Spending lower in any daily fantasy lineup is a way to incorporate some diversity into your lineup. 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 larger slate where there are lots of lower-salaried plays. Plugging in these options will afford more chances to play some studs as well.

Thursday night presents a large slate for DFS players. It is time to dig in!

Filip Chytil, Center, New York Rangers

FanDuel Salary: $3,900

Middle-six options border on the ridiculous level Thursday night. The large slate allows us to pivot to a player like Filip Chytil who is hitting the net with more and more frequency on his shots. Furthermore, his shot selection is improving with each passing game. He has three real-world points in his last four games while averaging three shots a game and three scoring chances.

Value centers are all over the place but the middle-six center should avoid the New York Islanders' top shutdown pairing that includes Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech. There is a risk here as the Islanders tend to shut down the Rangers. However, the Rangers have not been shut out twice in the last week like the Islanders. Goals may come unexpectedly and Chytil is primed with his speed off the rush and quick wrist shot.

Sam Bennett ($4,000) is still an excellent FanDuel alternative from the Florida Panthers. He had a goal, three assists, and eight shots on goal in his miniseries versus the Nashville Predators this week. Robert Thomas may be worth a look from the St. Louis Blues also.

Anthony Duclair, Wing, Florida Panthers

FanDuel Salary: $4,000

With a Bennett and Anthony Duclair ministack, all things are possible roster-wise? Maybe not quite. However, it is a fun move to try on Thursday night to differentiate lineups.

Yes, Duclair has real-world points in his last three games. He has eight shots on goal and six scoring chances. Something to note is the fact that the Panthers are trying the winger more on the penalty kill. He rewarded DFS owners with a short-handed assist the other night on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes. That speed is a definite threat.

The Chicago Blackhawks are a team that can be attacked early and often. Their defense often is less than mobile or too far into the play which means they are susceptible to transition plays. That suits Duclair perfectly. Did anyone mention that bottom-five Chicago penalty kill? We just did.

Alexis Lafreniere ($4,100) is on the fringe of the value tier for the Rangers against the Islanders tonight. Daniel Sprong ($3,700) is a hot commodity for Washington with Alex Ovechkin likely out again. Sprong has three goals in his last two games.

Marcus Foligno, Wing, Minnesota Wild

FanDuel Salary: $3,100

Playoff hockey or nearly playoff hockey means giving chances to players who just bang, shoot, and do not overthink. Marcus Foligno is one of those players for the Minnesota Wild.

The concern with Foligno is playing time. It always will be. However, in the past five games, the winger has played 15+ minutes in every contest. The real risk may be shot volume as Foligno is averaging just over a shot per game in that span. However, he does have six real-world points in his last six games. When going down to the near-minimum in value, expect the unexpected. In this case, St. Louis may not have an answer. Foligno may only get a couple of scoring chances but lately, he is making the most of them.

Some other low-salary opportunities could include Milan Lucic ($3,100) as an all-or-nothing risk from the Calgary Flames. Also, there is Jordan Greenway from Minnesota too.

Tyler Myers, Defenseman, Vancouver Canucks

FanDuel Salary: $3,700

Tyler Myers has excellent value again on Thursday night versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto will look for this matchup early and often so look at whomever Myers pairs up against. Again, it is a case of attack and be attacked.

Myers is capable of blocking three or four shots or more any given night. Against Ottawa the previous two games, the Vancouver defenseman had a goal and two assists as well as generating five scoring chances and two off the rush.

Myers was rested a bit in the last two games playing just over 21 minutes on Wednesday evening versus Senators. This should allow him to play 23-25 minutes tonight in Toronto. The fact that his salary has not moved is good news.

For another potential option, Philippe Myers ($3,700) from the Philadelphia Flyers is another attack or be attacked option. Could Travis Hamonic ($3,600) be a floor play from Vancouver also? Possibly.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Goalie, Buffalo Sabres

FanDuel Salary: $6,800

The goaltending position is just a scary minefield from the value bin on Thursday night. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is worth taking a shot on against the Boston Bruins because of shot volume alone.

Again, the Buffalo goalie is projected to start against Boston on Thursday night. He has faced 40+ shots in both of his starts. Yes, they were both losses but again that type of volume can mean 15-25 FanDuel points potentially.

If you want to go with more high-risk options, see which Detroit Red Wings goaltender starts on Thursday night in Carolina. Finally, there is Mackenzie Blackwood ($6,600) from the New Jersey Devils but again, that defense allows four goals a game way too often lately.

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.