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 of risk, too. The right low-salary plays can give you good production while affording you more chances to roster high-salary studs.
Thursday night has 10 games on the schedule. It is time to get dangerous!
Cole Perfetti, Center, Winnipeg Jets
FanDuel Salary: $3,800
The young Winnipeg Jets center has slipped upward into a top-six role with the Jets. How long that lasts is anyone's guess.
There is some danger because Cole Perfetti is guilty of inconsistent shot and chance volume (eight shots and nine scoring chances In his last five). The one thing that is not in dispute is his talent.
The center has a goal and two assists in his last five contests and draws a home matchup versus the Vancouver Canucks. It could be a bit of an exciting and fun night for the forward.
Winnipeg's five-game losing streak has some of their players a bit undervalued, and that applies to Perfetti on Thursday.
Nils Hoglander, Wing, Vancouver Canucks
FanDuel Salary: $3,800
When will Vancouver utilize Nils Hoglander properly? Even with Bruce Boudreau coaching, it seems Hoglander falls through the cracks sometimes when it comes to ice time.
He generates shots and scoring chances per 60 among the best on his team. Hoglander has 16 shots on goal in his past five games despite playing around bottom-six minutes.
The Winnipeg Jets are a measly 28th on the penalty kill at 74.1%. If Hoglander can muster any time on the Vancouver man advantage, he might nab a goal or assist on the scoresheet.
There is a good chance regardless that Winnipeg could give up three or more goals in this one. After all, they have done so in every game of this losing streak (20 goals yielded)
While Kailer Yamamoto also has some upside, Hoglander has the most risk-reward among value play wingers on Thursday night.
Cal Foote, Defenseman, Tampa Bay Lightning
FanDuel Salary: $3,900
So, the young Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman has been playing more minutes as of late. He is averaging around 21 minutes a night over his last three appearances.
Now, the New Jersey Devils are a riddle wrapped in an enigma. They can look great defensively then look awful offensively and vice versa. It never seems like all their phases work at the same time. Foote is playing much better defensively of late, hence his rise in the depth chart.
Foote has seven blocked shots and four shots on goal in the last week. That is respectable, and this qualifies as a favorable matchup if anyone has ever seen one.
With how good Tampa Bay is offensively, Foote is at least worth a look tonight.
Robin Lehner, Goalie, Vegas Golden Knights
FanDuel Salary: $6,500
Goaltending from the Vegas Golden Knights has been a bit problematic, but Robin Lehner is at this low of a salary? Yes, he is playing the Florida Panthers on Thursday, who average 4.02 goals per game and more than 4.5 per at home.
However, Lehner had a tour-de-force performance on Monday night versus the Washington Capitals, stopping 34 saves in a shutout win. It looked like the goaltender who used to play on Long Island and his early days in Vegas.
Expect Florida not to slow down at all against Vegas, as they lead the league in shots on goal at a whopping 36.3 per game. They lead the league in scoring chances at home and pace, as well.
His salary is basically minimum for a goaltender. Lehner is worth at least a flier somewhere in a lineup.
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.