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 features five games on the NHL schedule. Let's dig in for some picks.
Nick Schmaltz, Center, Arizona Coyotes
FanDuel Salary: $3,700
The risks from the value department are higher than usual on Monday night. Nick Schmaltz has not scored a goal for the Arizona Coyotes in seven games. However, he did have real-world points in consecutive games against the San Jose Sharks during their latest miniseries last month.
He had three or more scoring chances in both of those contests too. Schmaltz even attempted a half-dozen shots in each of those games -- getting a total of six combined on net. San Jose has lost eight straight games while allowing almost four goals a game in that span. San Jose takes the third-most minor penalties in the league so Schmaltz may even have a few more power-play chances. Arizona could be a nice value-stack if one pairs Alex Goligoski ($3,800) with Schmaltz.
Looking further down our lists, Sam Bennett ($3,600) qualifies as a center still from Florida and has four or more shots in three of his previous four games.
Luke Kunin, Wing, Nashville Predators
FanDuel Salary: $3,900
Luke Kunin keeps on racking up double-digit FanDuel points and as long as he does that, he is a must roster on Monday night. For as good as Florida has been, they will allow 30-35 shots a night more often than not.
With Kunin mostly attacking the middle lines of the Panthers, he should get his fair share of opportunities. The Nashville Predators' winger now has goals in three straight games and 10 shots in that span. Do not expect a ton of ice time, but Kunin's scoring chances per 60 is the third-best among Nashville forwards.
Andrew Copp is kind of a safe stand-by at $3,800 from Winnipeg but a hidden gem could be Steven Lorentz ($3,200) who has real-world points in two of his last three outings for Carolina.
Tyler Myers, Defenseman, Vancouver Canucks
FanDuel Salary: $3,700
Tyler Myers may be one of the biggest risks taken this week from the Vancouver Canucks. He can be attacked and attack well.
The Vancouver defenseman sees lots of events on the ice -- for and against. For DFS purposes, his ability to get shots on net and blocked shots are what we focus on. He has three or more shots in three straight outings, he has five blocks in two of his last four games as a bonus. His floor is safe enough and Ottawa allows the fourth-most shots on the slate and third from defensemen.
Digging a little deeper, we find Jamie Oleksiak ($3,700) as another possible floor option from the Dallas Stars. Also, Ryan Ellis ($4,000) remains a possibility from Nashville.
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.