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.
Monday night has five more playoff games. So, what values lurk on this slate?
Adam Lowry, Center, Winnipeg Jets
FanDuel Salary: $3,400
Adam Lowry is an odd sort for the Winnipeg Jets but could provide a little bit of upside on Monday night against the Edmonton Oilers. The back end of a back-to-back scenario often produces strange results in the playoffs.
Lowry had an assist on two shots in Game 3 while playing 19 minutes. If the top-six playing time continues on Monday, he may get a few more scoring chances against a beleaguered Edmonton team. If one has to save salary somewhere, the center could be a solid option.
Keegan Kolesar ($3,200) is an extreme risk choice on Monday against the Minnesota Wild at home.
Jason Spezza, Wing, Toronto Maple Leafs
FanDuel Salary: $3,300
The Montreal Canadiens' penalty kill can be vulnerable again on Monday. Jason Spezza still has the ability on the man advantage to make them pay.
There is this danger in trying to play the winger, but the salary again is just so low. That minimizes the risk of him having a one or two-shot effort. His ice time is limited to 11-12 minutes a night but Game 2 on Saturday saw him get three scoring chances, five shots, and, yes, a goal.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are home tonight and honestly have several lines that can cause matchup problems with Montreal. Spezza's power-play unit is one of them. They had several high-danger chances in the last contest.
Andrew Copp ($3,600) is a nice and safe play from Winnipeg. He just seems to always be on the ice in 2021.
Erik Cernak, Defenseman, Tampa Bay Lightning
FanDuel Salary: $3,600
Erik Cernak could benefit from Tampa Bay given the unknown health of Victor Hedman. Hedman will play but it does seem Cernak is getting some better chances of late.
While Cernak has not quite developed like some expected when it comes to DFS, his game is better suited to produce FanDuel points in the second season where spaces are tighter. He had two assists in Game 4 versus the Florida Panthers in a hair less than 20 minutes of ice time. The defenseman will be rested if he is needed to play more in Game 5.
There are some other defensemen to look at as well. Josh Morrissey ($3,700) still gets prime time and power-play time from the Jets. Also, Ryan McDonagh has a bit more of a stable floor than most at just $4,100.
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.