This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Sunday brings the culmination of Thanksgiving weekend, and as you finish off any remaining leftovers, there are four NHL games on the slate in the evening. As you eat that last sliver of pumpkin pie, ponder these recommendations for your DFS lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Saturday was chockfull of teams on the second leg of a back-to-back, which leaves us with only one such team playing Sunday. That would be the Canucks, who are visiting the Sharks.
GOALIES
Martin Jones, SEA at ANA ($8,300): Jones has a .906 save percentage, but a 2.49 GAA, because the Kraken have allowed a mere 27.2 shots on net per contest. The Ducks rank 31st in goals per game at 2.48, so they don't seem likely to pressure the Kraken defense, or Jones, all that much.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at CHI ($8,200): Hellebuyck has had a couple tough starts in a row, but he still has a 2.46 GAA and .926 save percentage after that. The Blackhawks will be an easier task than, say, the Stars. Chicago has averaged 2.50 goals and 26.4 shots on net per game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Alex DeBrincat, OTT at LOS ($7,300): DeBrincat's numbers are tamped down by a 7.0 shooting percentage, but I am encouraged by the fact he's put 71 shots on net in 20 games. Also, his 11 assists. The Kings' defense has kept their goalies from being too busy, and that has been necessary because they've been so bad. Jonathan Quick has a 3.08 GAA and .895 save percentage. I don't think the Kings can keep a player like DeBrincat from getting a couple shots on net.
Kevin Labanc, SAN vs. VAN ($3,800): Labanc is the other guy on San Jose's top line with Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier, but that's a good place to be. It's also probably helped him tally a point in each of his last two games. The Canucks, as I noted, are the sole team on a back-to-back Sunday. They also have a bottom-five GAA and penalty kill.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Kraken at Ducks
Matty Beniers (C - $3,900), Jared McCann (W - $3,900), Jordan Eberle (W - $3,500)
The Ducks are the team of these two that look like a franchise in its sophomore season. Anaheim's defense and goaltending has been brutal. The Ducks have a 4.19 GAA, a bottom-three penalty kill, and have allowed 37.6 shots on net per contest. If you are a visiting NHL player, Disneyland isn't the happiest place on Earth. Anaheim's arena is.
Beniers could maybe stand to shoot a little more, but he's made good on the Calder hype nonetheless. He has 15 points in 20 games, and he's also on a three-game point streak. McCann was the star of the show for the Kraken as an expansion team, racking up 27 goals. He's missed time with injury this year but has seven goals and five assists in 17 games, with four points coming in his last four contests. Eberle has started shooting more himself, putting 22 shots on net in his last seven outings. In that time he's racked up five goals, not to mention three assists.
DEFENSEMEN
Josh Morrissey, WPG at CHI ($5,800): Playing up in Winnipeg, what Morrissey is doing may be getting overlooked. He has 20 points through 19 games, and he has at least one point in nine of his last 10 contests. The fact he's averaged 3:16 per contest on the power play is also encouraging. Chicago has been alternating starts for its goalies recently, which means Petr Mrazek and his 3.86 GAA and .885 save percentage will likely be in net.
Vince Dunn, SEA at ANA ($4,800): I've got to take another stab at Anaheim's awful defense. Particularly, it's terrible penalty kill. Dunn has averaged 3:04 per game with the extra man, and he's tallied five power-play points thus far.
