DraftKings NHL: Friday Breakdown

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Published on January 20, 2023

SLATE PREVIEW

There are only two games in the NHL on Friday. All four teams are rested as Ottawa travels to Pittsburgh while Vancouver hosts Colorado. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.

GOALIES

Alexandar Georgiev, COL at VAN ($8,200): Georgiev sat out three straight games before returning to action Wednesday and it paid off as he stopped 34 shots in a 4-1 road win over Calgary. Georgiev has been good this season, as he is 17-11-3 with a 2.69 GAA and a .916 save percentage. He has tied his career high in wins, set in the 2019-20 season and will get a chance to set a new record Friday. If Colorado decides to use Pavel Francouz in goal instead of Georgiev, go with Francouz.

Casey DeSmith, PIT vs. OTT ($7,900): DeSmith is coming off a 5-4 loss to the Senators on Wednesday and will get a chance to redeem himself at home. He did manage to stop 35 shots versus Ottawa as he is 6-9-3 with a 3.21 GAA and a .904 save percentage this season. DeSmith has started six of the last seven Pittsburgh games as Tristan Jarry has been out of action with a lower-body injury suffered at the Winter Classic. Jarry is on the mend and if he returns to play the Senators, he is the play.

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS

J.T. Miller, VAN vs. COL ($5,200): Miller had a career year last season with 32 goals and 99 points and while he has 17 goals and 23 assists in 44 games this season, it seems like he has been slumping most of the year. Miller has four goals and 10 points in his last eight games and continues to be proficient on the power play with eight goals and 20 points while averaging a career high 3:59 with the man-advantage.

Alex DeBrincat, OTT at PIT ($6,400): DeBrincat is having a good first season with the Senators, with 15 goals and 39 points in 44 games. He is on pace to break his career high in shots on goal as he has 155 this season, only 115 shy of last season's mark. DeBrincat is on the top power play, where he has six goals and 20 points and plays on the second line in even strength situations, alongside Josh Norris and Claude Giroux.

Claude Giroux, OTT at PIT ($4,800): Giroux has the same stats as linemate Alex DeBrincat, with 15 goals and 24 assists in 44 games. The 35-year-old forward has been strong on the power play with three goals and 15 points and is headed for his most productive season with the man-advantage since the 2017-18 season with the Flyers, where he had 36 points. Giroux is a good pick, if you are in need of an inexpensive player to fill out your roster.

FORWARD LINE STACKS

Avalanche at Canucks

Nathan MacKinnon (C-$8,800), Evan Rodrigues (W-$5,400), Artturi Lehkonen (W-$5,000)

The Canucks - Colorado's opponent on Friday - have given up 175 goals this season, tied for third-worst in the NHL. Going with the MacKinnon line makes a lot of sense as the troika have been hot of late. MacKinnon is on a six-game points streak, scoring four goals and adding nine assists, giving the top center 13 goals and 49 points in only 32 games. Lehkonen had a two-goal game Wednesday versus the Flames, giving him five goals in his last three contests. The former Canadien has 14 goals and 32 points as he is just six points away from tying a career high in points set last season. Rodrigues was held off the scoresheet Wednesday, snapping a nine-game points streak. He has 10 goals and 23 points in just 32 games this season.

Penguins vs. Senators

Sidney Crosby (C - $6,700), Jake Guentzel (W -$6,600), Bryan Rust (W - $4,500)

Crosby had three assists Wednesday versus the Senators as the two teams are playing in Pittsburgh in the back-half of a home-and-home series. Crosby has 21 goals and 52 points in 44 games this season as he could be in line for his seventh 100-point season in his illustrious career. Guentzel has been slumping of late as he has three goals and six points in 11 games since the Christmas break with points in only three of the 11 contests. He has 18 goals and 39 points in 40 games as the winger is capable of putting up big points at any time. Guentzel had a career year last season with 40 goals and 84 points and has averaged over a point-a-game in each of the previous three seasons. Rust has 10 goals and 27 points this season after a 58-point campaign in 60 games in 2021-22. He is nicely valued if you are interested in the whole line as a stack.

DEFENSEMEN

Devon Toews, COL at VAN ($4,600): Toews has five points in his last three games, giving him 25 points in 41 contests. He offensive proficiency has fallen this season, as he had 13 goals and 57 points in 66 games during the 2021-22 campaign, but he is still an offensive threat at any time. Cale Makar sat out last game with an undisclosed injury and if he is unable to go Friday, Toews' value goes up as he will quarterback the first power play.

Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. COL ($4,500): Hughes is on a five-game points streak, with three goals and six assists, giving the 23-year-old defenseman four goals and 40 points in 40 games. He quarterbacks the first power play and has a goal and 20 points with the man-advantage. Hughes is sixth among all NHL defensemen in scoring after finishing eighth last season.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Michael Finewax plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: finny_flyers, DraftKings: michaelfinewa-19CVH.