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.
Wednesday night has four games on the docket. Let's dig into some values!
Nolan Patrick, Center, Vegas Golden Knights
FanDuel Salary: $3,900
Nolan Patrick is a risky forward option on Wednesday night as Vegas hosts the Colorado Avalanche.
The bar is pretty low at this salary, but Patrick does have six shots on goal in his last two games. He has to get in position and shoot more to be successful. It is really that simple.
On the season, Patrick has 2 goals and 4 assists in 17 games. He carries a bit more potential than that; he had five scoring chances last week in Calgary.
Colorado just allowed four goals to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night and has had inconsistent goaltending all year. Maybe, there will be room for a few real-world point opportunities for Patrick on Wednesday.
Owen Tippett, Wing, Florida Panthers
FanDuel Salary: $3,600
Could Owen Tippett be getting the showcase treatment?
That's the hope as he gets a little more ice time recently. Tippett is averaging around 12-13 minutes of ice time a night in his past four games and has responded with 9 shots on goal and 12 scoring chances.
The Florida Panthers' winger is just a young victim of their depth, but arguably, if he sees a bit more top-six ice time at even strength, his value to other clubs could increase.
Both Florida and Carolina are top-10 squads in terms of Corsi For (total shot attempts), so expect a back-and-forth nature to their battle on Wednesday.
Nikita Zadorov, Defenseman, Calgary Flames
FanDuel Salary: $3,800
The Calgary Flames' blueliner is boosting his floor by balancing shots and blocked shots a bit better lately.
However, the giant defensive stalwart is now finding the points sheet with regularity. Nikita Zadorov has three apples in his last four games.
Facing the Anaheim Ducks is a plus matchup more for Calgary. Zadorov could see a bit more ice time because Calgary's top-tier defensemen may be a bit unrested from their contest against Columbus one night ago.
If that also means a few extra chances, shots, and blocked shots, the defenseman is more than worth his salary on Wednesday.
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.