This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
FanDuel has decided to offer up two single-game 4 Nations DFS contests on Saturday. That's reasonable as the first one starts at 1 p.m. EST and the other is at 8. FanDuel's focus will be the evening matchup between the United States and Canada, and I'll only be selecting players from there for DFS purposes.
You have $55,000 in salary for five players. One is your Captain, who earns you 1.5 times the points. FanDuel doesn't let you roster goalies in single-game competitions, so you can't turn to Connor Hellebuyck. Of course, his presence in the American net definitely shaped my lineup decisions.
CAPTAIN
Matthew Tkachuk, USA vs. CAN ($10,500): The U.S. had an easier matchup than Canada in their openers, but it's notable the Americans routed Finland 6-1 while Canada eked out a 4-3 OT win against Sweden. The Tkachuks were front and center in that victory, with Matthew the team's best player posting two goals on a whopping eight shots while adding an assist. And unlike Brady, Matthew is on the top power play. If that wasn't enough, Tkachuk racked up eight goals and eight assists in the eight games heading into this tournament.
UTILITY
Connor McDavid, CAN vs. USA ($14,500): This Connor will have to face another Connor who's imposing as Hellebuyck is the world's best goalie. That being said, McDavid is the world's best player. He may have "only" notched an assist against Sweden, yet also logged 21:26. I don't want to avoid Canadians just because Hellebuyck is so dominant. And if I can have a roster I like while shelling out salary for premium options, why wouldn't I?
Jack Eichel, USA vs. CAN ($13,500): I'd say that Eichel is forever tied to McDavid as he was drafted second after McDavid went first in 2015, but in truth McDavid has been so great that everything else about that Draft has kind of faded from memory. (Side note: Take a look at that first round. What a draft class.) Eichel may not be McDavid, though he's a point-a-game forward whose only issue has been injuries. He's healthy right now and contributed two assists against Finland while skating played on the Americans' lead man-advantage.
Jake Guentzel, USA vs. CAN ($9,000): I've talked about Hellebuyck, but I've yet to get into the Canadian goaltending situation that's decidedly less imposing. Jordan Binnington has struggled to an .897 save percentage this season and could potentially finish with a sub-.900 for the second time in three years. Guentzel registered a goal and assist versus Finland and interestingly received first-unit power-play minutes.
Cale Makar, CAN vs. USA ($7,500): If I can round out my lineup with maybe the best defenseman out there, that works for me. Makar has been under the weather, but by all accounts he'll be good to go for the biggest game of the 4 Nations Face-Off. And he looked plenty healthy against Sweden considering he played 28:06. Makar didn't manage a point, yet directed two shots on net and blocked three. He's also a defenseman who's gone off for 63 points over 57 NHL outings.
