shot and three scoring chances. The chances keep coming and they will continue to do so with Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat on his line.
Another twist in the slate offers Valtteri Filppula ($3,400) as a counter against Chicago. Filppula has 15-plus FanDuel points in consecutive games against a Blackhawks team that ranks 30th in shots per game allowed at 33.3 and 29th on the penalty kill overall at 73.3%.
Jeff Skinner, Wing, Buffalo Sabres
FanDuel Salary: $4,000
Jeff Skinner has looked better of late and does have four real-world points in his previous four games. That includes 10 shots on goal in that span with 19 shot attempts. If he keeps shooting the puck more, Skinner will have more chances. The Buffalo Sabres' forward must be more active with and without the puck, especially against the Washington Capitals, who will give up their share of scoring opportunities.
It is his increased ice time that has been a big boost. Skinner has played 16-plus minutes in four straight games. He has seen more power-play ice time in this span than he had in nearly two months. With how this season has gone for Buffalo, at least now there are some opportunities for more offense.
The nine-game schedule on Thursday offers even more value possibilities. Jeff Carter ($3,800) plays his first game for the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight and expects to see some power-play time and a top-six role early. Anthony Duclair ($3,600) still plays on the first line for Florida, which gives him good value tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Shayne Gostisbehere, Defenseman, Philadelphia Flyers
FanDuel Salary: $3,900
Shayne Gostisbehere is a risky option on Thursday night as are most Philadelphia Flyers' players, in theory. However, playing the Pittsburgh Penguins can create some strange outcomes as the "Battle of Pennsylvania" often does.
For what it is worth, Gostisbehere has looked much better of late offensively. He has four real-world points and two goals in his last five games. Even his blocked shots have increased of late as the defenseman has five blocks and 11 shots on goal during this span.
The risk is that even though Gostisbehere is finally playing 20-plus minutes per game, does Pittsburgh get drawn into a shootout? If they do, that is great for DFS purposes. If not, this value pick could be trouble.
Mike Reilly ($3,900) debuted for Boston on Tuesday night and played on the top power-play unit. He should again on Thursday. Connor Murphy ($3,700) is a safe floor option for shots and blocked shots from the Chicago Blackhawks.
Jonathan Bernier, Goalie, Detroit Red Wings
FanDuel Salary: $6,600
Detroit is expected to start Jonathan Bernier against Chicago on Thursday night. The Red Wings' goaltender comes off a stupendous effort against the Carolina Hurricanes where he stopped 37 of 38 shots in the win.
The goalie carries a little bit of risk as he did allow seven goals at home against Nashville during his last start in Detroit. Overall, Bernier does have four quality appearances in his last five games played. He sports a 2.68 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage which are numbers one would not expect in Detroit.
Bernier will be a somewhat attractive choice tonight because of his low salary. He is that much cheaper than the best stud options.
With value options a bit limited on Thursday night, Mackenzie Blackwood is an extreme risk from New Jersey at $6,800. Blackwood on the road is a much better goalie, as are the Devils (10 road wins). He may see 35-40-plus shots but could rack up FanDuel points.
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.