4 NHL FanDuel Values to Target on Tuesday 4/27/21
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.
Tuesday night grants us an eight-game slate. Let's look at some value picks.
Michael McLeod, Center, New Jersey Devils
FanDuel Salary: $3,200
Young players on bad squads tend to get some increased looks this time of year as teams try to see what they have in their young talent. Michael McLeod is showing a knack for playing those middle-six minutes left by Travis Zajac.
The New Jersey Devils can use all the production they can get and McLeod does have two goals in his previous two meetings versus the Philadelphia Flyers. They play each other once again on Tuesday night. McLeod may be good for at least 17 minutes a night going forward.
Another alternative is Michael Rasmussen ($3,300). The Detroit Red Wings' forward qualifies as a center and has been seeing top-six ice time (17 minutes a night) over his last five appearances. Also, Sam Bennett ($3,600) has stayed stagnant in salary and has a goal, assist, and 11 shots on goal over his last two games.
Alexis Lafreniere, Wing, New York Rangers
FanDuel Salary: $3,800
The youth is rising for the New York Rangers at the right time this year. With Adam Fox leading the way, some may be forgetting about Alexis Lafreniere a little bit. In his last two games, the top draft pick has a goal and two assists on four shots.
This is a riskier pick than most because Lafreniere will see bottom-six ice time mostly (13 to 14 minutes a night) but will get some top-six deployment during a game. Against the Buffalo Sabres, Lafreniere should be going up against Buffalo's bottom lines and defensive pairs. He should be able to use his speed to create some chances.
The eight-game slate gives us a few other gifts from the wing position. Erik Haula ($3,500) qualifies as a wing from the Nashville Predators and plays with Luke Kunin. That makes for an intriguing mini stack if they are kept together. Also, Daniel Sprong ($3,500) from the Washington Capitals may be worth a look against the New York Islanders.
Jaccob Slavin, Defenseman, Carolina Hurricanes
FanDuel Salary: $3,800
Can Jaccob Slavin do it again versus the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night?
The Carolina Hurricanes' defenseman scored a goal on three shots and added one blocked shot on Monday night. He also played nearly 25 minutes in all situations and actually had more scoring chances (four) than Dougie Hamilton did.
The worry is that Slavin can disappear for games on end -- even if his floor is somewhat solid. He has averaged 2.25 blocked shots a game over his previous four starts. Also, Slavin has taken three or more shots in three of his previous six games.
Elsewhere, Damon Severson ($3,900) has three assists in his last four games for New Jersey. Matthew Grzelcyk ($3,800) is still seeing some first-unit power-play time for Boston, and don't forget about Mattias Ekholm at just $3,800 for Nashville.
Jonathan Bernier, Goalie, Detroit Red Wings
FanDuel Salary: $6,700
How does Jonathan Bernier follow up one of the crazier goalie performances of the season on Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets?
The goalie is a low-floor play as he has been given the hook twice in his last five starts, but he can also stop 50 of 52 shots as he did on Saturday night against the Dallas Stars. He is the same goalie who stonewalled Carolina two weeks ago -- stopping 37 of 38 shots in that one.
Bernier is always an enticing selection because his salary is usually below $7,000. He is the projected starter for the Detroit Red Wings tonight.
See who starts from the Buffalo Sabres tonight, and Brian Elliott stands a decent chance for a win for the Philadelphia Flyers.
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.
