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 allows us a chance to spend a little less and maybe get a little more? Let's take a look.
Phillip Danault, Center, Los Angeles Kings
FanDuel Salary: $3,600
Phillip Danault is a middle-six forward who might cause the Dallas Stars a few headaches. He is projected as the third-best point-per-dollar play at center, according to our model.
Dallas played pretty well on their four-game road trip. That was led by Braden Holtby who enjoyed a nice run with a 1.75 goals-against average and .947 save percentage in three games played. But Holtby is likely due for some regression, and Danault can benefit as he has generated eight scoring chances in three contests.
The opportunities should be there for Danault, who offers a friendly salary and a good role.
Craig Smith, Wing, Boston Bruins
FanDuel Salary: $4,200
The speedy shooter from the Boston Bruins has been a target for many in DFS in the early going.
While certain players have already risen out of value range, Craig Smith is still just in the outer edge of the value bracket. Smith has nine shots and eight scoring chances in two games for Boston. The pucks just have not gone in. That will change eventually.
Boston is expected to score 3.40 goals on Friday night -- per our numbers -- which is the second-most on the slate. Targeting Smith is a great way to get in on the action while not sacrificing too much salary.
Evan Bouchard, Defensemen, Edmonton Oilers
FanDuel Salary: $3,600
The Edmonton Oilers' defenseman is not always the most prolific offensive player from a DFS standpoint. However, he does have the potential to generate a high amount of shots and blocked shots.
Now, the great news for the Oilers is that they face a Vegas Golden Knights team that is quite banged up. Bouchard should be able to get shots through on net. It is what he has excelled at during his young career.
Bouchard should eventually see some power-play time, and the Vegas penalty kill is executing at a 75% rate, which isn't too imposing.
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.